by Lila Felix
“Give us a minute, guys.” Colby never dropped her stare.
She allowed them to get out of hearing distance. “I’m sorry. We’re all so excited. I forgot how long you’ve been gone.”
I pretended it didn’t sting that she hadn’t noticed how long I’d been gone.
“Start from the beginning, mate—before I lose it.”
She stepped closer and took my hand, trying to calm me, and winning.
“I’ve discovered some things.” She reached out to hold my other hand. “Something happened to me when we were sealed—and that night.” She blushed and I smiled but quickly corrected it. “Theo, listen to me. There’s so much to tell you. And I will. But the short of it is that I can restore their powers—they can flash again. I started with Sway—not sure I could even do it. And look at her. She flashed more than I ever did.”
That wasn’t all the information I needed. “And what about the fainting? I won’t have this new power hurting you.”
She got closer and laid her head on my shoulder. A move that got her anything she wanted, anytime she wanted. “It doesn’t hurt, it just overwhelms me. I black out.”
I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
I opened my mouth to say something—anything, but she got there first. “You can help me. I think if we are working together or if you’re present, it won’t be as bad. Look at them, Theo. Look at your people—our people. They have their birthright returned.”
Over her head, I did look. It was everything some of them could do to give us this space. Some stood with outstretched hands, wanting her back. Some cried, I assumed they wondered if I was going to prohibit her from moving forward—as if I could ever prohibit Colby from doing anything. But they didn’t know Colby. They knew the Eidolon’s mate. They knew her power and her obvious love for them.
There was worship in their eyes.
I let out a pent up breath and embraced her while I could. I sensed that this might be one of few moments I would have her to myself. “Show me your skills, mate. I want to see why these people are praising you. I’ve always known, by the way. I’ve always known you were magic. But tonight, you’re mine. How long has it been?”
Her previous comment made me question if she even knew.
Her sweet breath fanned over my face. “Three weeks, four days, and twenty-one hours.”
She sealed her statement with a kiss to my neck and then began a journey back to them, tugging me along. “Come on. They’ve been waiting for you. I’m like the sideshow. They want to see the main act.”
“You have never been, nor will you ever be the side show, Colby Ramsey.”
She gasped and I realized it was the first time I’d ever called her that—at least out loud.
“Say it again.”
I tugged her back for one more embrace. “Colby Ramsey? Yeah, I’m going to be calling you that a lot more often.”
We came back to the place where the others had stayed gathered. “Everyone, this is Theo—the Eidolon.”
Every head bowed and I was the one left gasping.
***
“I’ve been summoned.” Colby came up behind me while I sat on the ground eating a well-deserved lunch, with Chloe amongst others.
Previously Resin others—now Lucent again.
We were still coming up with a name for them—they were a race all their own.
We’d managed over the past week to restore everyone in the group except for a family and a few others who wished to remain Resin. It was the most honorable of work. Each day, every person that approached us—some simply wanted their powers back—others wanted us to know their stories. Some had been robbed of their powers by punishment for disobeying one of the Synod’s silly antiquated laws. One or two didn’t even remember the process by which their birthright had been stolen. One woman had it taken after receiving a beating by masked people.
Some chose not to have their powers restored. They’d taken to a simple life in the plains and were frightened of the consequences of getting their Lucent powers back.
It killed me that these people were afraid of being given back the powers that the Almighty blessed them with. They were more terrified of the Synod than they lamented the loss of their blessings.
Their reign needed to come to an end.
Colby’s strength fascinated me day by day. I caught myself smiling at her time after time. She’d matured. She’d grown up in a matter of months. Her voice was the epitome of kind and sincere when she spoke to the women who approached her. Most of them wanted Colby to restore their powers. There was a kinship between the sisters of the Lucent that, even though I shared their powers, I would never be able to touch. And I didn’t want to. There was a reason the Almighty chose to grant these powers through the female line of ancestry—it was to create this sisterhood of women, more powerful and brilliant than any other on the planet.
And males—well, most were just happy to be along for the ride.
I turned my head in disgust at her being summoned again by the people we despised the most.
She wrapped her arms around my stomach and I pretended in vain not to seem alarmed.
Unglued—that was the word. The fact that the Synod were still making some pitiful power play made me insane.
There was a chance Colby would listen to me this time. “I’m coming with you.”
She sloughed me off. “You can’t. They probably think you’re gone. It’s better that way. It’s better for them to think you’re gone—off doing your duty. That way they think they still have a shot at getting you to bend to their will.”
I pulled one of her hands up and kissed her palm. “Didn’t you learn anything this week?”
She sighed and her warm breath penetrated my shirt.
Since I’d gotten back, she hadn’t fainted once—and we worked together at twice the pace as she had before. We’d talked every night about the events of the day. My mate now, even more than before, had a divine and deep-rooted respect for her people—for our people. She genuinely loved each soul. And I think that in the future it would make my trips to the Fray a little easier.
We’d also realized, for the ultimate time, that we were better together. There were times when we wouldn’t be able to be together, but for the times in between, she was never leaving my side.
I needed her as much as she needed me.
“Yes. But I have to protect you. Without you, none of this is possible.”
I debated, “Without you, I’m not possible. Anyway, I protect us both. You protect me and I protect us both. Anyway, what are they going to do? We know their tactics aren’t real. They can’t hang that over our heads. They need Sanctum to take away our powers and he’s stuck until he realizes he can free himself. What’s Regina going to do?”
She shuddered behind me. “Um, cut our throats open?”
I looked to our group of friends, now so much more than friends. “The Viking would never let that happen. He’d go all Hulk Smash on their asses.”
Collin ticked his head our way. He answered to The Viking and now knew that it was a term of endearment more than it was criticism. After all, everyone needs a Viking on their team.
Colby shrilled, “Now we’re all going? Ari is going to spaz out.”
“She won’t.”
She tried again, “Sway is going to turn green.”
“She won’t. Collin, she’s doing the thing again. Make her stop doing the thing.”
He cleared his throat and boomed, “Colby, stop pushing the people who love you away.” Then he sucked in his cheeks as if he’d said something he didn’t mean to.
She drawled, “Y’all are traitors. All y’all.”
The entire group laughed. “I love it when you go back to my Southern girl.”
She moved but didn’t get up. “Ugh, let’s go before they get their panties in a bunch.”
“You don’t want to dress up this time?”
Scoffing she answered, “Nope. They get me this way. I’m defying t
hem enough without the eyeliner.”
I grunted. The girl looked delicious with all that eyeliner on, like the most beautiful rebel.
“I love all the eyeliner.”
She giggled against my back and the sound made me want to forget everything—who I was, who she was—what we were doing here—and take her back to whatever home I could get to first—mine, hers, whatever. If possible, I loved Colby more and more every day.
“Maybe we can arrange eyeliner another time.”
I got up. “Let’s go then. We need to move on tomorrow.”
Every head turned in our direction after I spoke.
“You can’t leave. You just got here.” That was the sentiment that waved through the whispers and comments. I hated this. These were the people that needed us. Our hands and our gifts being used to fix all the Synod’s mistakes. Yet we had to jump when they said so.
I was so damned tired of being afraid of them.
I stood to address the crowd. Colby took my hand but hid a step behind me. She tended to do that lately. She wanted none of the limelight.
“We’ve done what we could here. There are so many more. Just as you were restored, so they deserve to be restored. Keeping it from them would be wrong.”
They agreed with nods but not in speech. Some cried—Chloe in particular hid her face, but from the way her mate was consoling her, I knew she was upset.
“Let’s go.”
Collin, Sway, Chance, Ari, Colby, and I paired up to flash to the Synod. Almighty only knew what they had to say—but I could guarantee that it wasn’t anything we wanted to hear.
I hate the Synod with the strength of a hundred Collins.
That’s a lot of Collins and a lot of muscle.
We flashed into the meeting room instead of the gold room. I swore my gag reflex would kick in if I had to go to the gold room one more time. After a good bit of laughing, they all agreed that the gold room would be a bad idea.
I thought that maybe it would. Vomit on Regina’s shoes would be fitting.
“Colby Evans, you were the only one summoned. Bringing guests is forbidden.”
I was surprised at this point that farting wasn’t forbidden—breathing—you know, the natural things. They forbade everything else.
Theo cleared his throat and I could hear the smile in his voice as he took great pride in correcting her. She’d called me Evans on purpose, of course. Goading was their favorite sport. My eyebrows scrunched as I looked around the room. Long gone was the grand table and the magnanimous chairs that were good for nothing. In their place were simple chairs and even simpler dress. Something was off.
It even smelled off in here.
“Colby Ramsey, Regina. And certainly the Eidolon and his trusted advisors are welcome at the Synod without a formal invitation. We didn’t think we were considered guests but welcomed allies.”
Theo was slicker than pig shit when he spoke formally.
And he had deemed Regina and her mean girl crew speechless—but not for long.
Ari looked from Sway to Chance to Collin and then pointed to herself. It took her a minute that Theo was, in fact, referring to her as one of the trusted advisors.
She gave me the thumbs up and Collin nearly choked on his laughter. Chance—poor Chance. He didn’t really know what he’d gotten into by being Sway’s mate and by proxy, my friend. I expected he would need a change of boxers after this was all over. Theo had sealed them in a ceremony like no other. They both wore their street clothes and insisted on no celebration.
Sway said having her powers back meant they could celebrate for the rest of their lives.
She was the best and I had restored more than just her powers—she was alive again.
Regina uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them the opposite way. “I didn’t realize the Eidolon had advisors. How—unconventional. Then again, you’re not the most conventional. Sway, how lovely to see you. You’re looking well.”
Sway rocked back on her heels. I thought she might flash out of there.
“I—I… um…”
Regina smiled like the Grinch, the Jim Carrey version, not the cartoon one. “Such wise advisors you’ve gathered.”
Theo didn’t miss a beat. “Was there a reason you summoned Colby? If not, we have other things to attend to.”
I freakin’ loved this meeting. I hadn’t said a word yet and already Regina looked like she was having bladder issues.
“We have summoned Colby for questioning.”
Theo jumped on that. “She is no longer subject to your authority and therefore no longer subject to your questioning.”
“Then we have formal charges against her.”
“Which are?” He folded his arms over his chest. I attempted not to swoon at the whole Eidolon-taking-care-of-business tone.
We all looked back and forth from Regina to Theo like the most interesting game of ping-pong ever being played.
“Conspiracy to commit murder.”
Ari busted. The sound that came out of her mouth was a mixture of elephant and hyena, like she’d been keeping the noise in her mouth for a week and her lips simply refused the pressure any longer. “Are you kidding me? Yesterday I had to kill a spider for her. She screamed and stood on top of the toilet waving a towel in surrender. And you think she’s going to kill someone?”
Even Collin had to laugh at that one. I was surprised they hadn’t attacked him yet. I thought he would be their first target.
“We may have evidence suggesting she’s been plotting with the enemy in a plan to assassinate the Synod.”
“You may have something suggesting her guilt? Oh goodness, let’s go. This is a waste of my time.”
Regina snapped. “We will determine whether or not she can go.”
You know those scenes in movies where the sky darkens and the drums begin to pound an ominous beat? Yeah, there were metaphorical clouds gathering around Theo’s head and if my heart was a drum, it was louder than a thousand marching bands.
He rose to his full height and seemed to grow taller in place. I took a side step away from him. It was like the wrath of the Almighty was swirling inside his body and I wanted none of the plagues that came with it.
“You, Regina, should learn your place. You should also learn who you are talking to. I am the Eidolon and this is my mate. She abides by the rules of no one. You witnessed the Almighty’s blessing of our union. And the only fraternization with the enemy—that sin has been committed by the women in front of me—Sanctum is witness to that.”
She gasped. “You would believe our enemies before us?”
“I would believe the devil himself before I believe you. But then again, I’d better be careful, right? The last person who spoke against you ended up floating in a bathtub.”
Regina stepped back and almost fell over her gently used table. “How dare you? We had nothing to do with the death of Rebekah.”
“Just like you don’t want to use me to get into Paraiso? Sanctum isn’t a very good secret keeper. You really should pick your allies better. I thought you were smarter than that.”
Then Theo performed a feat I never thought possible.
He flashed all six of us—without touching us—without even trying.
The fear of getting caught in the Fray plummeted my heart into my stomach, even though Theo could come get me. Some fears never die.
And then we all landed in pile in the middle of somewhere— in a freaking wheat field. I landed on top of Theo, which I didn’t think, by the sly grin on my mate’s face, was an accident at all.
Everyone else was scattered in the field. I didn’t even see Collin until I heard him grunt and looked in that direction.
“What is that smell?” Ari whined.
Sway laughed. “Oh, Ari. That’s the unadulterated smell of middle America.”
“Middle America?” she asked and then looked around.
“Nebraska to be exact. I figured while we were getting out of there, we might as well get to our
next order of business.”
There was a collective groan.
We all stood and got our bearings, dusting the wheat from our clothes and accessing where we’d actually landed—and ignored how Theo did what he just did. Around us lay acres and acres of tan and yellow waving fields—and not much else but the clouds and a few trees.
“The only thing we can do is walk and see where we end up.”
Ari popped her fists onto her hips and pouted. “Isn’t this part of the spell that you weave so well and all that mumbo jumbo?”
I stepped over a pile of something questionable and flipped Ari the bird over my shoulder. “He’s not Google Maps, Ari. He’s the Eidolon.”
She flipped me off. “No shit.”
“Then you’d better watch where you step.”
We walked for miles not seeing anything new and I wondered after a while if we weren’t going in circles.
“We are headed North, Colby. I’ve been watching the position of the sun.”
The Viking was also a Boy Scout—probably when rice was a nickel per pound.
“North is Canada. That doesn’t help me much.”
Sometimes I should close my mouth. It was the times when Collin was making some semblance of sense that I should’ve made it a priority to zip my lip.
But no. I had to open mouth and insert foot.
On the horizon lay a farm—a huge farm with animals as far as I could see and a barn that would put Old McDonald to shame.
And that’s when I felt a cold circle on the back of my head.
My stomach tightened and I thought of the place I wanted to take them.
“Flash away and I’ll kill all of them.” The voice, that voice I knew so well and yet had no idea the capabilities, breathed into my ear. He didn’t mean that he would kill Colby or our friends.
Sanctum only looked at me. He should be looking at Colby—that gun was pointed at her head.
He pointed to the farm in front of us with his finger, fully knowing the potential for those people. He pointed the gun at the back of my mate’s head, fully knowing that I couldn’t live without her.
He wasn’t only referring to killing her—he would kill all of our people at the farm we’d come upon. I still hadn’t processed how I managed to find them.
