by Stone, Leia
I felt the rightness at my decision echoed in my siblings’ thoughts.
‘We’ll be reunited as shifters again,’ I declared.
Then I sent my thoughts out to the other wolves. ‘Go get Kirkland’s body and bring it home so we can give him a proper burial.’ They nodded, and I met each set of eyes. ‘Be careful. The vampires are back, and they’ve left the cliffs to hunt. Stay together.’
‘Yes, Alpha,’ they responded in unison, but one of them whined.
‘What?’ I demanded.
‘Keep alpha safe.’
I considered his foresight for only a heartbeat. The reality was that as soon as they shifted into their human form, they’d be at risk. ‘No. I’ll run to the boat and be fine. You need to stay together.’
I waited until all four wolves took off. Then, I ran toward the dock.
‘Rage?’ Noble spoke through our bond, and his voice sounded weary. ‘I’m… I have some bad news.’
More bad news?
‘What is it now?’ I asked, racing through the wilderness of Mageville. My thoughts jumped ahead to the other task I’d asked Noble to do, and I tacked on an additional question. ‘And did you get Kalama detained? I—’
‘That’s just it,’ he replied. ‘She’s gone.’
Shock punched me in the gut, and I stumbled on my run through the burnt remnants of Dark Row. ‘What do you mean, she’s gone?’
I regained my footing and picked up my pace, full-on sprinting in my hurry to get back to the boat and Shifter Island.
‘Is the portal door open?’ I asked. ‘Can you get into High Mage Island?’
I wrestled with the barrage of thoughts: how was I supposed to go get Nai back, draft the invitations and send those out, not to mention the logistics of where to put everyone…?
No … everything else would wait for Nai. She would always be my top priority.
‘The door is closed, bro. There’s no handle or knob… and I can’t push it open. But it no longer shocks when I touch it.’
Mother effin’ Mage!
Did she somehow find a way around my words? I remembered my oath and snarled. She’d taken off the protection spell but didn’t open the damn door!
‘Send out as many guards as we can spare to look for Kalama,’ I snapped. ‘I want her—’
‘I’m already on it,’ Noble said with a sigh. ‘I’m sorry.’
Fuming, I nevertheless shot back the truth. ‘It’s not your fault.’
It was mine. And Kalama’s.
I growled as I burst through the trees. Just south of the dock, I shifted into my human form with a bellow of frustration.
Justice ran toward me, slowing his pace as I strode forward, cursing with every step.
My blood boiled, and I met Justice’s worried gaze and snarled. “That witch!”
How could I have trusted her? I went over my oath, wondering how I’d screwed up with my wording. She shouldn’t have been able to leave without removing all the damn wards.
“What’s wrong?” Justice asked, matching my rapid stride, step for step.
I shook my head, grinding my teeth together to keep from vomiting vitriolic wrath onto my brothers. None of this was their fault.
My pulse roared in my ears; every beat of my heart was fuel for my fury. Fur bristled along my skin, and I struggled to hold on to my form. There was nothing my wolf could do right now anyway.
Sucking in one deep breath after another, I said nothing until we were both in the boat and away from shore.
“She’s gone,” I said, glaring at our island.
Justice cocked his head to the side, and his worried expression spoke volumes. “Kalama?”
I nodded, but even then, my thoughts went to Nai. She was gone, too.
“Then, the wards are gone, right?” he asked.
I told him what Noble had said and then asked him what he’d learned from the female mage.
“Are you sure you want to hear it right now?” Justice asked.
Glaring at him, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Somehow, I don’t think there’s going to be a better time than now.”
He gave me the rundown as we crossed the waters: blood mages were just as powerful as the high mages, except they were the masters of blood magic—aka dark magic—which was why Dark Row was called Dark Row.
Most of the blood mages had been killed during the war hundreds of years ago, but the High Mage Council had left a few females alive, Surlama and Kalama being two of them. When Kalama was caught hunting on Alpha Island, Declan, with help from at least one of the high mages, bound her magic and forced her into servitude, something my uncle was apparently quite fond of doing.
Blood mages could boost their magic by consuming blood as well as using magical blood in their spells.
“So all that blood Surlama took … was she able to do all the stuff Nai can?” I swallowed. “I mean if Surlama drank her blood?”
The idea made my stomach churn.
“From what Liv said, no.” Justice took a deep breath. “She said Surlama could increase her own power by drinking Nai’s blood because Nai is so powerful. Or, the witch could use it for blood magic—like the healing elixir.”
“I’m not even sure what to do with that information right now.” I rubbed my temples as a dull ache spread through my head. “Speaking of healing elixir, I hope there’s some in the infirmary.”
Justice clapped me on the back and then throttled back the motor as we approached the island.
“Are we going to the library first?” he asked.
I nodded. “I have to try the door one more time.”
For the first time, I started to doubt. Would we get Nai back?
Chapter Seven
Unfortunately, Noble was right. No matter how much pushing or prying we did, the black onyx door remained closed. While I could now touch the smooth black stone without being electrocuted, I remained powerless to open it.
An hour later, as the afternoon pressed on, I stepped into Declan’s office and pulled to a stop. Behind me, Justice bumped into me with a grunt.
“What the—oh, my Mother Mage,” he muttered, echoing my awe.
The smell of fresh paint hung heavy in the air.
The walls were no longer yellow but a soft gray. The stone floor was covered with a thick, plush area rug with the same gray in a pattern with taupe and blues. All the furniture had been replaced. The desk was a sleek minimalist style made of gray wood, and the chair behind the desk was one of those expensive ergonomic chairs, in the same dusty ash color as the wood of the desk. Opposite the desk sat a long couch upholstered in charcoal velvet, and to the right of the couch were two chairs separated by a chest-style end table.
Modern masculine art in splashes of blues and grays decorated two of the walls, and as I moved into the room, I smiled at the personal touches: pictures of me and my brothers throughout the years as well as several with my mom. A picture from our parents’ wedding…
I stepped past a coffee table; the natural stain on the irregularly shaped wood added a warm, rustic touch to the ambiance.
“You didn’t give me enough time to finish,” Noble said with a huff, but one glance told me he was pleased.
“This is … perfect,” I said, grinning. Gone were the memories and remnants of my uncle’s ghost and the darkness from our childhood.
As I stepped around my desk, my gaze dropped to the pictures there, and the grin slid from my face.
There, in the right corner, was a picture of Nai dressed as Miss Blue. Her eyes were wide as she looked innocently at the camera. I had no idea who had taken this photo or how Noble got it, but … I loved it. With a sigh, I remembered the moment I’d kissed her and realized she was my fated mate.
There was another photo of Nai with Noble, both of them in the cafeteria, my mate wearing a hairnet over her white, platinum-blond hair. And then another one of the two of us standing in the middle of the field in Montana, me holding her tightly, right after the fight with Declan.
I had my eyes closed and my chin resting on her head, her silvery hair billowing in the freezing wind.
I looked up at my brother with surprise. “Were you paparazzi-stalking me and Nai?”
Noble snickered, and Justice joined in.
“I just figured, one day, you’d be happy for some memories,” Noble said.
I nodded and slid into the chair. “Thanks, bro.”
Not even a full breath later, our mom stepped into the room.
“I thought I heard you boys,” she said, her eyes widening as she took in the new digs. “Noble Midnight,” she breathed, “I love it.” Her gaze fell on me, and she tsked. “You haven’t eaten! I’ll be right back with lunch.”
That was Mom; she showed her love with food and hugs. I had no complaints.
While we ate, we discussed the invitation to the other shifters, logistics, and such. The entire time Noble jotted down notes.
An hour later, Noble thrust a thick decree in my face, neatly typed on a scroll with a wax seal and all.
“This will make it official,” he said. “You sign this, and every single shifter species can live on the island. You’ll only preside over the wolves, so no dictatorship, which means you’ll have to work with the leaders of each shifter race on a quorum.”
I sighed, nodding. Did I like having final say? Yes. Was it right? Not for the other species. “Do we have enough room? Did you draw up fair boundaries and still give us our own territories?”
Noble winced. “It will be tight, depending on how many say yes and how prolifically they’ve reproduced, but yes, the decree states a clear border around the school, castle, and four clan lands.”
I sank in relief. At least, I wouldn’t have to ask my people to give up any of their original lands. Anything the wolves took after Declan booted the other shifters would be returned, but we got to keep our territory. Thank the Mother Mage for old land maps.
Reaching out, I picked up the pen and then glanced at each of my brothers.
This was a huge moment for me, for us. Nai and Honor should be here.
Now, with Kalama missing, I had no way to get Nai back. The thought made the pit in my stomach open wider.
Gripping the pen, I signed my name in large, cursive scroll.
King Courage Midnight.
I stared at my signature as emotions rolled through me. This would be my legacy.
My uncle had torn the shifter races apart. I would unite us again.
Mother Mage willing.
“Send out the invitations. Give the leader of each shifter race a copy of the royal decree as well as the alpha of each wolf pack. Post a copy on the castle wall and another in the academy. I want to make sure our people understand what’s going on and have ample notice.”
Noble nodded as Justice placed a hand on my shoulder. “Father would be proud.”
Emotion clogged my throat, but my thoughts jumped to Nai. Even more than my father, I wanted my mate. I wanted to hear Nai’s excitement. Her pride in my plan.
Noble stepped in front of me. “What should I tell the shifters who voice complaints about the new decree? Shall we offer a Q and A tomorrow night? Then, you can answer questions and concerns?”
That sounded awful.
My gaze flicked to Justice, who shook his head. ‘If you allow them to start, the complaints will never end.’
I grinned as he stated my thoughts.
“Tell them to shove it,” I replied to Noble. “This new law is a long time coming, but it isn’t up for discussion. There’s nothing they can do about it.”
Noble nodded and then left the room, leaving Justice and me alone.
I dropped my face into my hands. “What a nightmare of a day. I can’t believe Surlama and her twin were blood mages this entire time.”
Justice grunted. “I suspect we don’t even know all of it … but I trust Liv. She had no reason to lie. Plus, it makes sense why Surlama hoarded all that blood.”
I shivered. Why hadn’t I questioned the mass amounts of blood that woman needed?
“Do you think Kalama’s the last one left? Or are the others still in the cliffs?” Justice asked.
I recoiled at the thought and then raised my chin to look at my brother. “There could be more. Didn’t Liv say there were? Or maybe I made that up. I don’t remember. But I do know Kalama couldn’t have left the island when Kirkland was killed on Dark Row, so…” I cleared my throat.
Justice finished my thought: “There must be more.”
I shook my head. “I have no idea what Declan was doing or what kinds of deals he had going on. I knew he was shady, but this … this is unforgivable.”
Justice nodded. “Like how many of our people did he allow to be drained as a blood payment and then lie to us that they’d died under different circumstances?”
I growled and then shoved away the thought before it could enrage me.
My gaze landed on the new clock, and I started at the time. How was it late afternoon already? Yesterday I’d said if Nai wasn’t back by morning, I was going to raise hell.
I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes, debating my options. I wanted to believe something was keeping her from me and her grandfather would make sure she was safe. I had to believe it because that was my only hope.
“Tomorrow,” I breathed. “One more day, and if Nai isn’t here, I’m calling a meeting with the High Mage Council, consequences be damned.”
Justice nodded. “I think that’s fair.”
“What if they don’t come?” I asked, sitting up suddenly. “What if the shifters like being away? I don’t think we can take on vampires or blood mages and whatever other threats may come our way. Like, what if the mages—”
“Selkies will come,” Justice said. “Bears may not, considering. Foxes will come, and I suspect the hawks and falcons will too. They’ve long made their desire to return home a public affair.”
“Panthers probably won’t,” I offered. “Uncle Declan betrayed them even worse than the bears.” The memory of my mother telling us about Declan killing the panther king in front of his own children still made me sick. All because he wouldn’t vacate the island. That story had made me fear Declan even more. Only now did I understand why she’d told us so many awful things about him; she was doing all she could so we wouldn’t become like him. Somehow, I’d missed that message for a while … until Nai. She’d helped me see the truth.
‘Nai…’ I called, wanting but no longer hopeful.
But even though I didn’t expect a response, the silence still hurt.
The rest of the day passed quickly. By evening, we’d received word from the selkie king, fox queen, and tiger queen, graciously accepting the invitation to return. Over the coming weeks, they’d return to Shifter Island. The fox and lion queens asked for supplies to help rebuild their communities as well as boats and some crap that I wasn’t even sure whether we had.
Noble, with administrative prowess, handled all of the logistics.
As for the bear, panther, and hawk leaders … we’d yet to hear from the bear king or panther queen, but the hawks said they needed more time to think about it.
Finally, my head and body couldn’t handle any more. After a long shower, I lay down in my bed … for the first time since I was king. I’d been hesitant to change quarters just in case Nai came looking for me, but Justice put a note on my old Midnight dorm door and sent me to my new rooms in the castle, just off of the main dining hall. These had been guest quarters before, so they held no bad memories for me.
Of course, as soon as the lights were off, my mind started to spin. I sighed, stroking the black satin sheets as I wished for sleep and ran through various to-dos in my head. I needed to get the other kings and queens up to speed on the situation concerning the blood mages, aka vampires. More shifters here would allow for turns patrolling the island and Dark Row. Trust would take time, and working together again would probably have some hiccups, but I’d do whatever was necessary. We were stronger together. My father
believed that, and so did I.
As for Nai…?
Anger and hurt coursed through me when I thought about her.
I almost hoped she was kidnapped because the idea that she might have left willingly hurt more.
Eventually, the exhaustion of the past few days caught up. Like a hundred-pound boulder tied to my consciousness, I sank deeply into the abyss of nothingness.
Chapter Eight
The creaking of my bedroom door yanked me awake. Still sluggish with fatigue, I glanced to the clock to see I’d only been asleep twenty minutes.
Noble better have a damn good reason…
“Someone better be dead,” I growled as I sat up, looking to the doorway … and my heart stopped beating in my chest—
“Nai?” I gasped, recognizing her backlit silhouette.
At the same time, my mate cried, “Rage!”
Her voice shook me to my core.
I moved so fast that I had no memory of even shifting my weight. One moment, I was in bed, and then next, I stood before her, scanning her for injuries, rope burns, any signs of torture.
And, Mother Mage … she had plenty.
Her beautiful face was marred with dirt and scratches that were not quite healed, and her eyes were puffy like she’d been crying—a lot. There were blood and soot under her nails, and her shirt was torn.
“What … who hurt you?” I gathered her into my arms and pressed her to my chest, relieved when she melted into me without protest. “Was this your grandfather’s doing?” I growled with the thought as I rubbed one hand up and down her back, pressing her body into mine. “If so, I’ll kill him.”
She pulled away just enough to rise up on her toes and kiss my neck. The feel of her body pressing into mine caused me to loosen my hold, and then she took my face in her hands.
“Oh, Rage,” she whispered, her voice breaking. Her expression crumpled, and fresh tears glimmered in her eyes. “He’s … dying.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she buried her face in my chest.
I held her, letting her grief pour out in racking sobs and disjointed sentences, trying to understand what she meant. After a hard shudder, she sucked in a deep breath, sniffed, and then pulled herself together, at least enough to speak.
