“I heard about the magic used at the end of our civil war. It was ten times that of a mortal’s nuclear bomb. Look around us, Cain. There’s proof that whatever made that vibration isn’t good.”
“We willna know unless we look.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you go on ahead and do that. I’ll stay here.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“Flew out the window the moment I sent that email to you.”
He shrugged and looked forward. “Stay here, then. I’ll be back.”
“Sure you will,” she said as he walked away. If he heard her, he didn’t respond. Then again, he had a habit of doing that.
It wasn’t a bad trait to have. She might want to think about doing that, as well. It would prevent her from saying things she later regretted.
“That will cut back on a lot of apologizing for sure. Then again, I might end up never talking again,” she said to herself.
That made her chuckle.
She sobered as she realized that Cain might never come back. If he didn’t, she would only have herself to speak to for the rest of eternity.
Her head turned back in the direction from which they’d come. It would be easy to leave and look for another door that would take her to another realm. The problem was, she didn’t know how many doorways had survived—or where they led.
She frowned then as she let her eyes move from one side to the other, taking in the rampant destruction and lack of renewal. How was it that a doorway had survived such annihilation? It didn’t make sense.
The tremor she’d felt earlier rumbled beneath her feet again. Her head snapped in the direction where Cain had gone. Something didn’t make sense. The planet should’ve had some kind of regrowth after so many eons.
She took a tentative step after Cain. Then another. Then she began jogging after him. She was about to shout his name, ask him to wait for her, but just as she opened her mouth, he disappeared.
Noreen slid to a halt, her heart hammering in her chest. Cain hadn’t touched the cuff on his wrist, so she knew he hadn’t teleported away. But where had he gone?
She slowly began walking to where she’d last seen him. As she reached the spot, a disembodied arm suddenly appeared, and the hand clamped around her wrist. Noreen fought to get away, but it held onto her tightly before yanking her forward.
In the next moment, she found herself pulled through some kind of shield. She immediately had to raise her hand to block out the bright light of the sun. She blinked repeatedly and tried to get her bearings.
“I’ve got you,” Cain said from beside her.
She realized then that he was the one who had grabbed her and pulled her through the barrier. Noreen looked behind her and saw a thin shield, allowing her to see the desolation on the other side, but it blocked anyone from seeing inside.
“Take a look around,” Cain urged her.
She looked at him through squinted eyes that were adjusting to the light. As she scanned the area, her mouth fell open in shock at the vivid greens of the trees and plants. The sky was the brightest blue she had ever seen with huge, puffy clouds floating past. Birds sang so loudly and clearly that it felt as if she were surrounded.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“Something someone wanted to hide is my guess.”
Noreen took a step back. “Do you think someone else is here?”
“Only one way to find out,” Cain said as he started forward.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Stop doing that.”
CHAPTER NINE
Dreagan
She didn’t want to return. She’d put it off, but in the end, she was back.
Melisse stood behind a large tree and stared into the distance where Dreagan was. She knew the instant she’d helped Bernadette against the Others that she had crossed a line she couldn’t stand behind any longer. What other option did she have? In a short time, she had seen the utter chaos of the world for herself. Something had to be done before the mortals were pulled into it.
For a brief moment, she’d thought the TruthSeeker and JusticeBringer might be able to take action, then she realized that the siblings were still learning their roles. Though, she had to admit that the JusticeBringer was acquiring his knowledge quicker than expected. With the right nudge, he would gain everything he needed to fully utilize his potential.
At the thought of Henry, Melisse’s mind drifted to their all-too-brief meeting in Madrid. The worst thing she could’ve done was talk to him, and yet, that’s exactly what she’d done. She hadn’t been able to help it. It was like something had pushed her right to him.
Just as it brought her to Dreagan now.
She knew that’s where Henry was. He might not be a Dragon King, but he was special in his own right. The Kings had recognized that long before anyone knew the link Henry and his sister, Esther, had with the ancient Druids.
Melisse needed to leave. She couldn’t let Con or any of the other Kings get a glimpse of her. That would undermine everything she’d done up to this point. If only she could have one look at Henry, then she would be okay. But he rarely left the mansion.
“Henry,” she whispered.
She was jeopardizing everything by her arrival in the village. It wasn’t just the Kings she wanted to stay away from, but the Others, as well.
The simple fact was that she should be as far from Dreagan as she could get. Why then was she still here? She knew the answer. She might not like it, but she accepted the truth.
Melisse turned and put her back against the bark of the tree. She closed her eyes. No matter how she looked at it, she was on her own. If anyone found out who she really was, then it was all over.
She didn’t want to be pulled into a war, but there was no choice for her. And if that was the case, then she was going to choose—and she chose herself.
It wouldn’t be long before the Others began actively looking for her—if they weren’t already. Moreann kept such things to herself, but Melisse was no fool. She was the ace in the hole of the Others. Which meant, Moreann was no doubt looking for her even now.
Just as the Empress of Druids had her sights set on Rhi.
Now that had come as a shock to Melisse. Though, perhaps it shouldn’t have. The Light Fae was more special than anyone—even the Dragon Kings—realized. Everyone had their thoughts about what Rhi should do, including Death.
Melisse wondered why the goddess hadn’t paid her a visit yet. She wasn’t naive enough to believe that Death didn’t know of her. But that begged the question as to why she had been left to her own devices.
There were too many sides to this impending war. Everyone thought they were in the right, but were any of them? Was she?
For so many years, Melisse had watched as enemy after enemy piled up against the Dragon Kings. She’d hated the Kings for so very long—and with good reason. But even she had to set that aside and look at the big picture.
No matter their faults, the Kings protected this realm and all who lived in it. They had sacrificed greatly to ensure that.
And while she hated to admit it, the one who had sacrificed the most was Constantine.
Melisse didn’t want to think about the King of Dragon Kings—or any of the Kings, for that matter. She would rather focus on Henry, but she couldn’t. She needed to get a glimpse of all the players in this looming war and figure out the best strategy. She couldn’t wait for Henry to come into his powers, or for his sister to realize just where they fit amidst all of this.