Page 25

Rowen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not you too."

"I felt it," Sierra insisted, her voice stronger now. "Something dark is there, something that feels... wrong. Cold. Like it's draining the life from everything it touches."

A chill ran down my spine at her words. I'd heard whispers of such a power in the darkest corners of the shadow realm. If it was what I suspected...

"Rowen," I said, my voice deadly serious, "who knows what the fuck this rising darkness is. But if it's as ominous as it feels, then it will consume all the realms."

Rowen's eyes met mine, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. The ancient texts spoke of a power that predated even the separation of the realms, a hungry darkness that devoured magic itself.

"Even if that's true," he said carefully, "how does us rushing to the Fae realm help? We'd just be putting all our eggs in one basket."

"Because Sierra's power is the key," I replied, glancing down at her. "But it isn't fully awakened yet."

Understanding dawned in Rowen's eyes. "And it won't be until..."

"Until she completes the bond with all three of her mates," I finished. "Until her heat is satisfied."

Sierra's cheeks flushed, but she nodded. "I can feel it building again, stronger this time. Like a storm gathering under my skin."

Rowen ran a hand over his face. "I'd hoped we'd have more time before the next wave hit."

"We don't," I said bluntly. "And when it comes, she'll need all three of us. You know what happens to fated mates who try to endure their heat with an incomplete bond."

Rowen's expression darkened. We both knew the stories—madness, physical agony, sometimes even death. The primal heat of a powerful being like Sierra would be catastrophic if not properly channeled and sated.

"She needs to be knotted by all three of her mates," I said, ignoring Sierra's sharp intake of breath at my crude but accurate description. "Not one. Not two. All of us."

Silence fell over the room. Sierra's hand tightened around mine, her pulse quickening. I could feel her temperature rising already, the early stirrings of her heat responding to our discussion of the bond.

"Callum can't come to us," I continued softly. "Not now. The magic of his realm has claimed him. So we must go to him."

Sierra sat up straighter, her silver hair falling around her shoulders like a curtain. "Please, Rowen. I don't understand everything that's happening to me, but I know we need to be together. All four of us."

Rowen's obsidian eyes softened as he looked at her. Even with his immense power, he wasn't immune to her appeal, to the pull of the bond forming between them. Between all of us.

"Three days," he finally said, his voice firm. "We go for three days. If we haven't resolved the immediate threat by then, I must return to secure the Underworld."

Relief washed through me. "Thank you."

Rowen's gaze sharpened. "Don't thank me yet. If this turns into the diplomatic disaster I'm expecting, you'll be the one explaining to the council why I ignored their vote."

"Gladly," I replied with a thin smile. "I've always enjoyed making Lord Asmodeus squirm."

Sierra pushed back the sheets and moved to stand, but her legs buckled. I caught her before she could fall, lifting her easily into my arms. Her skin was hot to the touch, warmer than it should be.

"Her heat is accelerating," I murmured to Rowen, concern creeping into my voice. "The connection with Callum triggered something."

Rowen's nostrils flared as he caught her scent. "We need to move quickly then."

"How do we get to the Fae realm?" Sierra asked, her arms looped around my neck. "I've never traveled between worlds before. Except with you between here and the human realm."

"There are gates," Rowen explained, already moving toward the doorway. "Permanent passages between the realms, heavily guarded and regulated."

I shook my head. "Too slow. And too public. Every guard and official would see the Lord of the Underworld crossing into Fae territory. Without an invitation as our Lord so graciously pointed out several times."

Rowen paused and gritted his teeth. His dark eyes flashed red in annoyance. "What do you suggest then?"

I shifted Sierra in my arms, feeling the subtle tremble running through her body. "I can use the shadow paths. They connect all the realms, bypassing the official gates."