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“Hey, Little Bird,” he murmurs against my ear, and I sink into him further.

“Hey, El,” I reply, clinging even tighter.

“Don’t hog her all to yourself,” Zane grumbles, making me grin as I lean back just enough to kiss Eldon before he lowers me back down. I’m quickly lifted off my feet again, spinning in a circle as Zane holds me just as tight. “I miss you, Dove.”

My heart aches. “I miss you too.”

If the prophecy in the binder is true, we may not have to miss each other for too much longer and that thought encourages me. As much as I want to sink into his warmth, I press my lips to his before leaning back, and he lowers me to the ground.

I need to see Creed, let his hold ground me even further, then we’ve got work to do.

Turning out of Zane’s arms I find the man I’m looking for. He smiles softly at me as he inches closer, draping his arms over me as he pins me against his chest. He’s quieter than the others, he always is, not offering a single word as he feeds me his touch just as effortlessly as he consumes me.

Lifting my chin up, I rest it against his chest before kissing his soft, full lips. Excitement zings through me, hope blossoming beyond control in my chest.

Reluctantly stepping back, I find Peta and Marieta standing on either side of Brax as they smile lovingly at him. Their gazes find mine and Marieta takes a step toward me.

“It seems they’ve seen something in you, Raven,” she says, pointing to where the shadows were a few moments ago. “Their help has been unprecedented today,” she adds, causing questions to tumble over one another on the tip of my tongue, but it’s Brax who speaks first.

“What does that mean?”

She turns back to him as Peta pats him on the back. “Cocoa?” she offers, glancing around at each of us, and I shake my head.

“Not today, thank you. We have a lot to do.”

“It sounds like you have big news too, and I noticed you came through the emerald gate,” Peta states, waving for us to enter the house, indicating that the help they’re alluding to from the shadows has led to something big as well.

“Yeah, it reappeared for us,” I manage. Creed laces his fingers with mine, encouraging me inside as everyone else does the same. Despite the lack of hot cocoa, we find ourselves seated around the dining table anyway. Creed on my left, Eldon on my right, with a grumpy Zane on the other side of him. Brax occupies the spot after him while Marieta and Peta fill the remaining seats.

Everyone glances at each other; Creed to Zane, Zane to Marieta, Marieta to Eldon, Eldon to Peta. It’s like they’re silently trying to decide who should speak first.

Marieta clears her throat. “Burton was here.”

“Burton? How?” Brax grunts, sitting tall.

“The shadows showed us,” Peta explains as I soak in the knowledge that he said Burton and not Erikel.

“So it’s really him,” I state, needing the confirmation, and they all nod simultaneously at Brax and me.

“It’s really him,” Creed confirms, squeezing my thigh.

Fuck.

“What happened with you guys?” Eldon asks, glancing between us, and Brax scoffs.

“That’s a loaded question if I ever heard one,” he admits, and as true as it is, his grumbling makes me smile. “Where do we even start?”

We should probably start at this morning, when we went to Lyra’s office, but I think the direction we’re heading seems more necessary.

“We’re going to combine the realms,” I blurt, almost amused by the surprise in everyone’s eyes.

“How?” Peta asks, reaching for Marieta’s hand on the table.

I look at Brax, who places the binder on the table and nudges it toward his mother. She tentatively reaches for it, dragging it along the wood between her and Peta. Opening the leather, they delve inside and Brax quickly flicks the pages to the end. I watch their eyes scan the text once, then again, and a third time for good measure.

“Where did you get this from?” Marieta asks, passing the binder to Creed to read.

Taking a deep breath, I answer her. “Sebastian.”