Page 137 of Claim Me

I shake my head.

Bane simply frowns. “It…” He doesn’t finish his statement, his brow furrowing as he prods at the air around him.

Kaspian wears an expression that matches Bane’s. “It smells like Fallon.”

“What?” My nostrils flare on impulse. “All I smell is New York City.”

Two of the shifter mercenaries snort at my comment but otherwise stay quiet.

However, Bane and Kaspian seem to be entranced by whatever they’re sensing around the witches. Nox joins in on their fascination in the next beat, his head canting to the side. “It feels like her.”

“It does,” Bane replies. “But I don’t understand why.”

My heart pangs a little in my chest, my lack of a true connection to our mate making me feel inferior in this moment. I haven’t had a chance to bond with Fallon like I’ve wanted to. She probably doesn’t even know I want to accept our fated links.

Ayla gasps again, her body shooting upright into a seated position as Amala swiftly follows, the two women sharing alarmed gazes. “Did that…?” Ayla trails off.

“Yes,” Amala confirms.

“Allof them?” Ayla stresses.

Amala nods, her face a little white. “That’s what it feels like, yes.”

“All of what?” Kaspian asks. “What just happened?”

“Fallon just happened.” Ayla pushes up off the ground, her limbs noticeably shaky. “I don’t know how she did it. But she… she just set us all free.”

My forehead crinkles. “Free?”

“From the patriarchs’ hold,” Ayla explains, her focus on something off to the side. I try to follow her stare, but all I see is more rooftop. “She justshatteredtheir control over every woman in the Outcast Coven.”

My eyebrows shoot upward. “What?How?” She already said she doesn’t know how, but the questions are automatic. Because that…that’s incredibly impressive.

“What are you doing?” Kaspian asks, his gaze narrowing as Ayla begins weaving a spell in the air.

“Going after Fallon,” Ayla replies. “She’s back.”

My wings flare out of me on impulse. “Where?”

“Same place,” Ayla says.

I start toward the ledge, prepared to fly to Daithi O’Neely’shome in Staten Island.

But Ayla stops me by adding, “I’m creating a portal that’ll go right to her.”

“You know exactly where she is?”

Ayla nods. “Yes. And it’s a place I’ve been before.”

“Why didn’t you do that earlier?” I demand. When she sensed Fallon then, she couldn’t get us closer than the rooftops.

“Because I wasn’t positive of her location.” She glances at me. “And I wasn’t sure I could break through Daithi’s protection barriers.”

My eyebrow arches. “But you feel more confident now?”

She nods. “I do. Because I’mfree.”

Amala chuckles, drawing my focus to her and causing my brow to lift even higher.