Page 26

CHAPTER 26

brIAR

“O w,” I mutter as my knees collide with something hard.

I debate keeping my eyes closed because I don’t think I want to know where I was transported this time. Unfortunately, I can’t sit here all day hiding from the problems that seem to find me despite trying my hardest to avoid them, so I blink my eyes open.

It takes me a moment to realize that I’m back in the Forum. Only, it’s nighttime instead of late afternoon like when I left. I could’ve sworn I was only in the all-bronze room for ten minutes at the most, but time must’ve moved differently there.

I smile at having successfully found my way back. It drops when I see an enraged Malachi storming over to me with Xander, Bastian, and Saint in tow.

Ah, fuck. I’m in so much trouble.

Scrambling to my feet, I stuff the paper I found in my jeans pocket and don’t make a move to meet them halfway. I just fidget nervously as I wait for Malachi to lay into me.

When he reaches me, he doesn’t say anything for a long moment. His navy eyes remind me of a hurricane at night as they run over every inch of me. “Are you hurt?” he asks in a rough voice. I mutely shake my head, not quite knowing whether he’s mad at me or not. “Good. Let’s go.”

His response doesn’t clue me in on what’s going on in his head. If I had to guess, he’s waiting until we get somewhere more private to yell at me about wandering off.

He turns and walks away. I don’t take more than a step before I’m swept up into Bastian’s arms. “Fuck, pretty girl. We were so goddamned worried about you. Don’t ever disappear into thin air again.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumble into his shirt. “I really didn’t mean to.”

Xander steps up behind me and hugs me. “What exactly happened?”

The hysterical giggle finally makes its way out of my mouth, because I would also like to know the answer. “I have no clue. I was looking at the basilica when I saw shimmery doors. I went over to make sure I wasn’t seeing things and called for Malachi. Then I tripped and landed in another dimension.”

Saint walks to the side of me and cups my face in his hand, his thumb stroking over my cheek. “Jesus, little shadow. You sure have the wildest things happen to you.”

I huff out a laugh. “Tell me about it. So, what happened here while I was gone? Because for me it was only ten minutes.”

Bastian lets me slide down his body. As soon as I’m on my feet, he grabs my hand in his, like he’s worried I’ll disappear again if he’s not holding on to me. Saint takes my other hand this time, and Xander grumbles under his breath. It pulls a small smile from me.

“We spent about half an hour looking all over the forum for you,” Bastian tells me. He swings our hands as we walk and tries to seem upbeat for me. “When that didn’t work, your mage called up Rhys and figured out the best tracking spell to try. The tracking spell said you were in the Forum, so we’ve been taking turns watching the area where you disappeared and hunting through the ruins. If morning came and you weren’t back, we were going to call in reinforcements.”

I briefly close my eyes because I feel like shit for worrying them so much. “I’m sorry,” I rasp.

“Stop apologizing, sweetheart,” Xander orders, his gentle tone at odds with his demand. “None of us are angry with you, just worried.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” I mutter under my breath as I eye Malachi’s stiff form stalking a few paces in front of us. I’m pretty sure someone is fucking livid, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now. “Where are we going?”

“Back to the same place to portal home,” Malachi calls over his shoulder without turning around. I guess he was listening to our whole conversation. Perks of wolf hearing, for him at least.

We walk the rest of the way in relative silence. We’re all lost in our thoughts as we wind through the city. I stare at the gorgeous architecture with a little less awe this time. Knowing I’ve pissed Malachi off so badly he doesn’t even want to talk to me puts a damper on the whole experience.

As we walk through the trees, I realize I haven’t even looked at the paper I went through all this trouble for. I free my hand from Bastian’s and dig it out of my pocket. Carefully unfolding it, I’m relieved to see a map. I softly groan when I realize it’s in Latin, so I have no idea what it’s a map of. It could be leading us to Narnia, the end of the rainbow, or Hell for all I know.

Bastian peers over at the yellowed map curiously. “Is that what we’re looking for?”

I shrug. I really hope it is so that I didn’t get sucked into a different dimension for nothing. “Dunno. It’s a map, but it’s in Latin.”

“Guess we’ll have to have Kai translate it when we get home.”

“That or Saint.” While Saint’s not as skilled at Latin as Malachi is, he’s still able to do a damn good job translating most things. But Malachi is a professor of Latin, after all, so he should be better than any of us.

“I’ll translate it.” Malachi comes to a stop under one of the larger stone pine trees with a dense canopy. “This should work for a portal.”

Saint nods and turns to me. “You wanna do it, little shadow?”

I blow out a breath. “Not particularly, but I need the practice.”

Saint’s lips tip up in a ghost of a smile as I close my eyes and envision a portal forming. When I don’t feel anything different, I blink open my lids. I want to growl in frustration when I don’t see even the hint of a portal. It feels like nothing is going right today, and my temperamental magic acting up is just the cherry on top.

Shoving both hands through my thick wavy hair, I look up at Saint, wondering what I’ve done wrong now.

He’s already staring down at me. “Whenever you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed or anxious or any emotion, you need to center yourself before you can use your magic. Otherwise, your magic will react to your feelings. Sometimes that means nothing will happen. Other times, though, your magic can wreak havoc, so it’s an essential skill to learn.”

I drum my fingers against my thigh as I think over what he said. He’s right that I’m feeling all over the place and unable to concentrate. “Okay. I’ll try one more time.”

“That’s my girl,” Saint says, his chest puffed up in pride.

Blood rushes to my cheeks at his praise, and I duck my head. Sucking in a fortifying breath, I close my eyes and try to calm my rioting emotions. Instead of holding tight to the ball of roiling worry, frustration, and fear, I let it unravel like yarn until there’s nothing left.

Finally feeling like I can focus, I find the tiny ice-blue flame of magic in the center of my chest. It flows into my outstretched hand without me having to do anything. I enjoy the cool, silky sensation as it winds around my fingers before I envision a portal to the Wyldharts’ foyer.

The magic twirls around me before it fades out of sight. Opening my eyes, I’m only a little surprised to see a perfectly formed portal right in front of the tree Malachi’s standing next to.

I grin and look over at Saint. “I did it.”

His huge smile matches mine, and he bends down to squeeze me in a hug that mildly feels like I’m being strangled. “I’m so proud of you. I know magic hasn’t come easily to you, but I’m so damn impressed with how hard you’ve worked.”

“Thanks,” I whisper into his neck, feeling choked up at making him proud. I know, more often than not, I make my mates concerned, exasperated, and angry, so it’s nice to do something right for once.

Malachi’s gruff voice breaks the moment between Saint and me. “Are we ready to go?”

I cling to Saint for a moment longer before I reluctantly pull back. “Yep. I’m ready if everyone else is,” I respond, avoiding eye contact with my deceptively calm mate. Maybe if I don’t acknowledge him, he’ll forget all about me ignoring what he told me to do and getting transported to a pocket dimension.

I nod to myself because that sounds like a fantastic plan.

Xander and Bastian walk through the portal first, and I follow them. When my feet touch the dark wood of the entryway, I whirl around to face the portal. As soon as Saint and Malachi are through, I let my magic go and watch it snap closed.

“I need a moment with Briar. Alone,” Malachi announces in a silky smooth voice dripping with warning. He pins me with his volatile navy gaze. I feel like a fly caught in a spider’s web with how I’m unable to do anything but stare wide-eyed back, even though everything in me is screaming to run.

“Kai…” Xander starts as his gaze bounces between the two of us. “Maybe you should take a moment to cool down?”

Malachi swivels his head to glare at Xander. “I would never, ever do anything to harm Briar. You should fucking know me better than that, Alexander. But I do need a goddamn minute alone with my mate before my wolf loses his fucking mind.”

My eyebrows rise at Xander getting called by his full name, but Malachi makes a good point. I’m not scared for my safety or worried he’s truly going to hurt me. I just know he’s probably going to yell at me, which I’m not really looking forward to. “He’s right. We need to talk it out, so I’ll see you guys later.”

I almost snort at saying “we need to talk it out” because I doubt there will be much calm discussion. Yelling, sure. But talking? Unlikely.

Bastian stares at Malachi apprehensively before focusing on me. “You sure, sweet girl?”

“I’m positive.” I give him a small smile to reassure him.

“Well, I’ll be in the gym if you need anything, little shadow.” Saint hesitates for a moment before he turns around and starts for the staircase down to the basement. Xander and Bastian follow him without a word, leaving Malachi and me alone.

Before I can ask what now, Malachi barks, “Come on.” He stalks to the grand staircase without even glancing back to make sure I’m following.

“I’m not a dog,” I grumble under my breath. I mean, I am a wolf, but that’s different and really not the point.

Malachi clenches his jaw, but he doesn’t respond as we ascend to the second floor in tense silence. Our soft footfalls on the plush carpet runner are the only sound as he marches to his bedroom. I follow like a lost puppy.

Yanking open the door, Malachi waits until I’m through before pushing it closed. It shuts with an ominous click as I stand there, unsure what I’m supposed to do.

Without a word, he walks over to the couch and lowers himself down. He throws one arm over the back of the charcoal sofa and crooks a finger at me with the other. “Come here.”

I shift from foot to foot as I eye him uncertainly. “Why?”

His hand resting on the sofa tightens into a fist, and he closes his eyes to gather himself. When he opens them, he stares me down with a deceptively blank face. I can see his gaze roiling with a potent mix of anger and anguish. “Because I told you to. Now stop stalling and get your ass over here.”