Page 24 of Gift from the Source (Source of Elementra #5)

Nineteen

Willow

Tillman gives me an understanding nod, then steps to the side.

Cas’s shadows squeeze around my wrist like he’s afraid I’m about to be snatched away. Draken and Corentin move in so closely, I mold to their bodies. Tillman stands enough in front of me that he could cover my whole body but leaves enough room that I see Pran Gale clearly.

“Counselman Pran. I don’t believe any of us have had the opportunity to be formally introduced to you. You’re a man of few words,” Corentin says.

“I am. As you all are men of few appearances,” he says, tilting his head down. When he looks back up, his calculating eyes lock on mine. “I apologize that this is my formal introduction. I’ve come to ask you, Lady Vito, if I may have a dance?”

The hesitation in my men skirts across my chest, but I’ve thought about how we’d get one of them alone. I contemplated who I’d dance with if asked when Aurora warned me. Him or his brother were the only two I’d consider.

“This is our shot.”

“You may,” I say, curtsying to him properly .

Tillman takes my hand and walks me the few steps toward Pran. They both bow to each other respectfully, then Tillman turns back to me.

With a kiss to my forehead, his voice sounds in my mind, “Leave your mind open for us to hear what’s going on.”

I nod against his lips.

“Thank you for this honor,” Pran says as I place my hand in his.

“Of course,” I say awkwardly.

We descend into a very uncomfortable silence. His hesitation, nervousness, and apprehension are written all over him and his stiff movements. I don’t know what to do to break the ice.

So I say the first thing that comes to mind.

“The spring is pretty nice outside.”

What the hell, Willow?

A bark of laughter falls out of him before he quickly clears his throat. The sideways tilt of his head as he stares at me makes me want to facepalm myself. “It is nice out.”

I pinch my lips in a forced smile.

“Was there a reason you asked for this dance, Councilman Gale?” I ask quietly.

“Just Pran, Lady Vito.”

“Pran. And it’s just Willow.”

“It wasn’t just Willow when you tore into Gean Everglow.”

“That was different. He’s different,” I murmur, but I allow my disdain to bleed through. Hopefully, he catches it.

“You are different.”

He really is a man of very few words.

“From him? Yes, completely.”

“From everyone, it would seem.”

I sigh softly and remind myself to have some patience. It wasn’t very long ago in my life that I used this same mechanism to get a read and feel for people before I said what I wanted to. I’m doing it right back at him now.

He’s testing to see how safe or how much danger he is in with me .

“I’ve been told I’m much like my dad actually. Not to be rude, Pran, but I’ll ask again, was there a reason you asked for this dance?”

“Is there a reason you accepted it?”

“Yes,” I say honestly.

“That reason being?”

“You can be honest with him. It will serve you both better. His brother is watching,” CC says.

My first instinct is to want to look around me, but I refrain. I don’t want to make it obvious I’m looking for someone. Nor do I want to spook him or Dillon off since they’ve been so elusive all night. Elusive for years, actually.

Pran is an Empath like Aurora.

According to his file, it hasn’t been determined if he can influence others. I cast my gift out to get a sense of his and find that he’s using it now. It isn’t directed at me. It’s directed all around us. His isn’t the only one I’m sensing, though.

There is one being aimed right at us.

I don’t have to scan the crowd to know who’s responsible. The voices around us become nothing but muffles and the music barely penetrates my ears.

Dillon is a Silencer. He can manipulate sounds.

I blow out a steady breath and flex my fingers that are gripped gently in Pran’s hand. His eyes meet mine and the burning desire to know what it is I’m about to say blazes. This is the moment he decides whether to trust me.

“I’m Orien’s daughter. Born by a bond. It’s time,” I whisper.

The pain on his face is rough to witness, but it’s only there for a fleeting second. Then it morphs into disbelief.

“That’s impossible.”

“It’s not. I know everything. We do, my Nexus and I. We’ve been waiting for this night to speak with you.”

“I don’t know what you’re—”

“Maxima is here. ”

That seems to sink in.

His feet stop moving, but his eyes bounce around the room wildly as though he’ll catch a glimpse of his brother.

“Not in this room, but we have him. He’s safe and his rune’s been removed.”

His chest rises and falls rapidly before he collects himself and starts moving us once more. Out my right eye, I spot Cas moving closer to us and I shake my head at him. I’m sure our pause in dancing and the silence between us spurred them all to move in.

“I saw the creature with all of you. It’s true you have his allegiance.”

“His name is Keeper, and you’ll not call him a creature again,” I growl.

“I don’t mean to offend you, but I’ve seen what it is he’s done. I’ve experienced it,” he says back firmly but with no hate behind it. That’s the only reason I don’t break his hand right now.

“I have seen as well. We all have had to do and endure things we didn’t wish to. He had no choice. There was a cord embedded in his neck that would’ve beheaded him at the first sign of treachery. He’s free now and has vowed to remove any of the runes placed.”

His eyes widen and lock onto mine once again. I nod, answering his silent question.

“It can all end tonight for you and Dillon. You can be free of them. Join Maxima. There’s no need for you all on the inside anymore. I can promise you, they will get what they deserve. But you don’t have to be a slave anymore to give it to them.”

“Is what she’s saying true?” another familiar voice says from behind us.

“Dillon, you’re supposed to be—”

“The bitch is running her mouth. Not the least bit concerned with us. We have our orders to speak with the Awaiting Matriarch and that’s what she believes we’re doing. Is what she’s saying true?”

Dillon’s tone is on the edge of desperation. His face is impassive for anyone onlooking, but his aura can’t lie. Even if Pran may still be on the fence, Dillon wants this to be the truth badly.

“Yes, I believe so.”

“I swear to you I am telling the truth,” I say to Pran before turning my full attention to Dillon. “You told my dad the day he died that your need for revenge had morphed into a sense of responsibility to the realm because of him. You said the two of you would always honor your loyalty to him and any who came after. It was a vow. My Nexus is his after.”

“Stay on your path, Dillon. It will lead you where you need to go,” he says quietly, mimicking the words CC said to him. And I finish them for him.

“My time has come.”

“I would say so,” he mumbles before looking at Pran. “I’m tired, brother.”

“As am I,” Pran breathes, then looks at me. “We do still hold our vow to Orien and we will honor it, but from this point on, it’ll be from the side you stand on. We won’t be much help until our chains are removed.”

“I can have that arranged,” I say.

“Thank you, Willow Vito,” he says, bowing his head.

“Tell him…tell him you need Vicki Gale’s secret. I advise you not to let the guys hear for now,” CC says. The mixture of rage and sadness in his voice hits me like a ton of bricks.

If the guys aren’t supposed to hear this right now, I don’t believe I want this secret.

“I’ll have Tillman and Corentin arrange the finer details here in a moment. We have a lot of questions that’ll be best asked away from here and they’ll need to arrange removing you discreetly, but I need you to tell me something first.” I wait for his nod, then swallow the nerves CC caused to rise in my throat down. I close my mind off to my men, and whisper, “I need Vicki’s secret.”

Shatter.

That’s the only word I know to use to describe how his eyes just shut down. The hate, regret, and disgust rolling off him is potent enough, I’m actually catching a touch of it.

“I’m so sorry,” he mumbles before leaning in close and whispering in my ear.

Darkness.

A mixture of my darkness and my dragon rushes to the surface. The fiery, protective rage burns through every pore in my body. I’m partially shifted and halfway across the dance floor before I even realized I’ve moved.

It’s only a millisecond later that I’m swept away in another type of darkness that calls to mine. Alongside it is a commanding purr that has my dragon growling in warning.

She’s not to be calmed right now.

“I know, little wanderer, I’m so sorry, but if you don’t calm down, you’ll hurt an innocent person. You’ll never forgive yourself and I can’t allow that.” Draken’s words sink beneath my skin enough that my scales and claws retract, but the rage goes nowhere.

The shadows clear from our bodies and I find myself staring up at the night sky. I’m trying my hardest to pull my emotions back in, but all I want to do is get back through the palace and rip Vicki Gale’s throat out.

“Look at me, Primary,” Cas commands and I shake my head.

I can’t look at him.

“Please, sweet Willow.”

That gentle request. So different than the icy tone my dark and damaged protector would usually have in a moment like this.

My violet eyes look at him and I scan his whole body.

“Mine.”

“I am yours. Mind, body, and soul,” he says, gripping my face between his hands. “Let go of whatever this is that has its hold on you. Come back to me and tell me what’s wrong.”

His cool lips kiss the corner of my mouth, then my jaw, my cheek, and my nose. Everywhere they touch, another burning piece of anger simmers down. When the heat of my sweet Draken closes in on my back and his purr travels through my body, I slouch.

“Princess.”

“Little warrior.”

Once I’m finally cocooned in the middle of my Nexus, the red tint coloring my vision finally recedes and I take a deep breath .

A hand to my heart fills my chest with air. A tight grip to my wrist grounds me. A squeeze to my hip holds me up. And a palm splayed across my stomach balances me out.

My head falls back against Draken’s chest. I continue to breathe in through my nose out through my mouth repeatedly until I feel like I can speak again.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone is fine. We need to know you’re okay,” Corentin says.

“I’m okay. Pran and Dillon?”

“With Ry, the guys, your brothers, Uncle Roye, and Keeper. They’ll take them down to Maxima’s cell.”

“Okay, good.” I nod.

“What happened, Primary?” Cas asks.

My stomach churns. I don’t want to answer him. “Vicki Gale—”

“Willow,” V says in all our minds, cutting me off as he flies in and lands on Cas’s shoulder.

“We’re in the middle of something. Now is not the time, bird,” he warns.

“Now is my time, Shadow God,” V says sullenly.

No.

“It can’t be,” I mumble.

“I’m sorry, filia. It’s time for me to go home.”

The five of us freeze. If it hadn’t been for my men wrapping me between them, I would’ve hit the ground. My mind malfunctions and nothing of what I’m supposed to do processes for me.

The shift in extreme emotions has my head spinning viciously.

“Now? Like you mean right this minute?” Draken asks.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Just give Willow a minute to explain what’s happening inside. We can’t leave my parents with an unknown threat and she needs just a second to get herself prepared,” Corentin declares.

And as much as I love the sentiment, I unfortunately know that we can’t put this off. He knows it as well. We’ve been over what must happen when V said when.

Shaking myself out of my stupor, my misty gaze meets V’s.

Fuck.

Even knowing that this would come eventually doesn’t make it any easier. I’m not happy he’s leaving. Nor am I happy about what has to be done.

Honestly, I’m scared shitless about what I have to do.

“There’s no threat inside. I was the only threat at the moment. I can’t…No, I can, but I shouldn’t tell you what I learned right now. It’ll do nothing but cause you all to storm in there. I promise to talk about it when we get back. For now, we’ve got to get the relic and go.” My voice trembles there at the end.

Gaster and Oakly have studied the Gods’ Binding until their eyes have gone crossed. We know as much about it as we’re going to.

Now it’s time for it and V to go home.

“Thank you, Willow,” V says softly.

My chest aches and my throat burns, but I smile at him and nod.

“It’s time for V to go. I’m going to the secret room to get the relic if you both could meet me there,” I say to Gaster and Oakly.

“Shit. Gaster, will you come get me from the dungeons?” Oakly asks frantically.

“On my way. We will meet you there, Willow.”

“To CC’s room,” I say to the guys.

My shadows surround us and we move. I avoid the ball still happening through the central foyer and head straight through the walls until we reach his bedroom.

The smell of wood and mint hits me as soon as I call my gift back in and I inhale deeply. I bask in it although my mouth dries out.

He knew the secret that was going to be shared with me. He knew, and there was nothing he could ever do about it. If he had, so much would’ve changed. The whole trajectory of our lives and who we are now would’ve been affected by his decision to act.

The guilt and anger he had to live with.

It continues to make sense.

“Are you okay?” Oakly asks as soon as she enters the room and I turn toward her worried voice .

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just been told some…information I didn’t see coming,” I say vaguely, and she nods in understanding.

“When are you leaving? Do you need us to round up anyone else?” Gaster asks.

“We’re leaving now, as soon as we get the relic. This is a trip for just us. We won’t be running into any issues on the way there. If you could, just give Aurora, well, everyone, a heads-up that we won’t be returning to the ball after this.”

“I will,” he says.

Unlike any other time someone has attempted to touch V, when Gaster walks past Cas, he raises his hand to gently lay it on V’s side. The two of them lean their heads together and I tear my eyes from the sight.

While V’s presence in our lives may have been short, it was impactful. His wisdom, smart mouth, and guidance will forever live in our hearts. The direction he led us on will always be appreciated.

Oakly, Gaster, and I approach the door to our secret room in silence. The three of our hands tremble the slightest bit as we grip the knocker and release our magic.

With each footstep into our room, my heart thunders against my rib cage. The nerves of not knowing the exact steps I’m going to take to cleanse this relic have me on edge.

My faith in V, Elementra, myself, is the only reassurance I find in this moment. I tell myself repeatedly that it’s going to be just like how it was learning about the portals. The instructions will be given to me in real time and it’ll work out just the way it’s supposed to.

“I really don’t like that you’re going to have to touch it with your bare hands,” Oakly says as we approach the glass casing we keep the relic in.

“My bare hands aren’t what I’m worried about. It’s giving it my blood that I share with a monster,” I mumble as the two of them lift the box carefully as though it’s a bomb and hand it to me.

For a relic that holds hundreds of pieces of souls, it’s light as a book. The fortified case we put it in weighs more than it does.

Still, it feels like I’m holding a mountain in my palms.

“Time to go,” I murmur and turn on my heels .

The two of them walk on either side of me. Their shoulders are tense while I keep mine relaxed as much as possible. I allow all the tension to go to my fingers where I hold the case against my belly in a death grip.

Existing the room, I force a small smile to my face. The concern etched across my men’s brows matches the erratic beat of my bonds.

“Ready?” I ask and they nod.

“Be careful, child. Please let me know when you return,” Gaster says as he brushes a few loose strands of my bangs out my face.

“I will.”

“Same. And no adventures to another realm. If I have to figure out a way to open a portal, I will. Then Elementra help me I’ll kick your ass after I rescue it,” Oakly says, causing me to laugh.

“I promise no side quest. I’m sorry for cutting our night short but thank you for sharing a wonderful day with me,” I tell her sincerely.

“We have a lifetime of days and nights to go,” she promises as she gives me a kiss on my cheek.

“On me, little warrior. You just focus on holding that,” Tillman says, and I nod.

V climbs down from Cas’s shoulder and perches on mine, hooting softly as he nuzzles against my face.

A shuddering breath falls from my lips, but I force another smile aimed at Gaster and Oakly. “We’ll be back.”

Darkness steals my sight of them.

The transport last seconds and the dead of night greets us. The moon isn’t at its highest peak yet, but its full shape and bright glow make the stagnant water of the portal look magical once again. Here in just a moment, for a fleeting minute at least, we’ll be able to witness its glory again.

Exhaling sharply, I step out of my men’s embrace and kneel at the edge of the water. I stare into its depths, recalling the last time I stuck my hand in there.

“V,” Draken says from behind me.

A small purr falls from V’s throat as he begins to slowly walk down my arm. With each press of his claw, a change occurs. My eyes widen in shock as with each step, his body grows .

As his feet touch the ground, he morphs until his owl-like body is as tall as Draken is. I clench the earth between my fingers to stop myself from falling.

Corentin’s, Tillman’s, and Cas’s looks of shock match my own, but not Draken. He puffs his chest out proudly and leans his forehead against V’s.

“It has been an honor to learn from you.”

“It has been my honor to guide you, King of Creatures. Never doubt your ability to teach and lead the beast that lives within your people. You were made fierce but loving for many reasons.”

As they separate, V steps over to Cas.

“Until next time, God of Shadows.”

“I look forward to it, bird.”

Then Tillman.

“I knew a giant once that could move mountains,” V says.

“What was his purpose for doing that?”

“To prove that he could. You do not need to prove anything any longer. You are worthy.”

Then Corentin.

“Don’t question sacrifices that must be made. They were all done in a name. Remember the names.”

“Always.”

I hold my breath as V’s body begins to shrink down in front of me. By the time his transformation finishes, he’s still a much larger version than the one I’ve come to know.

Now, he stands about as tall as my smallest dragon form and his eyes are level with mine.

“We didn’t get the ability to shift our size from you,” I murmur as I don’t exactly understand how it’s possible he does that, but I know there’s a connection.

“No, but it is an ability given to creatures who are both the first and last of their kind. We must be adaptable to help creatures of any kind. ”

“Draken was the first. I’m the last,” I breathe. The ability to shift into a dragon won’t pass down from us. “But that would mean the same for you.”

“You are correct, filia.”

He doesn’t expand any more than that and I don’t push. The loneliness in his tone makes my chest ache and I don’t want our last moments tainted by sadness. I just want to focus on the few exciting ones we had.

“What do I do, V?”

“Remember who you are,” he says quietly, then lays a talon to the glass casing around the relic.

It doesn’t combust or explode. It disintegrates slowly in a sparkle of gold light until nothing remains but the Binding itself.

My trembling hands hover over the bronze encasing and my eyes fall into the shadow like smoke floating within the globe.

“Just as he did?” I confirm.

“ Yes. Don’t repeat the words he spoke. Don’t call upon the forces of Old but of your own creator. She hears you when you need her. Let your intuition guide your words.”

Tingling spreads throughout my whole body as I shift my index fingers into claws. My mind races, trying to put together the words I want to say, but the only concrete thing that comes to me is his name.

Malvolio Choice.

Blood pools in my palms as I move from one hand to the next, drawing the mark of the Nexus. In all things, it is the strongest symbol I know and I put my faith in the feeling it’s what’s best for now.

My eyes meet those of my men and I soak up the confident nods they all give me. I let the reassurance they’re beating into our bonds fill my chest until I’m close to combusting from it.

Blowing out my breath, I lay my hands to the Gods Binding.

Power.

It floods my veins, and I gasp as I lap it all up.

There is no turning off the tap as it continues to pour into my body and build me up to an unstoppable force.

The things I could do with this .

The people I could destroy.

All who threaten the people I love would fall to their knees in front of me.

Those who’ve been taken from me…I could bring them back. They could walk this realm with me once again.

I just need to pull them back. Find their souls.

Destroy the beyond.

My family can live in peace among this realm alone. No burdens, threats, or responsibilities to stand in our way.

I will rule it all.

All reason leaves me as I become nothing but a weapon to be wielded. My thoughts scatter into soldiers, ready and waiting for a command I don’t know but feel I must utter.

My soul screams for something. I will find what it’s asking for.

There will be nothing to stand in my way as I search.

“Fight it. Remember who you are, filia mea.”

I flinch at the voice shouting in my mind.

That is who I want to find.

My fingers dig into the earth beneath me as my power searches for the ties that call to my blood. Somewhere along this tangled web, I will find everything I am looking for.

“Come back to us. Follow the sound of our voices, princess.”

That soft tone pulls a small rumble from my throat. It’s enchanting yet commanding. It forces my search to halt.

“That’s it, little warrior. Find your way back.”

The deep sound has me gripping the gritty dirt of the ground in my fingers. It’s lending me a foreign strength I want to fight off.

“Let the darkness guide your way to the light, Primary. Find me.”

Freezing cold darkness.

The voice has my body floating in icy water as it drags me across the darkened sea. I sob out a breath, both fighting its pull and begging for it to flow faster.

Light pierces my eyes, and I scream.

Warmth spreads across my skin. It cracks the ice around my heart and mind .

“You’ve traveled too far, little wanderer. Come back and soar where you belong.”

Where I belong? Where I belong? Where…

Home.

They are my home.

I am Willow Vito.

True Primary to the strongest Nexus in Elementra. Light Bender, Mind Transferer, Shadow Walker, Dragon.

Seven gifts. Seven bonds. Four elements.

Last of my kind.

The last of my line.

I bellow in agony as I grip the Gods Binding tighter.

Leaning over it, my tears flow fast down my face. They drip onto my blood-stained hands, yet they aren’t clear.

They’re the color of a soulless abyss.

Blacker than the night I’m screaming my soul into.

“Blood of my blood,” I roar, fighting off the call of darkness.

My veins bulge with the abundance of gifts trapped within me. The corrupt power that’s wielded this object wrongfully claws at my chest. It begs for a host.

That host is not me.

It’s no one in this realm as this is not a blessing for us.

Breathe.

“I, granddaughter of Malvolio Choice,” I exhale on a shaky whisper as I lay my forehead to the Binding. “Accept the wrongful power placed upon this gift that is not meant for us. It courses through our veins, yet I command it free. It is not a blessing bestowed upon us by our creator.

“Elementra, I call for you. Save space and welcome them home in the beyond. Reveal the way and I will release it. I will serve you as you have served me. Free me from this confinement.”

My painful gasp echoes around the eerie silence of my mind. The inhale seems never ending.

The black smoke escaping the globe it was confined to chokes me as it rushes down my throat .

The last remnants leave the Binding and it shakes viciously in my hands as though it’s attempting to escape me.

And I allow it to.

I rip my palms free from the relic and lose control over my body. My head falls back, arms splayed out, and a harrowing wail tears through me.

A blinding ray of white light erupts from my body.

It pulls out all the essence that doesn’t belong to me.

It’s painful, soul-wrenching.

A small taste of what those whose gifts were wrongfully taken experienced in their last moments.

“They are home, Ultima unum.”

Elementra snaps the final tie between the power and me. I fall forward, barely catching myself on my hands. My face sits mere inches away from the relic and its real power pulses around me.

“Willow,” four incredibly concerned voices shout seconds before I’m hauled into a lap.

“What the fuck was that, V?” Draken growls. His trembling hands rub up and down my arms and his dragon’s rumble vibrates my back.

“That was her perfectly cleansing the Gods Binding.”

“And you don’t think you should’ve fucking warned her? Us? Anyone?” Cas asks menacingly.

“No. She had to make her choices based on instinct and what’s inside of her own soul. If I warned her, she could’ve reacted differently. The power could’ve fully taken control of her because she would’ve been overthinking what she should do. She may have lost herself for a moment, but she had a reason to find her way back. Many reasons,” V explains.

I want to argue. I want to yell at him like the guys are doing.

Yet the words get stuck in my throat.

I was already overthinking the words I wanted to say before I even laid my hands on the relic. When the goddess told me what I had to do, if V had told me then what to really expect, I would’ve obsessed over this.

Then I would’ve failed.

I would’ve given in to that call easily.

“Do you truly believe that, little warrior?” Tillman asks.

“Believe what?” Corentin asks as he cups my cheek. I fall into his gaze as Tillman tells them my thoughts.

I don’t mind at the moment. I won’t hide this from them.

Corentin’s fingers flinch, and I close my eyes as I turn, laying my lips to his palm.

Turning my head to Tillman, the worry written across his emerald eyes hurts my heart, but I won’t lie to him. Any of them.

“Yes, I do believe that. I know it without a shadow of a doubt. That power was wrong, so very wrong, but it…it consumed me. I wanted to harness it. Use it selfishly for whatever I wanted. There’s no preparation or planning for a sensation like that. I think it was able to take control of me so fiercely because I was already worked up over what I was going to say. If my mind had been any more distracted, I would’ve been a goner. I would have turned into him.”

The lingering anger in them evaporates. What’s left behind is even more potent.

Fear.

The fear of losing me.

“It needs to be destroyed,” Cas says, calling his shadows to his hands.

“No, Cas, stop. Feel it now,” I shout frantically, casting my own shadows out to cocoon his. “The powers changed. This is how it’s supposed to feel and be wielded.”

The haunted look I haven’t seen in some time crosses his eyes. I fear he isn’t going to listen to me.

It’s a breath longer than I’d like before he finally kneels in front of me.

As he reaches his hand toward it, so do the others.

It’s not only the feel of the relic that’s changed but its appearance as well. The bronze is brighter as though it’s just been polished. The globe glows like a star in the sky and there’s no black smoke to be seen within.

It’s crystal clear.

The sensation of the power now, though, is difficult to explain.

It’s almost welcoming. Healing.

“It was a beautiful force once upon a time. That time could come again,” V says .

“It’s really time now, isn’t it?”

“It is, filia.”

I nod, pushing off Draken’s lap. He’s resistant to let me go, but he eventually does with a squeeze to my hip.

“Will I get instructions this go around?” I ask softly as I kneel in front of him.

“I’ll walk you through step by step.”

Thank fuck for that.

V’s hooting laugh through my mind makes my lip twitch into a small grin. It’s a sound I’ve come to know and adore. Even when it’s directed at my thoughts he’s listening in on.

“The hard part is over. This will be natural for you,” he says as he leans forward and gently plucks the Gods Binding off the ground. “You’ll open the portal for me, and I’ll pass through it. You won’t have to fully come over with me. Instead, you can reach your hand through to the other side. Search through your knowledge for what it looks like in the Valorian Veil where this passage would lead.”

Closing my eyes, I call forward all the knowledge I have on the Valorian Veil. Starting with what this portal once looked like and the beings that passed through.

Beauty.

That’s the first word that comes to mind.

The way this little pool of water used to glow the most shimmering blue I’ve ever laid my eyes on. It was as though glitter had been dumped and swirled all through it. When the sun beat down on it, it’d look like hundreds of diamonds were sitting there at the bottom.

On the other side, you’d step out into a small wooded area much like the one we’re in now. The major difference is where my water is cool, theirs is a sparkling crystal-clear hot spring.

Passing through it would almost cleanse you before you stepped into another realm.

The land-made hot tub is surrounded by rocks, but when you step past the protective boulders, you enter a stunning meadow. The shin-high green grass flows with the wind and the wildflowers burst with color .

“I see it. The hot spring and meadow,” I whisper.

“Good, Willow. Now when you stick your hand through, imagine touching that grass. Feel the earth beneath your fingertips. I will alert you that I’m there and you will close the portals.”

I nod and look down at my hands.

My throat constricts when I see the dried black streaks running down my fingers. Underneath my nails is caked-up dirt. I shudder at the thought of what I was trying to do.

I wanted to destroy the beyond…

My water element flows through my skin and washes away the evidence that has me in a chokehold.

That wasn’t really me.

The deep breath that falls from my chest dries the water pebbling my hands and I turn them up.

Shifting my finger, I press my claw to my palm and start my design.

First, I slice the original design of the Nexus, but when my points meet, I make sure not to lift my finger. Then I retrace the design the other way.

In my mind, my mom’s instructions read clearly.

Putting the two designs together like that seals the connection that you’re leaving your blessed place.

I allow myself a couple seconds to gaze at the blood collecting in my palm. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t a little nervous. I’d started to imagine it coming out black. I’m relieved to find it as red as it’s supposed to be.

“Ready, V?” I ask.

“Ready, filia.”

Laying my hand gently on top of the still water, I draw out the Nexus mark while murmuring the spell needed to open it in Elema Lingua Vetus .

“A passage created by the essence of my being. Through time and through space, deliver me from my desired place.”

I push my hand through the surface.

Small vibrations begin to pulse through the water, causing it to ripple as though something massive is walking toward it.

Waves begin to lap up from the pool and pour over into the grass surrounding it. My breathing syncs with the thrums that continue to grow stronger and I’m practically panting from the power as color starts to spread across the water.

The glowing blue blooms to life.

Wind wipes my hair behind me as though the portal is yawning after waking from its long nap. A surprised laugh bubbles out of me, and I turn my head to V, smiling.

“Very, very good, Ultima unum. It has been such an honor to witness you,” he says softly as he lifts his claw and steps into the water.

My smile softens. “Thank you for everything, V. I really hate goodbyes.”

“Good thing this is not that then,” he says before fully submerging himself under.

My chest rises and falls rapidly as it doesn’t even look like he really went under. More so sucked through to the other side. The water swirled faster than the wind, then abruptly stopped.

“Close them, princess,” Corentin says softly behind me.

Right.

Shifting my finger once again, I draw the Nexus mark the opposite way.

Closing my eyes, I push my hand elbow deep into water this time and picture the other side. I imagine the warm air blowing from the hot spring and the way that grass would feel flowing across my fingers.

I nearly jerk my hand out when the smallest of tickles touches my palm, but I hold steady. The thin blade of grass wraps around my finger.

A chuckle bubbles out of me when the touch of grass is replaced with soft feathers that nuzzle across the top of my hand. A little pressure is added from the embrace, and I take V’s guidance, allowing him to lead my fingers down to the earth.

I sense no difference in the texture of our dirt and theirs, but the difference in power within the earth is obvious.

Both are incredibly strong. Just different.

I dig my hand in further, the drip of my blood slides down my fingers and a little shock passes through me.

The lands recognized that I’m there.

Detect them .

“Passages through time and space, show me your travels through this blessed place.”

Just the same as when I did this in the nonmagical realm, the difference between a closed portal and an open one is vast. The first pulse to hit me isn’t gentle. It’s an electric shock that has me humming as power flows through my body.

Repeatedly, I suck in sharp breaths as the vines of my blood search the realm for more portals.

Even if my mom only traveled here once, it seems the women before her came more frequently. There’re nearly as many open portals here as there were in the nonmagical realm.

This being the second time tonight I’ve been pumped full of power, it’s starting to overwhelm my system. Thankfully, this time, though, it feels natural. Like home.

Not like death.

The tell sign that I’ve reached the end of the Valorian Veil thrums across my skin in consistent vibrations. No more shocks or pulses pound through my fingers and I take a deep breath.

“A place given by the essence of my being. Through time and through space, close the travel to their desired place.”

A grunt falls from my lips as the force of the connections slams into me. I hang my head as on the other side my hand locks into the ground.

I brace myself as I know what’s to come as the vibrations begin to intensify.

Portal after portal slams shut as my blood races back to me through the earth. The connection pulls tighter as the threads of power reach the end of their retreat.

“Until next time, V,” I whisper as I feel the last of the lines closing in.

My hand snaps free from the Valorian Veil.

As I’m slung back, I snatch the power from the main portal as well while my closing spell is still active.

Instead of slamming into the ground, I fall back into waiting arms .

With the quiet hum the portal had been emitting gone, we sit in silence. Everything in this part of the realm seems to sleep while we wait anxiously as though something is getting ready to jump out at us.

The only sound is our collective breathing and after a tense moment, I let my body fully relax while I stare at the stars.

I believe this is the first time I’ve ever been able to just lie and watch them shine in the night sky.

My mind races over everything that just happened as I gaze at the beautiful, peaceful sight above me.

The true taste of what we’re up against leaves a metallic tang in my mouth. It’s greater than I’ve prepared myself for.

The power behind the portals and what would happen if the wrong kind of person were to control the travel has a single slow tear rolling down my cheek.

“You were amazing, little warrior,” Tillman says, wiping the trail from my face.

“I’m tired.”

They each lay a hand on me.

Through their touches and bonds, a shuddering breath escapes me.

They are as well.

It’s just not sleep we’re all referring to.