Page 4 of Into the Dawn (The Arcadians #4)

Shaking off his shock, Dominic prepared himself to jump back into the fray.

But as he spun around, his eyes went wide as more of the rogues started disappearing one by one, each of them exploding into a red mist that floated away until there was nothing left.

“What the—?”

“Ugh, I think I just swallowed some evildoer,” Ronan growled in disgust from a few feet away. He coughed, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he limped closer.

Dominic didn’t bother rolling his eyes at his brother.

Besides, his own stomach felt a little queasy at the thought of swallowing the tiny particles of rogues still floating in the air.

He was damn glad to be alive but had no clue what in hellfire had just happened to all of the rogues.

Even the dead ones had disappeared, leaving Dominic and Ronan alone in the forest.

“What just happened?”

“I would say you just got your asses royally kicked,” a deep voice answered dryly.

Dominic spun around to face the new threat, then blinked in surprise when he saw a huge male standing several feet away.

The male must have been at least ten feet tall with an imposing form that rivaled the wide tree trunk he was leaning against. His thick, corded muscles rippled beneath his shimmering bronze skin that seemed to pulse with inner light.

The only garment he wore was an iridescent piece of white fabric artfully wrapped around his lean waist, making it easy to see that he had no flaws.

His long hair was a shade so pale it almost looked white, and it cascaded down his back like a waterfall of liquid light.

His face was a study of contrasts, with sharp, chiseled features that conveyed both strength and beauty.

Glowing gold eyes burned bright like twin suns and swirled in a mesmerizing pattern that made it impossible to glance away.

It was as if those eyes held the secrets of the universe within their depths.

The male exuded an aura of power the likes of which Dominic had never experienced before. That alone was enough to tell him exactly who was standing before them.

Dominic gave a slight bow of his head. “God of the Sun.”

The god smiled as if he were pleased. “You recognize me?”

“Nay, but you are practically glowing like the sun,” Dominic explained. “It was easy to guess who you are from that alone.”

“Or it could be the way you disintegrated all those rogues into bloody dust,” Ronan added. “You have our gratitude for that.”

“That was the fun part.” He flashed them a wicked grin before he pushed off the tree and strode forward. “I am Silas, God of the Sun. And you, dear warrior princes, have a problem in your kingdom.”

Since that was obvious enough, Dominic nodded. “We do. With this many rogues running around the forest, we must have traitors in our ranks. The magic you wield is obviously very powerful. Is there perhaps a way you could just—”

“Destroy all the rogues within the area? What am I, your personal exterminator?” Silas sighed as he shook his head. “While that might be entertaining, unfortunately, nay. This is not my war to wage. There is always a price for retribution, and that is a debt best paid by those personally involved.”

“But you—” Dominic cut himself off.

Was he crazy? Who in their right mind tried arguing with a god?

Clearly, he wasn’t thinking straight. It wasn’t every day they came across a god, and he wasn’t sure how to act. But obviously, pissing the powerful being off probably wasn’t the best course of action.

Besides, the god was right.

While asking for help might have been the most expedient way to handle the situation, it would not uncover the traitors hiding amongst them, nor would it adequately deal with the betrayal they faced.

If they needed any magical assistance, they could always ask their friends for help.

But first, they had to figure out who was betraying them and why.

As Dominic slid his sword back into its sheath, he realized he was swaying on his feet. The fight had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. His muscles ached, and his mind was hazy from the after-battle crash. Glancing over at his brother, he figured he probably looked as pale as Ronan did.

Or that could have just been the blood loss.

He had dozens of cuts and bruises over his exposed flesh, not to mention the wound on his neck that had almost permanently taken him out. Ronan was in a similar state, though instead of a neck wound, he now had a nasty cut across his right cheek that looked like it would scar.

“Oh, I almost forgot about that,” Silas said, then he waved a finger in the air. “It will not scar.”

Dominic gasped as he felt a tingling sensation and suddenly found himself completely healed and cleaned of all evidence of the battle he’d just faced. Even his missing knives had been replaced in his vest.

Observing magic was nothing new to him, although each time he saw it, he was amazed. Since some of his friends now had abilities of their own, they were always performing impossible feats. But they were still learning and had only scratched the surface of what they were truly capable of.

The God of the Sun was different.

Witnessing the power he wielded was nothing short of miraculous.

Dominic had never experienced having anything magical done to himself, but he was glad for the instant healing.

The sudden rush of strength and energy left him feeling lightheaded.

It was an almost euphoric sensation, and though it felt strange, he could definitely get used to the convenience of it.

But who had to remind themselves to notice two males bleeding to death?

“Do not be such a drama queen,” Silas chided as if he were speaking to two younglings instead of fully grown warriors. “You were not going to die from a few cuts and bruises. You were in jeopardy of getting your head cut off, though. If that happened, it would have been extremely disappointing.”

Disappointing?

That was an interesting word choice.

Dominic wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but he did admit that it had been a close call.

Perhaps they had been a little lax in their training since the protection wards and magical shields had been erected.

They had also delegated more responsibilities to warriors they trusted, which was turning out to be a mistake that had almost cost them their lives.

“What in hellfire just happened?” Ronan asked through their bond.

“I healed you,” Silas answered, making it clear he could hear their thoughts.

It was a little creepy to have a stranger read his thoughts, but Dominic wasn’t that surprised.

The gods were capable of all kinds of amazing feats.

They were divine beings, meant to be revered and feared in equal measure.

It would be wise to remember that the extent of their powers was beyond mortal comprehension.

“Thank you for healing our wounds.”

Silas snorted. “That was not what you were thinking.”

“To what do we owe the honor of your visit?” Ronan hurried to ask. He wanted to distract the god’s attention away from his brother in case he was offended by whatever Dominic had been thinking.

“I guess I should get to the point since we do not have much time,” Silas announced with a sigh. “There is an urgent matter that requires your attention, but you must make your decision whether or not to help before the storm hits.”

Ronan glanced at his brother, who shot him a perplexed look in return.

Even as they wondered what in all the worlds the god was talking about, the sound of thunder boomed overhead.

Rays of sunlight had been shining through the canopy moments ago, but now, the pale pink sky had transformed into a blanket of dark crimson clouds despite the time of day.

They hadn’t noticed the change since the Sun God was emanating enough light to chase away the shadows. Ronan wasn’t sure why the god needed them, but he and his brother were willing to try to do whatever was needed to help.

“I am not the one who needs assistance,” Silas corrected. “It is your mate who needs your help.”

Ronan felt his mind go blank at hearing that. “Our mate is dead.”

His chilling words were punctuated with another rumble of thunder.

“Nay, I mean your true mate. We have located your true mate on another world. However, we are not able to bring her here like we did with Allie and Raven,” Silas explained, mentioning the two females who had previously been brought to Arcadia from a distant planet.

Finding their fated mate had always been a fantasy of theirs, but Ronan and Dominic never thought they would actually be lucky enough to meet her.

Finding one’s true mate was nearly impossible.

While they hadn’t been fated to be together, Imra had grown up with them.

She had been their best friend and confidant, so when she had come of age, it had felt natural for her to become their chosen mate.

They had always figured their chance at happiness had died along with Imra and their brother, Eron.

While they still missed them and mourned their loss, discovering that their true mate really existed was a dream come true.

A part of Ronan felt conflicted. He felt a little guilty about being happy to hear they had a true mate.

It was a dream he wished they could have shared with Eron, although it didn’t diminish what they’d had with Imra.

Another part of him felt remorseful that they hadn’t waited for the true mate. Would she be upset that they had claimed a mate before her? Would she also feel the pain of knowing she’d had a third mate that she would never get to meet?

But the most important question he had at the moment was how they were supposed to meet her if she was from another world?