Page 176 of Lana Pecherczyk

“Eight out of ten float and bloat in those waters,” Nikan added.

“Not us,” Manfri said. “This link will convince the worms we’re a single entity. One trial, not three individual judgments. They’ll have to choose all of us or none.”

“And if they choose none?” Nikan pressed.

“Then we float together.” Manfri’s eyes found theirs.

A spark ignited behind the emptiness of Cielo’s eyes. His fingers traced the pattern, smearing fresh ink.

“When?” His voice remained rough, but determination replaced resignation.

“As soon as you’re strong enough.” Manfri began cleaning his tools. “The Order is calling for tributes at the next full moon. If we succeed, we gain access to metal weapons without pain. To plastic. To places where the Well doesn’t reach.” His gaze locked with Cielo’s. “To human cities.”

“No,” Cielo said, staring at his fingers. “A Guardian can still be cut from the Well. Desecrated land is still desecrated.”

“Then we’ll be waiting for them,” Manfri declared. “As Guardians, we’ll be powerful enough to take down any human coming into Elphyne.”

Cielo nodded once, decisively.

Manfri resumed his work, carefully finishing the final lines of the tattoo. His mind churned with possibilities and plans. With this link, with the Well’s blessing as Guardians, they’d be invincible. No one would hurt any of them again. Even the Donna and the Corvus bowed to the Order of the Well.

As he connected the last mirrored stroke between their matching marks, energy flowed between them. Their separate inner wells briefly linked into a shared ocean of power before fading away. They were connected, but still separate. Not exactly what he’d envisioned when they came across the ancient, dark spell, but the sense of change had begun.

“Who’s going to test it?” Nikan whispered, already looking at Manfri. Cielo did the same.

“For Crimson’s sake,” he muttered. “You fuck faces can’t do anything without me, can you?”

He distended a claw and scratched a message onto the designated space of his forearm tattoo. Two words appeared on the other’s arms.

Never alone.

Chapter

Fifty-Four

Two treasures remained. The ruby and a jar of trapped colorful beads, crystal shards, and manabeeze. Fractured rainbows. It sparkled, just like Blake.

River glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with his mate. Concern and encouragement surged through their bond, warming his chest. Her hands fretted with her windways, eyes wide and watching. She had no idea how much her steady presence anchored him, how her confidence settled his raging thoughts. A tentative smile lifted one corner of his mouth, and he waved. When she returned the gesture, his lips stretched into a full-blown grin.

He turned back to the sparkling jar.Mine.

At some point, the rain completely stopped, but the field was still filled with slippery hazards. No problem. He would just have to run faster, dig his boots in, and use his claws for grip. His team huddled closer, shoulders bumping, breath fogging in the cool night.

“The glittery one,” he rasped. “Easier to target.”

Sera’s grin bared teeth. “I’ll run interference on?—”

“No.” River cut her off, his tone like ice. The thought of anyone else touching Cloud, even Sera, felt wrong. “I’ll handle him.”

Talo’s gaze weighed heavily. “Son, vengeance makes a poor strategist.”

River ignored his father and focused on the jar until the whistle shrieked. He lunged forward through sucking mud, ignoring the ache in his ribs and the burns in his muscles. The glittering prize pulsed like a beacon. A shadow leaped. He ducked, evading a second blow while someone on his team intercepted a third. Bodies clashed around him. Sacrifices were made. Rainbow glitter jar in sight. He reached?—

A shoulder connected like a battering ram. Tommas. Not Cloud. River jerked to the side, hit the ground, breath knocked out, stars dancing behind his eyes. He twisted, grabbing Tommas’s ankle and yanking hard.

“Traitor,” River hissed. “I just saved your relationship!”

His new brother-in-law laughed. “Maybe I’m just bait.”