Page 16 of Shattered Galaxies (Tears of the Siren #6)
Desmond and Draven tensed beside her, their instincts flaring with the fear of rejection.
Not because of how it would affect them, but because of how much Lorcan was putting herself on the line emotionally.
Rhett sent me a sidelong glance, and I pushed a thread of calm through the bond we all shared.
I wasn’t worried about the answer.
“I’m both surprised by what is hunting our realm and not,” Valentina answered honestly. “I’ve felt something shift. But a cosmic entity? That wasn’t what I imagined. That said, I believe you.”
“How long have you known?” Vaughn—the wolf shifter—asked, his eyes fixed on Lorcan. His tone was a little too sharp, and I bristled in response.
But Lorcan only nodded, calm and steady, like she’d expected it.
“Not very long, although it would be over a month for you. When I first received the prophecy about how I and another would stop this, we traveled to the Old Realm of the Ethereal Sea. We lost two months there.”
“Shit,” West, the fox shifter, muttered. “That’s wild.”
“We’re losing time here as well,” Lorcan said plainly, “but I think it’s worth it.”
“Who’s the other?” Francisco—one of the caomhnóirí draíochta —asked. He sounded more curious than invested. “How do we ally ourselves with someone tied to an unknown power?”
“She’s not unknown. At least, not to me,” Lorcan said. “Her name is Nova. She’s a forbidden descendant of the gods Set, Isis, and Venus. She’s also really into donuts.”
I noticed the brief but genuine smile she shared with Valentina. I could see a friendship fostering between the two of them already.
“It can’t be coincidence that their search for the composition piece led them here,” West said, agreeing with Lorcan’s earlier statement.
“I trust Adriel,” Milo said, his voice cutting through the room. “If he says it’s worth it, I say we help.”
Heads turned in surprise, and I offered Milo a grateful smile and a small nod. I’d always felt close to him, and his absence had hurt more than I realized. I’d been so young when I’d thought he died that I’d never properly grieved, instead always searching for answers.
“If we do this,” Brody, the other caomhnóirí draíochta , said, “we need to know how many soldiers and units will be needed. And when. We still deal with threats here.”
“Any that you can spare,” Lorcan replied gently. “I understand if it’s not many. Nova is gathering reinforcements, too, but I’d be honored to have all of you there.”
“As for the timing,” I added, “we’re in communication with the other prophecy holder and her team. We’ll get notice when it’s time to move. I’m sure we can figure out how to stay in touch directly.”
There were things Milo and I needed to discuss, and I didn’t think this visit would give us enough time.
“What about you, Dimitri?” Valentina asked the man at the far end of the table.
The room stilled at the direct attention she drew toward the man. Something about Dimitri unsettled me in a way I didn’t like. His aura didn’t sit right. I didn’t know what kind of magic he wielded, but I instinctively didn’t want him near Lorcan.
“If it means our children having a future,” he said, his voice even and low, “then we help.”
His answer, quiet but absolute, shifted the room. Valentina smiled and clapped her hands. “It’s decided, then. We’ll help. We have as much to lose as anyone else if the realms fall. Now, let’s eat and enjoy ourselves.”
While we still can went unspoken .
Dinner stretched long into the night, and three hours later I found myself standing beside Milo on the open-air balcony. A thunderstorm brewed on the horizon, the clouds crackling with power.
Silence stretched between us, comfortable and familiar, but beneath it I could feel his questions, and I had some of my own.
“What happened when you were taken?” I asked.
“I was passed off from family to family,” he said, his jaw tightening. “I was abused—physically, sexually, mentally. It was fucking horrible. Though honestly, I don’t know if the Elven realm would’ve been better.”
“At least there you would’ve had family,” I murmured. “I’m sorry you went through that.”
“I found a home here, even if I landed in Wicked Blaze first.” He paused, his expression going distant. “I heard there was a new king in the Elven realm. Didn’t realize it was you. I’m not surprised, though. You always saw through our father, even when we were kids.”
“He failed the only job he had,” I agreed. Then I grinned, asking, “You still draw your visions?”
“Yeah. Understatement of the year. I still don’t sleep, either.”
“Crazy bastard,” I said with a huff of laughter. Milo wasn’t being dramatic when he said he didn’t sleep—he truly didn’t.
Milo’s grin turned fond. “One of the reasons I love this family I’ve found, especially Valentina, is that I’m not the only crazy one.”
I hummed in understanding. “You’ll always have a place in the Kingdom of Night. All of you, even if it’s just a visit.”
“Thank you.” He squeezed my shoulder.
The balcony doors opened behind us, and I didn’t have to turn to know it was Zander. His magic brushed mine in quiet urgency.
Lorcan wouldn’t be far behind.
“I hate to interrupt,” Zander said, voice low but serious. “But I wanted to ask something.”
I turned to face him, knowing immediately through our bond what was on his mind. Honestly, I was disappointed I hadn’t remembered myself. “The stalker?”
“The stalker,” Zander confirmed, glancing at Milo. “Lorcan has someone following her—someone with druid magic. We believe he’s from here, but we don’t know his name or what he looks like. Could we access any records of who traveled to Earth from this kingdom?”
Milo tilted his head thoughtfully. “We haven’t formally encouraged inter-realm travel, but I’ll look into it. You’re not leaving until morning?”
“Right,” I confirmed.
“I’ll dig. If this man came from here, we’ll find him.” He looked out across the darkening horizon. “Some monsters don’t leave tracks. They work in the shadows.”
And Milo knew that better than anyone.