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Chapter Fourteen

C inaed:

T he wave of wrongness slammed into me like a physical blow, dropping me to my knees in Percy and Gio’s sitting room.

This time was different—worse. The earth’s warning didn’t just invade my senses, it tore through me like molten steel, setting every nerve ending ablaze.

My inner fire flared uncontrollably, and I heard the sharp intake of breath from someone behind me.

“Cinaed!” Bart’s voice cut through the roaring in my ears as I fought to keep from shifting involuntarily. The last thing Percy and Gio needed was a phoenix in distress burning down their cottage.

I pressed my palms against the wooden floor, trying to ground myself against the earth’s desperate cry. Whatever was coming, it was close. Too close. The warning carried a note of panic I’d never felt before, as if the earth itself was screaming.

“I’m fine.” My voice shook with the effort of containing my fire. “Just... give me a moment.”

Otto appeared at my side, while Leo stood behind him, yellow heliodor glowing with gathered power. I suspected he was prepared to shield the others if I lost control.

The attack subsided slowly, leaving me drained and shaking. I sat back on my heels, wiping sweat from my forehead. “The warnings are getting worse.”

“What is the warning about?” Thalion asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Leo said, sparing me from giving the snarky answer. “The Ward is failing.”

The assembled group watched me with varying degrees of worry, but my head hurt too much to confirm what Leo had said. “Water?” My voice cracked like I’d swallowed fire, which wasn’t far from what I’d done to keep from shifting.

A few seconds later, a cup of water was thrust into my shaking hands. Gio waited until I’d firmly grasped the drink before letting go. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I wasn’t sure any of us were okay anymore. “The Earth is concerned. Like it’s running out of time.”

“If anyone would know how close Blackstone is to unleashing his plan, it would be the Earth,” Anso said. “He must fear we’ve learned too much.”

“We can never know too much.” Bart waved his purple tourmaline over a large map spread across a table. “But we’ve collected some useful information.”

“The trackers are still working, which means Blackstone and his mages haven’t detected them,” Leo said, joining his brother. “That’s the good news. The bad news is they’ve separated.”

I doubted anyone in the group expected them to stay together. Blackstone had never put all his assets into one scheme. It would be highly unusual if he changed his tactics.

“How many groups?” Leifr asked. “We don’t have time to chase shadows across the globe.”

“Three so far,” Bart’s purple tourmaline pulsed once, and three dots appeared on the map. “They split up almost immediately after they left, so it’s likely the number won’t change. The locations, however, correspond to known medicine wheels in North America.”

Not ideal, but manageable. “Any sign which one has my grandfather?”

“We haven’t had a chance to fully examine the data,” Leo said. “Given the earth magic needed to contain Ailpein, you and Cael are better equipped to find him.”

I examined the map, but I had limited knowledge of North America. “Are any of these sites power centers or a major nexus?”

Cael joined me at the table. “Not especially. They’re all in areas where earth magic is more abundant, but there are hundreds of other similar places.”

According to the map, Blackstone’s associates were congregating in Montana, Arizona, and Nebraska. I traced a line between the points. They formed a rough triangle, each point separated by hundreds of miles. “Is the shape significant?”

Everyone joined us at the table. Anso and Percy exchanged looks with each other and their mates.

“Interesting,” Anso said. “After we created the Ward, we worried people would search for the location. The site itself held no magical significance, but it was where Adelais and Katriana gave their lives for the world. We didn’t want anyone to desecrate the place, so we created a fake location. ”

Gio touched a point on the map. “These locations form a rough triangle around the fake spot.”

This felt like a trap to me. Blackstone was chasing a false lead, and thus far he rarely made mistakes. “Roderick said the site wasn’t important for creating the Ward. Why would he use the fake location for a focal point?”

“Roderick was correct,” Percy said. “The site isn’t important, but Blackstone wouldn’t have that knowledge. Only the guardians and the new guardians know the Ward can be created anywhere.”

Which confused me more. “Then why do we think this will help us find my grandfather?”

“Blackstone choosing these sites proves he thinks the original location is important,” Leo said. “It would be too great a coincidence for him to select these three places at random and happen to triangulate on the fake spot.”

“Which strongly suggests your grandfather is in one of those three spots,” Leifr said.

They were right, but which one? “Can we narrow it down to one?”

No one answered, and when I pulled my gaze up from the map, I found all eyes on me. “What?”

“You tell us,” Cael said. “My earth magic is strong, but with all the interference I can’t focus on your grandfather’s energy. Only a phoenix can find him.”

Tucked into his answer was a gentle rebuke. I’d been expecting the mages to do everything when I was the best equipped to detect Grandfather’s energy. “Not from here,” I said. “We’re too far away. Maybe once we get back to North America.”

“Or maybe someone already in North America can find him,” Leo said. “Your sister’s with Owen in Minnesota while he heals.”

It was the second scolding in as many minutes and a reminder I wasn’t the only one trying to save Grandfather. “Good point.”

“Rod?” I focused on his steady presence. “Are you able to talk?”

Being apart from him was like a physical ache, but connecting through our link always cured some of the pain.

“I’m here.” The joy in his voice was reassuring and warm. “Is something wrong?”

One day soon, I wanted to be able to contact him just because I wanted to feel his presence in my mind. “No, but we might have found Grandfather.”

“Bart’s trackers?” Rod asked excitedly.

His emotions came through our bond. I’d loved him for so long, and this closeness only added to those feelings. “Yes.”

Letting him see my thoughts made it easy to fill Rod in on everything we’d discovered. It excited me how easily we shared our thoughts. I’d fight to my last flame to have that future.

“How’s Owen?” I asked, embarrassed I’d waited so long to check on his brother.

“Better,” Rod said. “His bond with Lysandor helped him heal quickly. It also got him a lecture on being stubborn and acting irresponsibly.”

If it had been Rod who’d gotten hurt because he’d ignored the obvious signs of danger, he’d be lucky if I just lectured him. “Any mistake you survive and learn from isn’t all bad.”

“Remember you said that if I get hurt.”

I laughed because he knew me too well. “Don’t take unnecessary risks, and we’ll never have to find out what I do.”

“Have you met me?” Rod joked. “All kidding aside, I’ll talk to Elspeth and see if she can find your grandfather. When are you leaving?”

The question was about more than seeing each other again. He and I needed to be the ones to find Grandfather. We needed to convince him to let us do what only we could do. “The others are making plans. If they don’t hurry up, I’m going to fly there myself.”

“Now who’s taking unnecessary risks?”

Rod’s amusement didn’t hide his own eagerness to be together again. “Not me. If I don’t see you soon, someone’s going to get burned when I burst into flames.”

“I’ll warn my brothers to act quickly.” Rod’s mood changed. “We’re going to have a long life together, Cinaed. Believe it. I do.”

One drawback to our bond was he knew my fears. “I believe, Rod, but given what we’re facing, there are no guarantees.”

“No, there aren’t, but we’ll make our future.”

His conviction masked the fears he didn’t want me to see. I also knew he’d do everything he could to give us the future we both wanted. “You’re right but push your brothers anyway.”

W e stayed linked until guilt sapped much of the joy. When I opened my eyes, only Bart and Cael remained in the room.

“How’s Rod holding up?” Bart asked.

The backdoor way he’d asked how I was doing made me smile. “You know what he’s like. We’re both anxious, but he doesn’t let it show.”

“Growing up, Rod was this amazing brother,” Bart said, his eyes focused somewhere only he could see.

“He watched over us, offered advice without judgment, had our backs when we needed it, and was our friend. Always so positive, never a negative word. We knew he carried a burden, but he didn’t talk about it or let us help. ”

Bart swallowed, and he struggled to hold back tears.

“None of us understood. How could we when he didn’t share his pain?

He’s the best of us, but you knew that already.

I’m telling you this because this isn’t just your fight anymore.

If there’s even a sliver of hope for you and him, Cael and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. All of us will.”

I stared at Bart and Cael, my nose congested and my eyes watery. Cael reached down and laced his fingers through Bart’s. The bond Rod shared with his brothers had always been a source of strength. Now I saw it in action. “Thank you.”

Cael nodded. “What did Rod say about Elspeth checking for your grandfather?”

Changing topics helped calm my emotions. “Elspeth is going to work with Avie. Rod says your sister is a perfect partner for Els.”

“She is,” Bart said. “Observing firsthand will help her more accurately analyze what Elspeth sees.”

Growing up, I’d had a close bond with Grandfather.

The whole family had been close. There’d always been a hint of resentment about Adelais’ sacrifice, but he rarely let it show with us grandkids.

Blackstone’s dark magic had slowly poisoned those connections.

I wasn’t sure enough of him remained for Els to trace.

“You should pack,” Cael said. “Chancellor Hollen made arrangements for a hypersonic military plane to get us to Minnesota. The helicopter will be here soon.”

As if on cue, Thalion entered the room. “Romanian military helicopter is less than ten minutes out.”

Nodding, I returned to my room in the surprisingly spacious cottage.

Everyone else had finished, so I quickly collected the few things I’d brought.

Stuffing the last shirt into my bag, it hit me—we’d reached the end.

Rod and I had started this journey decades ago.

Either we’d win, and finally bond, or we’d die trying.

“Rod?” I had nothing important to say, but wanted to feel his presence.

“Missed me already?”

Rod had always used humor to mask his pain. “Yes.”

There was a pause, and in my mind I saw him searching for the right words.

“This is the last time we split up, ” he said. “I don’t care who says it’s for the best. It’s not for us.”

He was the stoic rock of our relationship, but as Bart had said, Rod hid the pain well. “No, it’s not.”

“We’ll find him, Cinaed,” Rod said. “Then we’re going to spend the next decade making up for lost time.”

He spoke with such confidence, it erased most of my doubts. “I want to see the world. All of it.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he said. “Though we’re going to need a glamour to hide how stunning you are or people will recognize us.”

Rod understood what creating a new Ward might cost, but still focused on the future. Our future. “Flattery will get you everything, Mr. Hollen.”

“That’s good, Prince FionnLaoch,” Rod said. “Because I want everything.”

There was a knock on the door. Leo stood in the hallway, looking like he drew the short straw. “Sorry to bother, and tell Rod hello from me, but the helicopter’s landing.”

With all his snark and swagger, it was easy to forget Leo was barely twenty-five. Too young to be given this responsibility. “I’ll be right there.”

“We’re leaving,” I told Rod. “And Leo sends his regards.”

“That’s his way of telling us to stop talking and start doing.”

“He’s right.”

“Yes, he is.” Rod sounded amused. An instant later, his mood shifted. “We’ll find him, Cinaed.”

He didn’t promise what would happen once we found him. I don’t blame him. No one knew what Grandfather would do. “I know we will. Stay safe. We’ll be there in less than twelve hours.”

“In that case, I’d better get some sleep now.”

His flirting didn’t mask the reality that none of us might get much sleep going forward. “I always knew you were the smart one.”

The conversation broke off abruptly because neither of us truly wanted it to end, and the helicopter was waiting. If I missed it, I could follow it in my phoenix form, but the others would wait for me.

Consideration for the others, however, was only a minor part of why I rushed. For the first time in days, the ache of separation eased. Rod was waiting for me at the end of this trip. He and I would pretend nothing was wrong, and the world comprised just two people. Me and him.

After that brief respite, we were going to finish this. Blackstone’s century-long plan was about to end. The only question was who’d be standing when the dust settled.

The rotors warmed up as we boarded. I settled back in my seat and pushed everything but Rod from my mind. We’d waited long enough. It was time to claim our future.