Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(66)

“You know nothing about me, Reece,” Angel snapped, and her annoyance was subtler, but it was there. Her eyes didn’t turn into flames; instead, they deepened into a rich pink. “I fight for those worthy. Mera is worthy. You should think on that before you let the past cloud your mind beyond salvation.”

I was practically jittering in my chair, and since my chair was a set of hard-muscled thighs, there was no surprise to feel one very large cock pressing against me as I all but vibrated on his damn lap.

I patted his shoulder to remind him that now was not the time. The drama channel was on.

With a low groan, Shadow’s firm hold over my thighs stopped my movements. His lips brushed near my ears. “Stay still, Sunshine, or I will be the one helping you forget business that isn’t yours.”

I clicked my tongue. “Ah, my poor sweet Shadow. You don’t know me at all if you think I’m leaving that alone. There is just so much to unpack, and I have time.”

I didn’t have time, but I would damn well make it.

Angel stood then, distracting us both. “My power is mine alone,” she told the room, even though we all knew she was talking to one giant desert deity. “Mine. And it always has been. What I’ve chosen to use it on should not be a factor that keeps you awake at night. Be grateful the burden is not yours, especially since inheriting it required my entire family to fall.”

She turned and walked off, her wings spreading out protectively behind her. “I’ll see you in the morning, Mera,” she called back.

Shadow didn’t argue with her, so clearly there was no plan to do anything else tonight. Apparently, we had one more night before all of us went up against the most powerful being to walk the worlds. That thought alone sobered my excitement over the intrigue of Angel and Reece. Tomorrow, we’d be in a fight for our lives, and I sensed deep inside that not all of us would walk away from this battle.

A fact that scared the absolute shit out of me because I could not lose anyone. Not again.

I wouldn’t survive it.





36





The room felt emptier and colder without Angel, but at least Reece stopped acting like a fuckwit, which told me his mood had been all thanks to my gorgeous friend. More specifically, my gorgeous friend at full power.

No one allowed me to pry further into the situation as we focused on war talk. “We cannot delay heading to the Shadow Realm,” Shadow said, still holding me down by my thighs, his very healthy erection wedged between us.

“We’re going to head into the Shadow Realm tomorrow?” I confirmed.

I felt him nod behind me. “Yes. We may have to practice some spells first, but after that, we will make our move on the realm.”

“Do we want to maybe go in stealthily?” I pushed for more information. “Or are we just guns blazing, racing across the realm until we find her?”

Alistair chuckled, the cool and calming nature of his energy caressing the room, keeping us all relaxed. “As interesting as the guns blazing visual is, Dannie might actually come to us. If she senses your energy, she will seek to rectify the situation.”

I felt Galleli’s essence a beat before he spoke in our heads. I’ve been observing her energy from afar. Taking into account the fluctuation of the realm’s power, Dannie grows in both strength and confidence. Her need to restore balance and order will destroy everything, but she truly believes she is doing the right thing.

“I have sensed the same,” Shadow said gruffly. “And while Mera hopes to convince my mother to release the stone on her own, I think she’s too far gone. I believe we need to create a fortress of binding power. It’s what we’ll practice to achieve tomorrow.”

There was a heavy, almost stunned silence in the room then, but he sure as hell had all of their attention. “I know you spoke of a prison circle, but… the fortress?” Len shook his head. “I mean, I expected you to come in hard, but that’s… harder.”

I sat there without a single clue what this fortress was, waiting patiently for someone to explain.

“The fortress is forbidden,” Reece said, sounding fifty percent less of an angry fuck than he had with Angel. “It could kill us all and destroy the realm.”

Well, shit. That didn’t sound good.

“We’ve all created one before,” Shadow said, not denying what Reece had said. “And we know there’s nothing else strong enough to contain the Danamain long enough for her powers to be stripped away. It’s our only real hope.”

“Maybe it won’t come to that,” Lucien said, clearly trying to sound hopeful. Trying and failing. “Mera’s plan is still solid. Dannie was reasonable at one point in time, and maybe with enough of us to give intervention a try, we might get through to her.”

No one looked convinced. Not even a little, but we needed the hope.

“We have a Plan A and a Plan B now,” Shadow finally said. “We can work with that.”

The others got to their feet, since it was clearly the end of his speech. “All of you rest up,” he continued, “and keep your powers as flexible and close to the surface as possible. We’re going to have to be at the top of our game tomorrow, which will start with fortress training.”

His friends nodded, trusting in him and his plan. “We’ll be in the library if you need us,” Reece said. “All of us will remain close tonight.”