Reclaimed (Shadow Beast Shifters, #2)(29)

Meadow… Hmm, I mean, not exactly how I’d describe a field of lava rocks, but to each their own. My expression must have given my thoughts away because Shadow lifted an eyebrow in my direction. “This is unexpectedly widespread, the lava field, but if it’s the same as when I was here, there’s a trick that will give us some comforts tonight.”

He crouched and ran his hands over the ground, moving farther and farther along until he seemed to find what he was looking for. Without a word, he lifted his right hand and punched through the rock. I blinked at the burst of violence, expecting a bloody mess of a hand when he pulled it back, but there was just smooth, bronze skin.

“Show-off,” I muttered.

He shook his head, before he started to dig into the hole he’d made, and after a beat, liquid bubbled up from it. He scooped it up, and it was clear. “Looks like we’re staying here for the night,” he declared, and then he flung the water around.

I felt his energy flow with the liquid, and within seconds, there was a field of grass where rock had previously been. The grass was an odd color, not quite green and not quite brown, but this golden shade of ocher.

When I crouched to touch it, it felt soft and alive, smooth against the palm of my hand. “How did it grow so fast?” I breathed, unsure if it was real or magic.

“The lava spreads across the top of the land, but it doesn’t destroy what lies below. Once I find a fertile spot, all I have to do is give a little assistance, and we can return it to what once was.”

The grass continued to spread where we stood, as did the waterhole he’d created. A literal grotto of nature in the midst of a field of black rock. “Why did we walk so far if you could have done this anywhere?”

Golden, flaming eyes almost had me forgetting my question as he met my gaze. “Not anywhere. I had to find a source of water and energy first, and the farther we are from the villages, the safer we’ll be. I will not allow an ambush to take us by surprise while we rest.”

Allow. Typical arrogant beast. But I couldn’t complain. “Yeah, late-night ambushes are the worst, amiright?”

Deadpan stare. What? “I use lame sarcasm to get through scary situations. You’re aware of this, so don’t act so annoyed.”

Shadow just shook his head. “Being aware of something doesn’t make it less annoying.”

I nodded, wrinkling my forehead, like I was considering this. “Yeah, good point. I’m not going to stop, though.”

“Never thought you would.”

He turned away, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why my heart was beating so hard. How unfair was it to finally have this explosion of chemistry between us evolving, only for me to find out he was back here to claim his crown and… his mate.

He is not mine. Never was, never will be.

Forcing myself to focus on one thing and one thing only—setting up camp and getting some sleep—I pulled out the contents of my backpack. I had a compressed mattress that inflated as I unrolled and spread it out. Even better, when Shadow pressed his hand to it, the freaking thing doubled in size, giving me a soft surface on which to rest. A broad smile stretched my cheeks, and I was surprised by how excited I was to not sleep directly on the rocky ground. Pretty sure this was adulthood, and I was here for it.

Shaking my ass at this unexpected fortune, I did a quick dance to the music in my head, and as I spun on the spot, near combo twerking and flossing, I found Angel and Shadow watching me… closely.

A normal person would have been embarrassed—my dance skills were about as strong as my singing skills. But I wasn’t normal. This was the new, improved Mera, who didn’t shave off parts of herself to fit into other people’s worlds.

“What?” I said, looking between them. “Everyone should dance when they’re happy. Promise it’s totally worth it.”

Shadow’s eyes burned into me. “I’ll take your word for it,” he rumbled, his voice deeper than ever, his accent slightly stronger as he rolled his rs. There was a burst of flame flickering deep in his eyes, stirring energy low in my body. If he kept this up, I was going to add squirming to my dance repertoire.

Had he actually enjoyed watching my terrible dance moves? Or was I searching for a deeper connection between us because I was the idiot catching some feels?

Either way, it left me all out of sorts, and I was a little grumpy as I flopped onto my bed and stared up at the sky above. Angel informed us that she needed to recharge her energy, and off she went to meditate with the land or something, and I just focused on breathing in and out and relaxing. Some of my mood shifted as I calmed, and with that, I started to notice more of the world around me.

Like… there were no stars here. Not a single one.

Twisting around to take in the entire midnight black sky, I saw what looked like a slice of golden cheese-shaped moon off in the distance, a few streams of light drifting around it, but other than that, the rest was a heavy blanket across the sky.

“The Ether mists,” Shadow said, and I tried not to react when he settled in at my side, our bodies almost touching. We might as well have been, with our energy ping-ponging back and forth between us, near scorching with the intensity. “They’re more visible when the light of the day fades.”

“Do you actually call it night and day?” I asked, realizing that all of this time, he’d used familiar Earth terms.