Chapter 10
Chloe
The guys had been gone all night, and I was drinking coffee with Oliver in the cafeteria, having slept maybe thirty minutes in the last twenty-four hours.
I hadn’t been able to go to Java and Jam since Reverie had been taken.
My guys had brought it to me several times, but I couldn’t get through the doors without breaking down in tears.
“When is Deshawn getting back?” I took a big sip of my coffee and grimaced at the strong taste.
“I’m not sure, La’u alofagia. I talked to him about an hour ago, and he’s still trying to locate their contact in Aurathia.” Oliver kissed my cheek, then drank his coffee down like it was nectar.
“How in the hell do you drink this stuff like it’s actually good?” I took another small sip of the hot brew, needing the caffeine.
Oliver shrugged his large shoulders, “It’s all the same to me. Nothing compares to the blend I can get on my island.”
“It’s your island?” I bumped my shoulder into his side.
He grinned, revealing bright white teeth shining against his beautiful skin, which I envied. It looked like sun-dappled honey, making me want to lick him all over.
“It is. Soon, after this all ends, I’ll take you there. I want to see that beautiful body laid out on the golden sand, with only me covering it.” His eyes gleamed with desire, and I felt my nipples stiffen at the look.
I tilted my head back, and he leaned down, pressing those plush lips to mine in a kiss that made my head spin.
“Hey, I’m feeling left out, firefly.” Deshawn’s voice broke into our moment.
I jerked out of Oliver’s embrace and stood, throwing myself into his arms. “Did you find him? Does he have any information about Reverie? Can he get us to Aurathia?”
Deshawn’s big, booming laugh filled the room. “Slow down. Let’s go somewhere a little more private, and I’ll fill you in.”
We left quickly and headed to my dorm. They’d both practically moved in, Oliver right after Reverie was taken, and Deshawn the night we all christened my bed with throuple sex.
I shivered at the thought of that extraordinary experience.
It wasn’t the last time it had happened, but it marked the beginning of our relationship, so it was special to me.
We hadn’t performed the ritual yet; I’d hoped to get it done this weekend. I wanted these men tied to me in every way possible.
As soon as we entered, Deshawn sat on the couch with me in his lap, while Oliver sat across from us on the coffee table. I hoped the table held up; he wasn’t a petite guy by any stretch of the imagination.
“To answer your first question, I did manage to contact him, but our connection wasn’t great.” He frowned and said, “The important thing is he let me know that Reverie was in the training yard this morning after a few days of absence.”
“OMG!! He actually saw her!” The joy I was experiencing was off the chain. “I have to tell the guys… this is huge!” I stood and began pacing, rubbing my hands together in excitement. “Maybe he can get a message to her?” I glanced hopefully at Deshawn.
“I’m sorry, firefly. We can’t take the risk. If he’s caught, our chance of getting information is gone, not to mention his life being forfeit.” Deshawn stood and pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly.
I inhaled his scent. He always smelled like cedarwood and clean soap—steady, warm, the kind of smell that made my shoulders relax without me even noticing.
But there was a subtle undercurrent of spice too, distracting but gentle, like heat hiding beneath a calm surface.
It wasn’t just comforting; it drew me in effortlessly.
“I know you're right. I just want her to know that we haven’t given up and we’re coming for her.” I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through, and it’s killing me.”
Oliver stood, and I felt his warmth right before he pulled both of us into his massive body. We all just stood there, soaking in the comfort of being together.
The moment was broken abruptly when Pantar popped into the room. “There is no time to explain. Grab a small bag and come with me immediately. We have a small window to leave, and it’s closing rapidly.”
“Where are we going?” Deshawn went from the man I knew to the soldier he’d always been.
“There isn’t time to explain, as I’ve told you. Grab the essentials, and we’ll locate the rest when we get to Aurathia.” The giant Fellat growled, seeming almost frantic.
I gasped, “You’ve found a way in?”
“Yes, that’s why Mira wanted you to stay behind.” Pantar snapped impatiently.
Oliver hadn’t asked questions and hurried back into the room with a large backpack. “I’ve packed a couple of changes of clothes and a few weapons. We’re ready when you are.”
Deshawn hurried back to the bedroom and returned shortly with a small case that I knew held a Glock 29. We had been practicing with it since we hadn’t bonded yet and had no abilities, and Deshawn insisted that even after we did, it would still be a useful skill to have.
“Good choice.” Oliver smirked. “I packed my Smith we’d buried our presence deep, threading our minds through cracks in the wards too small for any watcher to notice.
The reply came faint but sure. “I’m here. Quickly. Before we are discovered.”
He would disappear after we accomplished our goal, but I wouldn’t expect him to stay.
Pantar thrust his claws into the ground, with tentacles extending downward like deep roots.
The earth responded, glowing with silver-blue lines that spread out to reveal ancient sigils.
I echoed his gesture, and our combined power intensified, pushing against the unseen barrier Aurathia had created.
The air quivered. A thin slit of light appeared—a crack no wider than a hand-span. Right away, the wards pushed back, sensing pressure but not what was causing it.
“They can’t sense where the breach is.” I hissed, breathless with effort.
“Then let’s keep it that way,” Pantar growled back.
We operated in perfect sync; a rhythm refined through months of shared hunts. The unbonded Fellat on the other side poured energy into the breach, carefully threading it to avoid triggering the ward alarms. The fissure widened stubbornly, inch by inch, edges sparking like hot metal.
Pantar’s tentacle split, spilling deep red blood, but he didn’t falter. My claws gouged furrows in the dirt as I held the portal’s edges with raw determination.
The portal suddenly opened with a sound resembling a gasp dragged through broken glass.
It was unstable, jagged, thrumming with stolen energy—but it was open. And no one on the Aurathion side had the slightest idea.
The portal wasn’t meant to exist.
It hissed and crackled at the edges like fragmented lightning, struggling to collapse even as Pantar and I held it open with claw, tentacle, and sheer willpower. The clearing thrummed with unstable energy, silver-blue light tracing ghostly patterns across the grass.
Oliver stood just beyond the glowing sigils, his jaw tight and hands clenched at his sides. I was sure he’d seen portals before, but this? This looked more like a wound than a true portal.
“Is it supposed to look like that?” Deshawn asked, voice low.
Chloe gave a short, humorless laugh. “Does it matter? It’s our only way to Reverie.” Her curls whipped around her face in the magic-heavy wind, eyes darting between the portal and him.
Pantar’s growl rolled through the ground like distant thunder. “Hurry.” The word wasn’t spoken, but it filled our heads, dark and resonant.
My tentacles were braced against the portal’s edges like living anchors, my muscles shaking with the effort of keeping the rift stable. “I can’t hold this forever,” I ground out, sending the urgency I felt to them all.
The three Aurathions exchanged a quick look—no hesitation, just shared determination. Reverie was trapped in Aurathia. No one else knew this breach existed. If they didn’t act now, there might not be another chance.
Oliver’s face showed grim determination. Deshawn flanked him, restless energy emanating from him in waves, not feeling the same urgency as the other two since he wasn’t Aegisworn—yet. Chloe held her ground beside them—face pale in the eerie light but eyes sharp and steady.
The cub of my bonded had chosen well for her Aegisseal.
Pantar moved up behind them, his presence like a silent storm.
The massive Fellat’s fur shimmered like liquid shadow, amber eyes blazing as he slowly withdrew his tentacles from the ley lines.
When he finally pulled free, I bore the full weight of the breach alone.
I let out a low, guttural snarl but didn’t falter.
I would sacrifice everything to bring Adelaide’s cub back, even my own life.
“Go now,” I sent my voice ripping through their minds, taut with strain. “All at once.”
Oliver inhaled and nodded to the others. Deshawn cracked a grin that was more malicious than amused. Chloe exhaled through her nose, steadying herself. And Pantar stepped forward, muscles tensing like a spring.
They moved as one.
Oliver was the first to step through the rift, his silhouette shining against the light.
Chloe and Deshawn followed closely, swallowed by swirling energy that smelled of ozone and ancient origins.
Pantar thundered after them, launching his massive body through the unstable opening with a smooth, flowing leap.
The ground trembled beneath him as he vanished into the breach, amber eyes being the last to disappear.
The moment they crossed, I roared. I tightened my tentacles with brutal precision, ripping my connection free and snapping the portal shut before the DF could trace it. The sigils flared, then faded, leaving the clearing silent and dark once again.
No one had detected them. And in my mind’s eye I saw four figures—three Aurathions, one Fellat—now on the other side, racing into hostile territory to reach Reverie.