Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
ELARIYA
The next night, I was prepared to follow Thayden to the cottage.
I'd discovered a more efficient way of suppressing my powers by slowing the magical currents further. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would allow me to remain in the Obscura longer before my control began to slip.
That way, I’d get closer and remain completely undetected.
But Thayden never went near the cottage.
Instead, I spent the evening trailing him around the estate.
There were no secret meetings, mysterious trips into the woods, and no strange magic.
Just Thayden.
Determined, I set out the following night, and, gods, I even waited out his visit to Mira, hoping he would slip away to the cottage afterward.
He didn't.
Once he finished with her, he returned directly to his chambers and went to bed.
The night after that wasn't any better.
Nor the one after.
Three more nights passed that saw me watching and waiting and learning absolutely nothing.
Then, this morning, the moment I opened my eyes, the realization hit that I'd been here for eight days.
Eight days.
Time wasn't standing still while I played spy.
And I was eight days closer to the moment the Citadel would dissolve my marriage to Wolfe.
Any day now, I might feel that bond snap.
And I still hadn't heard Wolfe’s voice.
On top of that, the wedding date had been set for two weeks’ time.
Worry was consuming me, and I didn’t know if I could stop it.
Whatever was hiding in that cottage remained beyond my reach, and I feared I’d missed my chance.
What if that was the moment I’d come here for and I’d fucked it up by being inadequate?
What if that was my only chance?
The fear ran through my mind for the whole day.
There was nothing to be done about it tonight because Thayden was hosting a banquet.
I wasn’t in the mood to pretend tonight, but I had no choice in the matter. The guests began arriving before nightfall.
By the time the sun went down, the manor was brimming with people. Being around them was every bit as exhausting as I'd expected it to be.
Music drifted throughout the manor, inside and outside, while servants weaved between guests carrying trays laden with wine and food. Laughter echoed everywhere and conversations overlapped into an endless blur of noise.
The worst part was being on Thayden’s arm and listening to endless rounds of congratulation on our upcoming marriage.
I didn’t want to think about it or be told how fortunate I was.
I just wanted it all to be over.
As the evening wore on, I got a break when Thayden wandered off to mingle with the guests. But I got stuck speaking to old family friends.
I’d recognized some of them from the actual wedding.
They talked about everything under the sun, but no one mentioned what happened at the event.
I endured it as best as I could.
Eventually, I found myself with Mira. We stood by the buffet table. She stopped by to gather more fruit on her plate. I watched her, wondering how she could be so comfortable around me.
I didn’t know if she actually had feelings for Thayden or if she was just happy to work here and sleep with him. It didn’t concern me one way or the other. I was simply curious and fascinated by her act.
When she was with me—like now—she’d act like my very best friend. It was so two-faced.
If Emabelle were in my shoes, she’d have nothing to do with her. In my case, it was best to choose my battles. At least when Mira was with me, I didn’t have to worry about her watching me from afar.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked on seeing me watching her.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”
“Are you sure? You’ve barely eaten all day.” Genuine concern filled her eyes. She was a good actress, I’d give her that.
“I’m not feeling so good.”
“Oh my. Surely, there must be something I can do for you.”
“Tell her you’re going to take your leave for the night. And you’ll see her in the morning.” Wolfe's voice slipped through the bond, the sound nearly unraveling me.
My breath caught.
Gods.
It was him.
“Yes. It’s me, Ziyka.”
Relief hit me so hard I nearly fell over.
For a moment, the banquet disappeared, and I savored the sound of his voice in my head.
My husband.
“Elariya, are you okay?” Mira studied me.
I’d almost forgotten she was standing there. “I’m going to head to bed,” I told her, glancing around for Thayden. I found him across the hall, laughing heartily with his father and a group of noblemen. “Please tell Thayden for me. I don’t want to disturb him.”
“Certainly. Do let me know if you need me to make you a pot of tea.” I didn’t miss the sparkle in her eyes, the quiet hope that she and Thayden could meet for their nightly rendezvous sooner rather than later.
I took that to mean she did have feelings for him; and she’d be my unknowing ally. At least for tonight.
“I’ll be perfectly fine. See you in the morning.”
She dipped her head, but I was already heading for the door. I cared not for the curious glances that followed me, nor for the whispers.
All I cared about was Wolfe.
“Go outside. Use the kitchen door,” he said as soon as I went through the door.
“You want me outside?” I asked, my heart racing. Was something happening?
“Yes, Ziyka. Go outside, to the nearest oak tree.”
I wanted to run or use the fastest possible method of getting outside, but I calmed myself. It wouldn’t have been wise to draw more attention to myself.
I made my way to the kitchen. No one was inside, so I hurried to the back door and slipped outside. It was clear of guests out here, too, so I kept my pace toward the oak tree.
When I got there, I looked around, wondering what was going to happen next.
“Wolfe, I’m here. What now?” I whispered, scanning the darkness beneath the ancient oak.
“Just take my hand.”
Blessed Mother, he was here!
The thought barely formed in my mind when the air in front of me warped.
The darkness rippled and folded inward, revealing a shape that had been standing there the entire time.
My breath cut short.
Wolfe stepped out of whatever enchantment concealing him. Moonlight filtered through the branches overhead, catching in his dark hair and illuminating the familiar lines of his face.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
I was too afraid that if I did, he’d disappear. I’d find out I’d fallen asleep and this was just my imagination running wild.
But then Wolfe held out his hand to me.
"Come here, Ziyka." Those words undid whatever restraint I had left, and I threw myself into his awaiting arms. I didn’t even care that someone could have been watching us.
The moment my body met his, the broken pieces of my heart gathered together, healing.
I was home.
Wherever he was, Wolfe Nightblade was my home. That he held me the same, and I sensed his thoughts, filled my soul with reinvigorating new life.
“You’re here.” I buried my face in his chest, clutching his shirt and inhaling him. Gods, his scent—sandalwood, musk, danger, shadows. Him.
He was here with me.
“I’m here.” He pressed his chin against my hair, then he said in a low, husky voice, “I missed my wife.”
I held on to him tighter, feeling all that muscle and hardness beneath my palms. “I missed you so much, too.” I fought back tears.
“Come, let’s get out of here for a while.”
My gaze snapped up to meet his, my heart giving a hesitant leap. “What? Can we?” I glanced back at the doorway.
A smile curved Wolfe's mouth. “Yes.”
“How?”
"A mixture of magic and illusion," he said, a twinkle in his vibrant blue eyes. "Courtesy of Kaem."
Before I could ask another question, he lifted his hand and twirled his fingers through the air.
The night rippled. Shadows twisted and silver streaks bled through the darkness like teardrops. It spread outward in shimmering waves until a smooth surface appeared before us.
It looked like a mirror.
It was.
The surface reflected the garden around us. The roses. The stone paths. Wolfe and me standing beneath the stars.
But it wasn’t stable. The edges warped as though the mirror were made of water rather than glass.
"What is it?" I whispered.
"An illusion layered over a portal," Wolfe explained. "Come.”
Gods, that was clever.
Wolfe stepped into the liquid glass. It rippled around his outline in response.
Then he took my hand, and I followed him as he stepped backwards.
Cool magic brushed against my skin, suspending me between worlds as I moved through the glass.
Then the sensation vanished and warm candlelight greeted me on the other side.
We were in a breathtaking bedroom that was somewhere else entirely. Through the gap in the heavy curtains framing the tall windows were snowcapped mountains. I’d never been anywhere that had so much snow. I couldn’t even begin to guess where we were.
A fire crackled softly in a stone hearth and an enormous bed dominated one wall beneath a carved canopy.
I looked around me, unable to resist the smile that pulled at my mouth.
"Where are we, Wolfe?"
His smile deepened. “A safe house in Norwyn.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
Norwyn was on the other side of the world in the southern continent. People said it was the furthest place you could ever travel in the mortal realm. No wonder I felt out of place. I’d only heard whispers of this place.
“I wanted to take you far away from Zyvaris. Far away from him.” His voice dropped on those last words, laced with revulsion. His thumb brushed across my knuckles. “I wanted to take you somewhere I could have you all to myself, where no one can find us.”
“What if he comes looking for me?” My voice shook with worry.
Wolfe brushed his nose against mine. “If anyone goes looking for you, they’ll see you in your bed.” He inched back and grinned, canines lengthening. “All you have to worry about is what I’m going to do with you.”
I almost laughed, but my throat tightened as all the emotions I’d fought to contain lodged in my chest. For a moment, I couldn't speak around it. I simply stared at him.
At the male who had once again crossed realms for me.
"I thought I was never going to see you again," I whispered.