Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
~ Raith ~
Ican’t take my eyes off my mate. If my monster had his way, he’d still be in control and pushing inside her, stretchin’ her until she could no longer walk. But that’s not what she needs now.
I was worried that I might lose myself completely to my monster while we searched for Shade in the Xalgrith realm, but it’s as if my monster has accepted that Shade needs me too. Like he knows the only way he gets to have her is if we share her.
In the past, I’ve had to fight against him to regain control, but lately, the change is getting easier. We both understand Shade has different needs, and that includes both of us.
She’s back. She’s safe, and she’s where she belongs, I internally tell my monster. I run my fingers through Shade’s silky hair, twirling my finger around a few of her pink strands as we relax on the grass, dry and clothed again.
Our beasts prowl around us protectively, and half the time Shade’s gaze is distant, and I wonder if she’s talkin’ to her phoenix or the shadows.
“I don’t understand,” Thane rumbles. “So you believe the Xalgrith king is going to attack in full force soon?”
Shade’s attention snaps back to him. “Yes. King Malgur thinks we’ve found some great power that he’s been searching for. You should have seen his face. He’ll come for us. He thinks we have it. I’m guessing it must be what Queen Krosia is after as well.”
“Yevar will know we’re at the academy. If Shade’s right, they’ll be comin’ here,” I comment.
“And you think this power has something to do with the shadows, Elgen and Tarlaz?” Thane asks.
I stare at the two peculiar shadows who are bound to my mate. They’re busy dancing on Shade’s shoulder, and it’s distractin’ to say the least. I have no idea if what King Malgur believes is true, but I have thought the pair of them have a strange energy.
“I don’t know,” Shade replies. “The shadows can’t remember anything from before they were trapped in the academy.”
Knox frowns. The color has returned to my brother’s face, and it makes my chest ease a little.
I should have kicked his ass for saving me in the Xalgrith realm.
It should have been me who got burned, not him.
Our relationship isn’t the same as it was before we thought our mate had been killed those years ago, but things are getting better again.
“It doesn’t even matter if the shadows are the source of the power or not,” Galen says. “If the Xalgrith are coming, we’re not safe here.”
Thane rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Now that we know about the hole in the academy barrier, if we patch it up, we’ll be safer here than out there.
Besides, we don’t have much choice. As far as Queen Krosia is concerned, we’ve been here the whole time.
We don’t want to risk upsetting the agreement between Krosia and the demons. ”
“So she never found out about me?” Shade asks.
“With my illusions and help from your friend, Kenzie, we’ve managed to keep your absence a secret,” Galen explains.
“And Blake?” Shade gives us a worried look.
Galen stretches out on the grass. “She contacted me once via your portal ring, and it took quite some convincing to get her to believe you were indisposed and did not wish to speak. I’m guessing the only reason she finally believed it is because they’re having some trouble talking to the beast lords, and she had to go. ”
Our mate sits up. “What kind of trouble?”
“The kind that the demon queen can easily handle,” Galen assures her. “But I suggest making contact soon.” He reaches across, passing Shade her portal ring.
She takes it and relaxes again. “I will.”
“So, we’re agreed? We patch up the hole,” Thane growls.
Shadows dance on Knox’s fingers. “We’ll have to warn Krosia that the Xalgrith army is coming. I can make up some excuse about finding scouts outside of the academy walls.”
There’s a beat of silence, and I think we’re all agreed when Shade pipes up, “We can’t close the hole. Not yet.”
We all tense.
“What are you talkin’ about, sunshine?” I ask. “You saw the Xalgrith army. If that’s comin’ here, we need to close it.”
“Okay, but before you do that, we should try to find the oracle. You said the oracle can make people immortal. If the students become immortal, it would give them a better chance at survival if the Xalgrith are coming. You said I couldn’t go with you to find the oracle because Queen Krosia would know if I left, but with the hole in the barrier, we could go now and she wouldn’t realize I’m gone. ”
Galen’s brows knit together. “The oracle’s gone, Shade. There’s nothing out there.”
Her brows lower. “The last time you visited the oracle’s cave, you found the journals,” she counters. “I’m just saying, isn’t it worth at least taking another look before we become trapped in here?”
Thane frowns and rises to his feet. “Shade’s right. It’s worth a shot. We may only have a small window of time before the Xalgrith arrive. It’s worth seeing if there’s anything out there that we missed. Last time you found the journals. Perhaps, with Shade we may find something else.”
Smiling, Shade lifts to her feet and dusts her hands on her pants. “All right then. Let’s go see if we can find an oracle.”