Chapter 24
Iclosed my eyes, letting Mistral’s kiss ground me as I reached for that wavering thread of Sebastian. The golden cord was there, but thin, fraying at the edges like something was eating away at it. I followed it down, pushing past the swirling darkness until—
He’s younger. Much younger. A boy with too-large eyes and hollow cheeks, standing in a room that smells like old paper and dust. Men in dark robes surround him, and one of them has his hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. His father’s hand. But there’s no warmth in it, only pressure.
”You will learn control,” his father says, and Sebastian flinches because he already knows what those words mean. The lesson is always the same. His sister was always more magically talented than him. And more ruthless.
He felt powerless. Utterly powerless. And he had done everything in his power to avoid that feeling for centuries.
The memory shifted, and I saw Sebastian’s sister standing over him, her face a mask of cool satisfaction as she demonstrated her magic for their father. Sebastian sat on the floor, shoulders hunched, unable to summon even a flicker of power under his father’s disapproving gaze.
“I’m here,” I whispered down the thread. “Sebastian, I’m here.”
I felt Mistral’s power surge through me, his earthy goblin magic lending structure to my own chaotic energy. Behind me, Crispin pressed closer, his cool moonlight weaving with Gabriel’s warmth until our combined light pulsed like a heartbeat.
“We’re all here,” I told Sebastian. “You’re not alone. You’ve never been alone.”
The memory wavered. Sebastian’s father turned, his dark eyes scanning the room as if he’d heard something. Good. If the darkness could use his memories, then we could too.
I poured everything I had down that golden thread—love, trust, the fierce certainty that he mattered, that he had always mattered.
I felt Mistral’s mouth move to my throat, his breath hot against my skin as he channeled his magic through me in a steady, grounding pulse.
Gabriel’s hands tightened on my hips, his sunlight blazing brighter until I could feel it burning through my veins, and Crispin’s moonlight wrapped around all of it like a silver net, binding our combined power together.
“Sebastian,” I called again, and this time the thread pulsed in response. A flicker. Weak, but there.
The memory around him shifted—the dark room blurring at the edges. His father’s hand on his shoulder grew less solid, the pressure easing as Sebastian’s head turned slightly, listening.
“That’s it,” I urged. “Come back to us.”
I pushed harder, pouring everything I had down that golden thread.
The darkness parted like a curtain, and suddenly Sebastian was there, his face pale but his gaze determined.
He moved toward us with the same predatory grace he always had, but there was something desperate in the way his eyes locked onto mine.
“You came for me,” he said, his voice rough with emotion I rarely heard from him.
“Of course I did,” I replied, reaching for him.
He stepped into our circle of light, and the moment his hand touched mine, I felt the balance shift. The darkness recoiled around us, and the wolves’ howls grew more distant. Sebastian pulled me against him, his mouth finding mine with an urgency that stole my breath.
“Show me,” he demanded against my lips. “Show me what I almost lost.”
The others moved in around us, hands everywhere, clothing being shed in the pulsing light of our combined magic.
Sebastian’s mouth traced a burning path down my neck while Crispin’s cool fingers worked at the fastenings of my jeans.
Mistral’s hands slid beneath my shirt, his palms pressing against my bare skin as Sebastian claimed my mouth with an intensity that made my knees buckle.
The darkness around us pulsed and recoiled as our combined light grew stronger. I felt the vortex humming within me, but this time I didn’t push it away. Instead, I embraced it, letting it flow through me and into the others.
“The light,” I gasped as Sebastian pulled away to look around us. “We need more light.”
Gabriel responded first, his mouth finding mine as Crispin’s hands slid my jeans down my legs.
The sensation of cool air on my heated skin made me shiver, but Gabriel’s body pressed against mine kept me warm.
His hands roamed over me with a desperate hunger, as if he needed to touch every inch of me to confirm I was real.
“When the darkness swallowed us, I thought I’d lost you,” he whispered against my ear, his voice rough with emotion.
My hands lifted to his face, cradling his strong jaw. “You can’t get rid of me that easy,” I promised.
The darkness pressed closer, as if trying to separate us. Gabriel’s hands slid around my waist, his chest warm against me as he pressed kisses along my shoulder. I felt Crispin’s fingers tracing patterns on my stomach while Mistral moved to stand beside Sebastian.
“I need you,” I whispered, my eyes locked with Sebastian’s beyond Gabriel. “All of you.”
Understanding passed between us without need for more words. We needed to strengthen our bond, to create a light so powerful the darkness couldn’t touch us—or anyone else trapped within it.
Gabriel’s eyes darkened with desire as he lowered his head to kiss me again, more gently this time.
His hands framed my face as if I were something precious.
Sebastian stepped behind me, then his hands slid up my ribcage, his thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts.
I arched into his touch as Gabriel deepened our kiss, his tongue sliding against mine with deliberate intensity.
“We need to move faster,” Mistral said, his voice tight with urgency. “The darkness is gathering again.”
I broke away from Gabriel’s kiss, gasping for breath.
Sebastian’s hands found the clasp of my bra, and with a deft movement, he freed me.
Cool air kissed my bare skin, but the sensation lasted only a moment before Sebastian’s warm hands covered my breasts, kneading gently.
I moaned, my head falling back against his shoulder as Gabriel lowered his mouth to my neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there.
The golden threads connecting us all pulsed brighter with each touch, each caress. I could feel our power growing, building toward something magnificent. The darkness pressed in around us, but our combined light created a dome of safety that grew with every passing second.
Still on his knees, Crispin slid his hands down my thighs, pushing my jeans further down as Sebastian continued to caress my breasts.
The cool moonlight of Crispin’s magic mingled with Gabriel’s warmth as Mistral’s power kept us all connected.
Crispin trailed hot kisses along my inner thigh, his breath sending shivers through my body.
When his tongue found my center, I gasped, my hands tangling in his messy hair. The darkness around us pulsed, but our light flared brighter with each flick of Crispin’s tongue. Gabriel drew one of my breasts into his mouth while Sebastian’s hands steadied my hips from behind.
“It’s working,” Mistral said, his voice tight with concentration. “The darkness is retreating.”
But I knew it wasn’t enough. I gasped, my body trembling under their combined attention. “The darkness is still holding Harry and the others.”
Crispin lifted his head, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Then we give it more light.”
With his hand on my hips Sebastian turned me around. The loss of Gabriel’s warmth against my chest made me shiver, but Sebastian’s mouth found mine again, hot and demanding, making his dark aurora weave through the other magics.
At my back now, Crispin’s hands moved to my shoulders, turning me gently until I faced him. His blue eyes held mine as he lowered his head to kiss me, his touch cool and reverent compared to Sebastian’s fiery intensity.
Gabriel moved behind me again, his large hands sliding down my back, his calloused palms leaving trails of fire across my skin. I gasped against Crispin’s mouth as Gabriel gripped my hips, positioning me, but still, even with the darkness encroaching, he waited.
I nodded, spreading my stance wider as Sebastian moved to stand beside me, his hand coming to rest on my lower back. Crispin broke our kiss, his blue eyes meeting mine with a question I answered with a nod.
Gabriel’s hands trembled slightly as he positioned himself at my entrance. The first touch of him made me gasp, my back arching as he pressed forward with deliberate slowness.
He groaned, his forehead dropping to rest between my shoulder blades.
Sebastian’s hand moved to my breast, his thumb circling my nipple while Crispin’s cool fingers moved between my thighs as Gabriel thrust into me from behind.
The combination of sensations—Gabriel’s heat filling me, Crispin’s skilled touch, and everyone’s magic—pushed me toward the edge of pleasure.
Gabriel moved faster, each thrust sending waves of sensation through me.
The darkness around us pulsed, hesitating at the edge of the light.
I angled my hips further back for Gabriel, groaning, “Harder.”
He obliged, his pace increasing as Sebastian’s mouth found my neck, his teeth grazing my sensitive skin. I felt Crispin’s hands guiding mine to his own arousal, and I wrapped my fingers around him, stroking in rhythm with Gabriel’s thrusts.
The golden threads connecting us all pulsed brighter, our magic intertwining as our bodies did the same. I could feel the darkness recoiling further with each passing moment.
“Gabriel,” I moaned, feeling my climax building. “I’m close.”