Chapter 20
Gracie
I could hear Thornar assuring Chastidy that I was fine as Ravik and Basir guided me from the temple.
Our bond buzzed with a mix of concern and excitement—I knew they could feel the relief I felt at finally having answers.
Not all of them, but enough. The fresh air brushing across my face had me letting out a steadying breath as Thornar caught up to us, my brain going a million miles an hour.
“What happened?” Ravik demanded, trying to pull me to a stop.
“Let’s walk while we talk,” I suggested. “I need to clear my head a bit.” More than a bit.
I trusted my mates knew where we were going as Ravik took the lead, Thornar and Basir on either side of me.
“What could you feel through our bond?”
“It felt more calm than when you talk to Nyxarra,” Basir said.
“But you were seizing so bad that you started bleeding out of your nose and the priestesses nearly called for emergency medical intervention.” Ravik’s voice was tight.
“That doesn’t make sense,” I whispered more to myself than to them. Did the physical effect have to do with the power of the god who’d called me there?
“We could see small snippets but couldn’t hear anything substantial,” Thornar added. I nodded in understanding, the large city blocks oddly perfect for a conversation that had to float between us, unheard by the crowded busy streets.
I told them everything as we walked, or as much as I could before we reached Alpha Kaliyah’s home.
About Vaelithra being the one who could be trusted, how insanely powerful she was, and the scar on our bond being her and Nyxarra’s design.
Confirmation that Ivan was feeding power to Kaevorak unknowingly, believing all this time it was Nyxarra receiving his offerings.
How the Cold Moon Pack and Grimfur Skulk most likely stood between us and stopping the ritual.
All of it filled the space between us as we walked, my mates absorbing it in silence.
The part I kept returning to was the part I didn’t have.
Vaelithra had been cut off mid-sentence. The god scar was the key, but the concrete answer we actually needed—like how to use it—was still missing.
“I’m sure she’ll find a way to contact you again,” Ravik said firmly. “Especially if she felt there was more to say. Although I want to know how our intervention will affect her. If it’s to stop him from being freed, wouldn’t it affect her the same?”
I nodded. That was something we had to ask about. It was possible she was doing it for the greater good, but we couldn’t be sure.
“We shouldn’t have interrupted,” Basir said quietly.
I squeezed his hand. “I would have done the same.” Especially if my mates had looked like they were in pain, let alone seizing and bleeding.
“I did find out something interesting though,” I said, my brows lifting. “She said our bond already existed before any of this—that’s why she chose to put a god scar on it.”
Thornar flashed me a huge smile. “Well I could have told you that, little flame.”
Ravik glanced back in agreement. “There was no way my reaction to you was anywhere in the realm of normal.”
“I climbed through a bathroom window to meet you.” Basir’s words pulled an unexpected smile from me.
Thornar barked out a laugh. “Did you just make a joke?”
Basir’s lip lifted just slightly as I leaned into him, feeling my body release some of its tension. We still didn’t have all the answers, but I felt much better having a path forward and even more motivated to continue gathering our forces.
“It should be the building coming up,” Ravik said after turning left, traveling along another city block. At the far end was a three-story townhome of white marble, the front gated with heavily armed guards.
Was this Alpha Kaliyah’s home? An office?
My gaze moved to the street around us, mostly empty except for perfectly manicured parks and landscaping—but in the distance, I saw it.
“The trade conference building,” I murmured as I came to a stop. I could feel my mates pause as well, but my eyes were glued on the structure.
Less than a month ago I’d been brought there as a captive, to be sold and traded like property. Now I was here meeting the Alpha on equal footing. I shook my head, letting the weight of that settle before moving forward with my mates toward Alpha Kaliyah’s property.
Ravik kept me tucked to his side as Thornar went ahead and Basir followed behind, none of them shying away from the armed guards at the gate.
It was clear they knew who we were before Ravik said anything because no questions were asked before the gates opened to reveal a front yard lush with plants and small creatures roaming about.
“Where to?” Ravik called out to a soldier coming down the front steps.
“Alpha Kaliyah is in her garden and would like to meet with you there. You can leave your bags on the steps—they will be kept safe.”
Thornar let out a dissatisfied sound, but he and Basir dropped our bags. The soldier then gave another command. “Weapons must be left as well.”
This time it was Basir who made a sound of discontent, but he removed two knives from a pocket on his pants that I hadn’t even seen, tossing them into the air before catching them with practiced ease and stowing them with the rest of our belongings.
Thornar hadn’t budged, his gaze narrowed on the soldier. “I’m not going in there without a weapon.”
“Then you can’t go in,” the soldier said, placing a hand on his own gun.
“Thornar,” Ravik said. “We can handle ourselves without firearms. It’s not worth it.”
Thornar’s jaw was tight. I watched in shock as he finally shrugged off his jacket and began to unload his weapons.
My mouth fell open as he removed not one—not three—but five guns before placing them in the bag.
He shook his head and turned back toward us, looking disgruntled, until he caught my expression.
“So many guns,” I whispered. “Where did you even hide them?”
Thornar smirked and nodded toward the garden. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you later, little flame.”
Honestly, I couldn’t wait.
As we rounded the property and caught sight of the walled garden, I was reminded of the vision I’d been in less than an hour ago. Climbing vines covered every surface and stone paths wound out from the gate we walked through, cutting across beds of herbs and flowering plants.
It was quiet, more than I would have thought possible, the noise of the city completely absent.
A large wooden table covered in gardening tools sat at the center, and beyond it a row of fruit trees lined the far wall.
Seated in one of the chairs, her silver-streaked hair catching the morning light, was Alpha Kaliyah Greene.
“Ravik Gentry, Gracie Holloway, Thornar Veydran, and Basir Morcant,” she greeted. “Please join me. I trust you had a good train ride?”
“Yes,” I answered, getting far more comfortable with these conversations than I used to be. “It was a beautiful area to travel through.”
“We try our best,” she said, looking pleased as everyone sat—Ravik closest, right next to me, Thornar and Basir across the way. “How is my good friend Lacey?”
My eyes widened at her relaxed, unknowing tone. Did she not realize…
Kaliyah broke into a laugh. “I know, I know. She views us as enemies, doesn’t she?”
“Competition, I’d say,” Ravik smoothed over.
“Don’t tell your father,” she said conspiratorially, “but she’s my favorite out of all the other leaders.” My smile grew, loving the twist of events.
“I’m sure she would be surprised to hear that,” Thornar said.
“No, no.” Kaliyah raised her hand. “She knows exactly how I feel. After all, we didn’t date at university for no reason.”
My mouth dropped open. “You dated?”
“She didn’t say?” Kaliyah mused, shaking her head. “I’ve tried time and time again to convince her to give us another shot—especially since neither of us ever found others. But she’s too stubborn.”
“That explains a lot, actually,” Ravik murmured as I tried to sort through the implications
“But you aren’t here on this lovely morning to hear my sordid dating history,” she said with a charming smile. “You’re here to talk about Ivan Rivers.”
His name instantly sobered the mood.
“Well, first.” She put down her cup of coffee and leaned forward, looking directly at me.
“I have to apologize, Gracie. I assumed Ivan was being his horrible self, but I didn’t realize what immediate danger you were in at the time.
I’m sorry for not stepping in when it happened in my own territory. ”
A flash of Ivan’s hand coming up to hit me at the trade conference had my body tensing. I offered her a stiff smile. “It’s okay. I’m just thankful to not be there anymore.”
“And thank you for allowing us to fly out of your territory to handle it,” Ravik added. “I know it brought you into the line of conflict.”
Kaliyah nodded and sat back. “It did. But conflict with Ivan doesn’t scare me. His need for power? That does. I fear that he will not be easy to defeat.”
I could feel my mates shift into a more tactical mindset.
Ravik spoke up first. “So far we have secured allied forces from Nightstar Flight and Bloodrose Sloth territory. After this, we hope to do the same in the South.”
“The question of my help is not a question,” Kaliyah said with surety. “It’s a matter of details. What of the Blazefur Pride?”
I was so relieved by her words that I couldn’t contain my grimace at her question.
“He sent someone to kill us in our hotel,” Basir said bluntly. Kaliyah looked completely unfazed. She adjusted her tunic slightly, her gaze dropping to her coffee in thought.
“I heard rumors that he and Ivan had made a deal, but that was two years ago. I doubt it was due to that.” She tapped her fingers on the table.
“I’ll reach out. We recently made a new trade agreement, so I’ll use it as leverage to figure out whether he simply wanted you gone or if he’s truly an enemy. ”
“Thank you,” I said, but she waved me off.
“No gratitude is needed in war. We need to know his pride won’t appear out of nowhere.
” She folded her hands and spoke candidly.
“You still need the South. Waylon Kane has the largest territory in terms of population. We need him on our side—his numbers are among the only forces that can hold Grimfur Skulk, assuming you plan to take it over on your way north.”
“Yes, I agree,” Ravik said. “We appreciate your commitment. We worried that after the rescue mission you would want to clean your hands of this.”
“Truth be told, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to disrupt Ivan’s operation. I already have eyes in Grimfur Skulk territory—they’re due back in the morning. If you’d like to hear what they have to say, I welcome you to stay the night.”
“We would appreciate that,” Ravik said.
“I do have one request though,” said Thornar.
I looked at him curiously as Kaliyah tilted her head in an unspoken question.
He cleared his throat. “Is it possible to get my guns back?”