Chapter 96
Volik
With my arm around her shoulders, I hold Nix against my side as she waves goodbye.
We have been saying goodbye for two hours, and people are finally starting to leave.
More of our gathered familia jump into the sky, leaving just my aunt, uncle, Barth, and his mate with us, on the hill where we first arrived.
“We will call you soon and arrange a visit. I want to see this house of yours.” Aunt Bridget pulls us both into a hug.
“There, there, Dear. The kids have already promised to have us over before the year is out.” Uncle shakes his head with a smile as he pulls his mate back.
We have promised. And we mean it.
And not just because they are going to keep searching for more cases of human mates.
I have isolated myself long enough. And Nix deserves to have a real family.
“So the druid who brought you here… Is his name Dread?” Barth’s eyes are wide as he asks.
“Da. You know him?”
Barth shakes his head. “No, but I’ve heard of him.”
I lift a brow. “Oh?”
“Have you not?” He looks at me in shock.
“I do not need to hear of him. I know him.”
“Yeah, but I mean… like have you heard about him?”
“Tell us.” Nix pokes me in the side.
“He’s like a prodigy. No one knows his heritage, but he’s strong. Like strong.” Barth holds his hands up in emphasis. “Rumor is he slipped realms when he was a teenager. And that was only like thirty years ago, so he’s still crazy young.”
“What does that mean, slipped realms?” Nix asks the right questions because I also want to know.
“Slipping realms is urban legend shit! It means—”
Barth is talking with such excitement that I almost miss it. The soft crackling sound of magic.
Twisting my wrist, I send a directed pulse of energy at Barth.
It hits him before he gets his next word out, and his mouth snaps shut.
He jerks his head in my direction, but by the time his eyes meet mine, I know there’s a glowing portal a few strides behind me.
“Yes, well.” He clears his throat. “We’ll let you know when we have more to share and plan that visit.”
I dip my chin, then turn to face the portal.
Dread steps through.
I think about what Barth was saying and try to focus on the feeling of magic coming off him.
It feels normal. A typical amount for a druid.
But when I really focus, it feels more… compact. And I wonder if he’s holding back.
I do not know the man well, but I am thinking he would be better as an ally than an enemy.
I nod at the druid.
“Vampire.” He dips his chin in return, and he continues to walk forward, his eyes bright under his hood. “I heard something this weekend.”
He’s shirtless under his robe, like always. But he’s wearing tactical pants instead of his usual linen ones. And I’m surprised to see him wearing boots.
“We are listening,” I reply as my family moves in closer.
“A vampire has been killing bears in Russia. All in the last week.” Dread stops before us, keeping his hands behind his back, the druid sign of courtesy to strangers. “There is also suspicion he killed two wolf shifters.”
Aunt Bridget sucks in a breath.
“I have nothing to suggest this is related to you,” Dread says to me. “But something is happening.”
“Volik.” Uncle turns to me. “Your news is good news. But our kind have long memories. If you can think of anyone, we can find out if they’re still alive.”
If I can think of anyone who would want to kill me, those long memories would do it now that I have found my mate. They would do it for the extra pain.
I have fought when needed.
Killed, many times.
All my feuds have been put to rest.
“I cannot think…” A face flashes into my memory. “Morell.”
Uncle furrows his brows. “Why do I remember that name?”
“He blamed Vameer for the loss of his mate. Claimed she died while fighting beside my brother.” I shake my head. “It is not true. And even if it were, it would be foolish to blame Vameer. When I told Morell this, he took offense.”
“But… how?” Nix turns into me, pressing against my side. “If they’re mates, wouldn’t he have died too?”
“If you remember what Henry said, how some never find their mates…” I remind myself that my mate is right here.
That I found her, and I will not suffer the madness of a partial soul.
“There is no way to know if they ever had one, if the fates choose to deny them, or if their mate died before the bond was formed.”
Nix tightens her hold on me. “That’s right. I don’t know how I forgot.”
“There is also no timeline. Some find their mates very young, whereas some have to wait hundreds of years.”
“Like you,” she whispers.
I nod. “Some wait much longer. So, you must keep waiting. But if a bond never forms…”
“You lose your mind,” Uncle finishes for me as he takes my aunt’s hand.
Nix squeezes my hand. “Can he even be certain that this person who died was really his mate? Can you tell before the bond forms? I mean, I know we both felt something the day before, when I was first on campus. But…”
But what if we had met years earlier?
I squeeze her hand in return. “I will not dwell on the question, but I cannot fathom a world where I would see you and not know you.”
Aunt Bridget sighs. “I remember Vameer telling me about a man during one of his last visits. He didn’t use names, but this has to be him.
Vameer said the man blamed him for the death of his future mate.
But Vameer had been friends with the woman.
And she had never once mentioned the man in all the years they’d fought together. So he never believed they were fated.”
“I did not know that,” I admit quietly. “I only heard about the story from Morell after Vameer… disappeared.”
My aunt reaches across the distance between us and places her hand on my shoulder. “He kept his darker moments from you because he loved you and wanted to protect you.”
My huff holds no resentment. “That has worked out well.”
“Yes, well…” Aunt Bridget gives me a squeeze, then drops her hand. “Men are fools.”
Nix snorts.
“Too true,” Uncle agrees. Then he turns his attention back to Dread. “Thank you for telling us about the killings. I’ll start looking into it immediately.”
Dread nods. “Vampires.” Then he inclines his head. “Barth.”
Barth’s eyes widen at the direct address. Then Dread turns and walks back toward the portal.
Nix pulls away to give everyone a final hug, then we follow Dread.
The druid steps through first.
“You next.” I press a kiss to Nix’s hair.
As she steps through the blackness, I glance back at my family.
Uncle points at the portal, where Nix just disappeared, and gives me a thumbs-up.
Smirking, I follow her home.