14. Fourteen

Fourteen

Willow

Standing in the middle of a cave, my boot taps anxiously, creating an echoing through the small space, and the ticking of my timekeeper makes the time passing almost unbearable. What is taking so long?

Wait a second…

My feet aren't that big. Neither is my timekeeper.

Clarity slowly crawls across my subconscious and my senses return, bringing with them relief, but as I try to wipe my brow, my arms don't listen to my command. I have no control over anything else.

This isn't a vision or my own memory.

I'm in someone else's mind again.

The slightest sound of buzzing has whoever's body I'm in turning around rapidly to stare at the dark cave wall. Shoving the timekeeper back into their pocket, they stand tall and square their shoulders for whatever is about to happen.

Their emotions flow through me keenly and I'm not sure if it's because I'm accidentally inhabiting their body, or my gift is allowing me to do this, but they're nervous beyond belief. They feel moments away from being sick, but they're holding strong, slowing their breathing and relaxing their mind.

Before us, me, them, who the hell ever, a swirling vortex opens, one so colorful, so familiar, I gasp.

Stepping through with blood still dripping from her fingers, her curly brown hair disheveled and pure confidence flowing off her in waves, is my mom. Even though I didn't see her fully when Elementra allowed me to see her memory, I know it's her.

She tensely turns around, no doubt adrenaline still pumping through her veins as she takes in her surroundings. Although small like me, maybe a few inches taller, her current state does nothing but accentuate her strength. The marks on her wrist from where the chains have rubbed her flesh raw, the cuts, bruises, afflictions I'm all too familiar with make her look like a formidable warrior. A Valkyrie who descended from the heavens and swept the floor with her enemies.

Which she did. All but one important one.

The stranger's body who I'm piggy-backing with, witnessing this historic event in my life, lets out a loud, audible breath and their previous nervous apprehension swiftly turns to joy and excitement.

Aww, shit, am I in one of her Nexus members' minds?

Her head quickly whirls around at the sound, and if I were in my body right now, I would've fallen on my ass.

Fuck, she's gorgeous.

Shining brighter than any star in the night sky are glowing silver eyes. The way light reflects through a diamond and bursts into a multitude of infinite patterns, that's her eyes.

Eyes that match my own.

"Your eyes." Lyker's words bounce around in my mind on repeat. He's said it before. I barely remember because I was on the verge of dying and he didn't touch me, but today, he did. He recognized my eyes, her eyes. But how…

"CC."

I'm sorry, who? What did she just say?

"It's been a while, old friend." CC's voice, my CC, ricochets around the cave and my brain.

They know my mom.

What is happening right now?

"Old? Twenty-six has never looked this good, thank you very much," she sasses, putting her hand on her hip and running the other down her bloodied and beaten body. They both chuckle, causing my heart to pound, and the sounds are all I hear ringing in my ears.

The two of them continue to talk, but I don't catch any of it because the noise has faded to nothing. I try everything I can think of to force my hearing to return, but nothing works and before I can play catch up, the scene in front of me begins to blur.

Time becomes meaningless, and far faster than my mind can count or comprehend, years pass us by. Then it stops.

I'm still coexisting with CC—who's in so much trouble with me when I get out of their mind—but we're no longer standing in the cave with my mom. We're lurking behind some trees, like true stalkers, watching her. She's surrounded protectively by three men, and her appearance is shrouded, like she's purposely being obscured from everyone as they walk through what appears to be a small market. I don't have to see her face or be told it's her. I just know. I don't know if it's CC's sense to her or my own, but it's clear as day.

She peeks out from under the cover of her head garment a couple of times, smiling and waving to another man and a young boy, who laughs and rolls his eyes playfully. It's a cute, sweet moment, but it's shattered to pieces as all hell breaks loose.

Transports open in every direction, and out pile Mastery members. Some are wearing the obvious black robes that give them away, while some are just loaded up with weapons and everyday clothes. Fighting breaks out amongst everyone as they start snatching people up and transporting them away faster than many can react. My heart, maybe CC's as well, races as we wait with bated breath. We don't step in despite the burning need to. We just watch.

"MOMMA."

It all happens so fast. It's like a blur of motion.

One second, two of my mom's men are trying to pull her away. The next, she's letting out a war cry like no other I've ever heard.

Jumping right into the middle of the fray, covering long gone, she's blasting herself a path through the men and slicing the throat open of a man who was attempting to pull away the child she was waving to earlier. He's nothing more than a lifeless corpse at her feet in milliseconds.

As one, her Nexus surrounds her and the boy, blocking their view from the Mastery, who are still fighting relentlessly in the street. Grabbing his hand, my mom pulls the boy behind her, heading straight for us.

Stepping out from behind the tree, my mom screeches to a halt, her hackles automatically up until she takes me, well, CC in, and she sighs a breath of relief. I feel CC's eyes soften and a sad smile crosses their face.

"CC, you scared me. What are you doing here? We must go," she says frantically, clutching the boy to her side.

"I'm so sorry, old friend. The time has come," they say sadly.

Her silver eyes shatter and well with tears instantly. The hurt, the rage is visible as her whole body shakes. She doesn't speak at all, only responds with a slight nod. Moments later, her men run up behind her, out of breath, bloodied, but they aren't trying to attack CC, so they obviously know them.

"Iris, what's going on? We need to get out of here. There're more coming and they'll be on us any minute," one of them says.

"It's time," my mom chokes out, steeling her shoulders and turning around to them.

"No, not yet. We have time," one of them says mournfully.

"We don't, my love," she breathes.

Making her way to each of them, she pours her heart out. Showering them with tear-drenched kisses and sweet whispers of promises of the beyond. And how this is not eternity, only a blimp in time.

Finally dropping down to her knees, she pulls the boy in close and kisses his forehead.

"Momma, what's going on?" he asks, emotion clogging his throat.

"Do you remember in the story of the wolf, I told you how his mother had to go away for a long time so she could right the wrongs done?" she asks, wiping away his tears.

"Yes, ma'am. She helps save the realm," he says confidently and she nods.

"Well, Momma has to go do the same thing now, baby."

His eyes widen in both surprise and childlike pride as if he's staring at a real-life superhero before the realization of what she said truly clicks.

"But…but you'll be gone. Forever." He cries.

"I'll never leave you. Not truly, my boy. Every time you need to feel me, run free through the trees," she murmurs, laying her forehead to his.

"Is…is the rest of the story true? Or you made it all up?"

"It's all true, sweetheart. Every bit of it," she says, giving him a small pride-filled smile. One that screams the true honor and joy she feels for him.

"I'll make you proud, momma," he swears as silent tears continue to fall from his gray-blue eyes faster than he can wipe them away.

"You already have, Lyker. You already have. I love you, son, so, so much," she says sweetly, finally letting her own tears flow as she gives him a final hug and kiss on the cheek and stands.

Walking through her men with her head held high, they each run their shaking hands across her. Tears flow down their faces silently as they watch her go and their bodies tremble with the effort it's taking not to go after her. Their heartbreak spears through me as if it were my own and I want to crumble under the weight of it.

"How could you?" Lyker suddenly shouts angrily.

"We have no choice, son. This is how it must be," one of them says, kneeling in front of him, reaching out to hold him, but he forcefully twists out his grip and stands, heaving.

"NO. This is not how the story goes. Go with her," he screams frantically, his eyes bouncing back and forth between his dads and the direction his mother, our mother, just walked. He tries to run through them to follow her, but he's stopped, wrapped in the arms of another one of his dads, who lowers them to the ground.

"Lyker, we can't leave you."

"You have to. It's in the story. Please don't leave her alone. Please. She's not alone in the story. The wolf is." He cries, begs as he wraps his arms around his father.

All four of them look at me, well, CC with confusion warring in their eyes. They must not have been privy to the story because they each cast their gazes back and forth between Lyker, CC, and the way our mom went.

"What is he talking about?" one of them mutters.

"It's time for you all to go. I will protect your son," CC swears.

Hope blooms through me as their emotions surface, but it's quickly doused out when they look down at their trembling son.

They follow her. Be with her.

Or they stay with him.

"We…we can't leave him. She would never forgive us for such a thing."

"She already knows the outcome of both scenarios. How else could she have told him the story? Here, he is safe. Here, he survives," CC says calmly.

"Please go," Lyker murmurs quietly and my heart rips open.

The dad that has him wrapped in his arms pulls back to look down at him for a long moment. Whatever he's searching for in his eyes, he sees, and he grasps him on the back of his neck and lays their foreheads together.

Each of them takes a turn doing this, whispering their pride, their love, begging for his forgiveness.

CC comes to stand behind Lyker and lays their hand on his shoulder while all four of his dads look at him one last time. It's gut-wrenching to witness and I can't help but sob in the corner of CC's mind.

"I love you. Please tell her I love her too," Lyker says firmly, newfound determination cutting through his tears and boyish voice.

"We love you, son. Always."

With a nod to CC, they sprint after our mom, and we watch them go. Lyker's holding strong, so strong for a young boy whose faith solely rests in a story only our mom and him shared. CC's heart is pounding wildly, and there's a mixture of trust, honor, and such heartbreak thrumming through them.

"Come on, little wolf. Time for us to go as well," CC says, wrapping their arm around Lyker's shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

Instead of answering him, CC opens a transport, and we enter the darkness. Seconds pass and we step out in what seems to be the same forest we were just hiding in, but we're in the thick of it. Lyker lifts his nose to the air, sniffing around as if the scent is familiar to him. Turning in a slow circle, he takes in his surroundings.

"We're not far from my house."

"That's right, but we're closer to the pack lands now, so it won't be a long walk," CC says solemnly.

"You can't come with me either, can you?" Lyker asks with a small tremble to his lip. Fuck, he's so strong. Stronger than he should have to be.

"No, I can't, but I meant what I said, Lyker. I will always protect you, and this is what's best for you now."

"I miss them so much already." Lyker's tears finally fall once again. He shatters.

Breaks to pieces right before my eyes.

"There's something I can do, Lyker, to take this pain away, but the choice is completely up to you. If you choose to deal with it, you will have to be very good at keeping secrets. How old are you now, little wolf?" CC asks.

"Eight and I'm not very good at keeping secrets. I tell my parents everything."

The indistinguishable but calming, loving laugh that I've grown familiar with bursts out of CC and it draws a small smile to Lyker's tear-stroked face. "I don't know any eight-year-olds, but I don't believe anyone is good at keeping secrets at that age, so it's quite all right."

"Will taking my pain away hurt even more?"

"No. It will be painless. Do you know what this is?" CC asks, pulling out a purple stone from their pocket.

Not just any purple stone.

That's my Memoria stone.

"No, but it's really pretty. Mom loves purple," he whispers, reaching out to touch it, and CC allows him to run his fingers across it gently.

"This is what we call a Memoria stone. It's very strong. Just like you. It has the power to take away your memories. Make you forget for just a little while."

"I'll get them back, right? Where will they be?" he asks, a little panicked.

"Do you remember the dragon from the story?"

The dragon…

"Yeah, I remember her," Lyker says, nodding enthusiastically.

"She will keep them safe for you and return them when you're ready."

Lyker stares at the stone for a long moment before turning around slowly, taking in his surroundings once more. When his gray-blue eyes lock back on us, I can see the decisions already made. He's going to allow CC to do this.

"You are a very strong young boy, Lyker. So much like your parents. You'll never lose that strength. It'll only grow."

With a small smile and twitchy nod from Lyker, CC lays their index finger to his forehead, lowly speaking an incantation. When the last word leaves their lips, a flash of light beams from Lyker's head, directly pouring into the Memoria stone. Once, what I assume is all the memories CC's taking from him is out, the glow instantly evaporates and Lyker crumbles into our arms.

Laying him down in the soft foliage, CC fixes his hair, wipes the tears from his cheek, and stands, backing away from him slowly. We don't move more than probably fortyish feet and wait. Watch.

Minutes later, Lyker is sitting himself up, shaking out his head over and over, looking around utterly confused and lost before standing on wobbly legs. When he starts walking in the direction of the pack lands, we follow. It doesn't take long for a wolf to bound out of the cover of the trees and approach a startled Lyker.

Shifting, leaving an older woman kneeling in her human form, she brings Lyker into her arms. He's upset, crying, telling her he doesn't know where he is or how he got out there. She just continues to shush him quietly, tenderly before standing and taking his hand in hers.

"You're okay, little wolf. You're home," she murmurs quietly. Her small glance in our direction and a nod is all it takes for me to know CC arranged this. It's obvious they know he's now safe because with a relieved sigh, we back away.

Then I enter the darkness .

"Little warrior," Tillman whispers.

My conscience returns tenfold, and his relief hits me square in my chest now that he can access my mind once again. His hands are cupping my cheeks, wiping away the water that uncontrollably pours from my eyes, and the gentle gesture makes my heart crack open even more.

Bile sloshes around in my stomach as clarity returns and the memories I just watched settle into the compartments of my mind as if they were my own, although I know that's not true. The overwhelming sound of everyone's voices pierces my ears and I quickly try to block it all out and focus on getting my erratic heartbeat to slow.

"CC, what have you done?" I ask, hoping for an answer. I need more understanding of what I was just shown.

"What I had to do to protect both of you."

"Those were your memories. I was seeing through your eyes the entire time, yet you still hide who you are from me. You've been with all of us almost every step of the way. You knew my mom, but you said you didn't know her feelings about me. You had to have known. You seem to know everything that's to come."

"Me and your mother were only allowed brief moments with one another. Enough time to know we played a role in each other's lives and we should trust one another's decisions unconditionally. I don't know how she truly felt, although I can imagine it was a mixture of things, but she knew about you and Lyker from the time her gifts emerged.

"Unlike how you're experiencing your own journey, your mother was shown all paths right from the start, and she made her decisions based on that. It's how her spirit was never broken. She knew what would come and she prepared. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. I'm sorry I cannot tell you everything all at once, filia mea. That's just not the way this works. You know that to be true. I have no control over the sequence of events. I can only say and do when the time is right."

Yes, in my mind, I know that to be the truth. Just speaking from the experience I've gained from my visions, I know there's an order of operations that have to be followed in the paths laid out. But my heart. In my heart, all this hurts. At every turn, people are having to be dealt impossible hands.

"Willow." My name on Lyker's concerned, sad voice causes me to sob unexpectedly.

All I can hear in his tone is an eight-year-old boy calling out for his momma, begging his daddies to go after her, protect her. He's using the same strong but saddened tone with me now that he did then, and I'm going to drown in the river of sorrow it brings.

"Don't take another step toward her until we figure out what's going on." Draken growls, forcing my heavy lids to open and see what he's so worked up about. I'm shocked to find there's a wall of people between Lyker and me.

I'm kneeling on the ground with my fist balled in my soaked shirt while Tillman holds my face tenderly, but the rest of my men, Gaster, Oakly, and her Nexus are standing in front of us. Blocking Lyker from getting to me.

"Let him through to me, please," I choke out, trying my best to swallow my emotions down.

As gut-wrenching and heartbreaking as that was to watch, it's not my memory or story to tell. It's unfair of me to sit here and break when Lyker has no clue why or what's truly going on. I don't know if I'm strong enough to tell him either. I came here thinking I'd have to tell him what a monster our father is, but instead, I have to tell him what a warrior our mother was.

I don't know if he'll accept that, though. She chose to leave him and in turn, produce me. Yes, for the greater good, and he obviously was told, prepared for it, but that's a hard pill to swallow. One I'm certain I'd choke on. I choke on it every time something else happens and CC as well as Elementra leave me high and dry with no answers.

When the wall breaks apart, Lyker rushes through them and kneels on the ground with me. With a small nod to Tillman, he lays his lips softly to mine before standing and giving us our space.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know touching you would cause something to happen," Lyker says worriedly.

"Lyker, I…"

"Ask him if he will take you to his spot," CC says softly.

"Will…do you mind taking me to your spot?" I ask quietly.

His face turns beet red at the mention of it, his mouth opening and closing with indecision. Turning his head to his Nexus and Aria, they all glance at the two of us with a mixture of concern and confusion.

Way to go, CC, that was obviously a personal secret.

Their laugh grates on my nerves this time because I'm highly upset with them, despite how illogical that may be. I know they're doing everything they can for me, and realistically, I know Elementra doesn't have much of a choice either, unless she decides to destroy the realm, but I need someone to be upset with right now. And they fit the bill.

"I didn't know that was a secret. I'm sorry," I say.

"How did you…never mind," he says before blowing a breath out. "I will. But it's a couple miles run out of the pack lands. I'll have to transport everyone. Will you tell me what's going on?"

"I will once we're there. I wouldn't have been told about your spot if it didn't play some sort of role. It must have some significance to our story."

He's nodding, but it's a timid agreement. He's nervous and overwhelmed. "We'll transport as one."

"Can you take all of us at once?" I ask.

That's sixteen of us. That's a shit ton of people.

He scoffs, looking down at me like I just personally offended him and his capabilities. That small little teasing gesture makes me chuckle but also makes me want to cry.

Fuck, I hope he forgives me for my part in this.

My guys surround me, each giving me soft kisses and tender eyes before laying a hand on Lyker. They know without me having to tell them that I saw something bad. They've witnessed it enough times to know my reactions, so they aren't going to pressure me to talk. They're going to be supportive as always until I can say it.

"Ready?" Lyker asks.

Everyone murmurs yes, but me. I don't know if I am. Not that I have much of a choice now, though, because he's already opening the transport and pulling us all with him through the fabric of Elementra.

Stepping out of the transport, I break away from everyone and turn myself in circles, taking in my surroundings. We're in the same forest I just saw, but we aren't where CC left Lyker to be found. The tall, massive trees stretch high into the air, and just a few feet to my left is a stream flowing down the side of the mountain.

Tugging in my chest alerts me to something. What, I don't know, but it garners every bit of my attention, and I can't help but follow the pull. I'm so consumed with my pursuit, it only registers to me that Lyker is walking in stride right beside me when our arms brush one another's. He has a single-minded focus just as I do.

"Fortune teller, wait," he says, trying to grab onto my arm, but he isn't fast enough. My face collides with a ward I didn't even sense and I would've been laid out on my ass had he not caught me before I hit the ground.

"Damn it. What the hell was that?" I ask, rubbing the sting out of my nose and blinking away the tears collecting in my eyes from the pain of running into what felt like a damn brick wall.

"That's what I was trying to warn you about," he says, cocking an amused eyebrow at the slurs falling from my mouth.

"Let me see you, Primary," Caspian orders, hauling me up and out of Lyker's grasp. Gripping my face so he can check on my nose, he sighs, "For one day, I'd like to avoid the urge to destroy something over you."

Snorting, then groaning through the sharp pain, I say, "I don't believe that for one second."

His mischievous smile makes my heart thunder enough that it blocks out the pain. That powerful thud swiftly travels south as he turns to grab the vial from Gaster's outstretched hand, then looks back at me with darkened eyes. That look seems to draw the other three closer as if it's his sign to them to move in. Pounce.

"Open up for me, Primary."

Fuck. Me.

I know he's talking about my mouth, but for the vial, unfortunately.

"Mind back on the task, princess. We'll take care of that need later."

Corentin's dominating tone both throws fuel on my fire because of the promise I hear behind it and snaps me out of the eye fucking gaze I'm shooting Caspian. Who's now smiling, incredibly pleased with himself.

Thankfully, they took their standard formation in surrounding me, blocking the sight of me from anyone 'cause I'd surely be mortified right now for everyone to see how fast I get hot and bothered by my men. Honestly, I think they do this on purpose when I experience higher, more negative emotions because it settles me faster than anything else can.

"Thank you. That's much better," I whisper to the four of them.

Draken purrs, Tillman runs his fingers down the back of my neck, Caspian commands his shadows to circle my wrist, and Corentin lays a soft kiss to my forehead. That's their way of responding because they know I'm thanking them for more than just the vial.

"So is this nose-breaking ward what brings you out here?" I ask Lyker as my men part and let me out from their protective casing.

"Yeah. It's barely noticeable. I ran into it in my wolf the first time I came across it because I couldn't even sniff it out." As he runs his hand down the surface of the barrier, I barely catch the glimmer of it moving, but enough to know his touch does something to it.

"Nikoli, can you detect anything?" Tillman asks.

"Nothing. If Willow wouldn't have face-planted first, the rest of us would've done the same." He snickers, earning himself an elbow to the gut from Oakly.

"Very funny. Does anyone live around here?" I ask.

"No. This is technically unclaimed land even though it's close enough to us to be considered part of our territory. Someone could live here if they wanted to, though."

Humming because I'm not sure what to say yet, I let my fingers run across the ward as I walk farther into the woods. There isn't anything profoundly special about this forest. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and peaceful. You can hear the birds overhead chirping, the water from the stream creates a natural white noise, and it's the perfect temperature. Not too hot, not too cold, paired with a soft breeze.

It's homey, inviting.

We continue our trek in silence. No one speaks or tries to initiate a conversation, but I feel the rising anticipation. Everyone's waiting for me and Lyker to talk about what happened, what's going on. His own emotions tell me he's both anxious for me to get on with it, but he also doesn't want the comfort of this moment disrupted.

"How much of the ward have you traveled?" I ask softly.

"All of it. It's about a mile around. It's just a circular area warded off, surrounded by trees and a random cave."

My stomach tightens, my heart rate picks up, and sweat beads across my forehead, but I breathe through it because it's my telltale sign. There's nothing random in Elementra. There're no coincidences. I'm going to need to see that cave.

"Will you take me to the cave?"

"We're almost on it," he says curiously, pointing his finger forward. Sure enough, covered by some overgrown brush, about one hundred or so feet in front of us, is the mouth of the cave.

As we grow closer, with a wave of my hand, my earth element moves the foliage that's blocking our entrance. I don't charge right in like I did the cave I knew Aria was being locked in, and neither does anyone else. They're all waiting on me, but I hesitate.

"I don't know why this is important or what you have to tell me, but if this is something we have to do, let's do it. I'm not a big fan of caves," Lyker says firmly, coming to stand beside me.

Peering over my shoulder, Aria's face blooms red. It's a subtle change because her tan skin easily hides it, but it's very obvious his discomfort for caves is for her benefit, not a fear or dislike he has himself.

"I don't believe it's very spacious in here," I say to the group, giving them the option to cram in here together or some of us stay back.

"We'll stay out here with Aria. You go ahead, Willow." Oakly volunteers immediately. Lyker goes to argue, but Kyan cuts him off.

"We'll stay out here. Go in with her and her Nexus."

He lets out a frustrated sigh that I hide my chuckle from. Apparently, my brother isn't just an Alphahole but a possessive one as well.

The thought catches me by surprise. I didn't expect that title to just come across my mind so easily, so freely, but it did, and it doesn't feel wrong for thinking it so quickly. The small grin slides right off my face because I still don't know if he's going to be as open to a relationship with me. It's embarrassing to admit that I'm already craving that, hoping for it. I've already let my emotions get in the way, when he could easily reject anything to do with me once I tell him everything.

Shoving my feelings way, way down within me, I call my flame to my hand and march on ahead into the cave. I can't worry about that right now. It's too distracting. If he doesn't want a relationship with me, that's okay. I'll be hurt, but I'll understand and accept his decision. He has a right to make this choice for himself, and I won't do anything to try to sway him otherwise.

"It's just an empty cave," Lyker comments with a little disappointment and relief.

He's right. The space is no bigger than your average-sized kitchen. There's nothing of significance just sitting around in here. No markings, no animals, nothing but dark walls and some leaves and dirt that have blown in here from the forest. But I sense it. There's magic in the air.

"I know," I say, even though I'm walking to the far end of the cave and staring intently at the other wall.

When I position myself in the same spot CC stood while they waited for my mom to come out of the portal, I focus hard, willing something, anything to come to me. Nothing like a memory or vision surfaces, but an urge to touch that wall comes over me. As weird as it may sound, I want to touch it. I want to lay my hand on an area my mom may have laid hers.

My fingertips graze the cold, coarse stone in a longing caress, soaking in the small amount of electricity running up my arm. I pray this isn't some wild imagination my mind's conjured up to give myself some sort of misguided hope.

Faster than I was prepared for, the electricity intensifies, sending blistering pain shooting through my palm, and I snatch my arm back quickly. Looking down, blood is pooling in the center of my hand, running through my fingers, but when I close and open my fist, it's all gone. Like it never even happened.

What the…

"Are you okay?" My men and Lyker ask me at once.

Panting, attempting to catch my breath, I look between the five of them, my hand and the wall trying to figure out what's going on. I have an inkling, one that isn't going to go away until I do, and judging by CC's silence, it's something I have to figure out unaided.

"Princess," Corentin says concernedly.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I was…"

Bleeding…

"Lyker, did you try your blood on the ward like we had to do to get through the wards to Aria?"

"No. I thought about it, but no one knew I was coming out here. Seeing as you weren't one hundred percent sure what would happen when we did that, I thought it be best I didn't attempt something like that and get myself killed out here alone," he says sarcastically, even though I was pretty sure it was going to work that time. Like I'm pretty positive it'll work now.

"Well, you're not alone now, and we have a healer with us as well if something does go wrong," I say confidently, although he's scowling at me like I'm crazy.

"That was fast," Gaster says as I bound out the cave entrance, the guys hot on my heels.

"She's lost her mind. She wants me to use my blood to try to bring the ward down," Lyker grumbles.

"Well, it worked the first time you tried that, did it not?" Gaster counters, making me smile. He's always going to be on my side.

"I mean, yeah, but this ward is a fuck ton stronger. It's liable to put me on my ass and I have a pack to run. I can't get myself killed out of curiosity."

"Please just trust me, Lyker. There's something…something we need is behind this ward. I don't know what, but it's important," I plead.

I hate the fact that I can't keep my emotions in check right now because now isn't the time to get all weepy, but I'm fixated. My chest feels like it's going to rip open if we don't get this ward down, and whatever it is, is going to make telling him everything so much easier. In the matter of minutes since I thought it, I'm obsessed. I can't let it go.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" he asks.

"I promise to tell you everything, anything you want to know, once we get this down. I know this will work. Please, Lyker."

Just the same as when he agreed as a child to have his memories taken from him, his eyes soften a smidge. It's only enough for me to catch because I'm holding his gaze, but that one little shift makes it abundantly clear he's made his decision.

"Fine." He grunts and turns, heading straight for the ward.

"Everyone just stand right here. Give us a little bit of space," I tell the group.

"You aren't going up there, princess," Corentin states firmly, catching my hand as I turn from them.

"I most certainly am, your highness. He needs me," I say more tenderly, knowing that bossy-ass tone he just used on me is coming from a place of fear. Standing on my tippy-toes, I lay a sweet kiss to his lips, then pull away. "Everything will be fine. I'll be twenty feet from you."

He's reluctant to let me go, and I see the war raging in those calculating whiskey orbs of his. He's running through every scenario, measuring the distance from himself to the ward and how fast they can get to me. With a reassuring squeeze to his hand, I pull away.

Lyker's standing there, running his hand across the ward, getting a feel for it when I approach him. His nervousness, unease, and doubt come through clear, so I put my hand on the ward beside his.

"It's going to be okay. Either it'll work or it won't, but you'll be fine," I whisper.

"You should go stand back with the others."

"No can do. I'll stand with you."

He sighs, shaking his head like I'm the most frustrating person he's ever encountered in his life, and in hindsight, I may very well be. He doesn't argue or demand I go, though. Instead, he shifts his claw, slices his palm open, and takes a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing, fortune teller."

I hold my breath. I don't move, blink, or react in any kind of way. I stand as still as a statue, watching.

When his bloody fingers caress the ward, a slight tremor runs through it, shaking the ground enough we both wobble on our feet. The minuscule earthquake stops just as fast as it started and we both let out small, disappointed exhales.

"Well, shit," he breathes, but I just can't accept that.

Tears of rage and frustration burn the back of my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. It makes no sense. This was supposed to work. I knew it down to my soul his blood would get this ward down. My entire body heats with disappointment, and it gets hotter and hotter the more I try to force an answer to come to me. That and this forsaken fucking itch in my palm is going to make me lose my ever-loving mind. Now is not the time to be dealing with some damn poison ivy or whatever that cave wall did to my hand.

My hand…

Looking down, my palm is red from my insistent scratching, and those tears of rage nearly burst out of me as tears of happiness when it clicks.

Elementra, please, for the love of this realm, let this be the answer. I'm over the mind games for the day.

"We need to do it together," I whisper, shifting my finger into a claw.

"What?"

"We need to put our hands on the ward together."

I could scream at him for looking at me like he's about to tell me no, so before he has the chance, I slice my hand open and watch the red pool in the center.

"Now," I order, raising my hand up.

He mutters out a quick "Shit," and with me, lays his hand to the ward.

Like getting sucked up into the vortex of a tornado, our hands are forcefully tugged through the barrier until our entire arms are through to the other side. Neither of us can pull them free, and we look at each other, wide-eyed, as the ground beneath our feet begins to shake violently.

The others take a couple purposeful steps toward us, shouting our names. Looking at the clear worry written across their faces, they're all about to attempt to come and help us. We both know it, and like it's instinctual, together, we command our earth elements out, creating a safe barrier between them and us. There's going to be hell to pay for that in just a minute, but for now, we know they're okay.

Just as our wall goes up, the ward thunders. A loud, ear-splintering boom that could compete with the roar of Draken's dragon. Accompanying it is another violent wave of power that ripples through the ground, splitting it open and knocking me off my feet. Lyker's quick to snatch me back up, putting a death grip on my arm to hold me steady.

"What the hell was that?" he asks, winded, once the chaos stops.

The sudden calm is unnerving, though, and I look around at the still intact but now visible ward.

"It's not over," I whisper, feeling the small vibrations continue to build up and up through the ward. "Hold on," I yell at him as the tremble becomes painful.

A sonic boom bellows through the forest, shaking the surface of the realm, flattening surrounding trees and sending the wildlife fleeing. Quickly, I turn my head back to make sure our wall is still standing strong, and I breathe a small sigh of relief when I see it is, but that breath was premature. At least for us.

As the ward comes crashing down, the two of us get swept up in the force of the wind and we go barreling through the air, over our wall, and through the trees. Branches and leaves smack us around before my own air shoots out of me, encasing us together in a bubble.

Our protective globe bounces off the ground like a basketball, then bursts midair, sending us tumbling across the greenery in a heap of limbs. I land hard on top of Lyker, both of us gasping for air as the winds knocked out of us.

"Shit," I wheeze, rolling off him and onto all fours while I try to force air into my lungs. He's in no better shape, so I reach my hand over and lay it on his chest, pushing some of my element into him to help him catch his breath, then I do the same for myself.

There's a beat of silence as we take deep breaths, then Lyker breaks out into hysterical laughter, pulling himself and me up to our feet at the same time.

"Fuck. I think we did it," he says, smiling.

"Ya think?" I chuckle.

The cracking of limbs and heavy footsteps sounding to my right tell me my men are trampling their way through the woods, looking for me, and I can sense they're close.

I kinda figured it was coming, but as they break out of the cluster of trees and halt when they see me, I know that's my ass. Tillman has tremors shaking through his body and even laying eyes on me doesn't calm them down completely. Draken is in full predator mode. Glowing cobalt eyes and claws for hands. Caspian's little devilish smirk may fool some, but that's not the sexy grin I get when he's up to something. That's the I'm looking forward to delivering your punishment look. And Corentin's blank mask screams I'm in deep shit.

"Am I in trouble?"

"So fucking much trouble, princess," he says gruffly before stomping up to me and capturing my mouth in a world-shattering kiss. It's so devouring, I forget for a second we have company until Lyker clears his throat awkwardly.

"Can we go see what we uncovered before y'all get into…that…"

Snorting, I quickly cover it up and force my face to be serious because the guys did not find that shit amusing one bit by the deadly glares they're shooting my way.

"I swear I didn't know that was going to happen. It was as much of a surprise to me as all of you," I say when the tense silence starts to bother me as we make our way back toward the others.

"You didn't see that coming?" Tillman asks.

"No, I promise I didn't. I wasn't even sure if adding my blood to Lyker's would work. It was a trial-and-error thing."

"Well, next time there's a trial-and-error thing, how about don't block us off from you," Caspian snides.

I don't like the attitude one bit, but I understand where it's coming from. Caspian lashes out with sarcastic-ass remarks or cold words when he's upset, and that's exactly what he's doing.

"We didn't know what was about to happen. So everyone's safety was a concern at that moment. You four, Gaster, Oakly, her Nexus, Aria, Lyker's brothers. I wasn't trying to block you out. I was trying to protect my entire family," I say softly.

I'm not trying to come across defensive, but I want them to know my motives were more than just keeping them out. Literally, almost everyone I love is here. I wouldn't have survived if something had happened to one of them because of this.

Their emotions simmer down a smidge at that, but none of them speak. Instead, Draken takes one hand and squeezes, while Corentin takes the other. Tillman sends me a pulse of understanding down the bond, followed by a heady dose of love, and Caspian doesn't make a move closer to me or responds, but I feel his shadows circle the wrist opposite my bracelet and sit there.

"Holy shit," I mumble as we climb over the last batch of fallen trees and see what was behind the ward.

A cobblestone path weaves its way through a stretch of lush green grass that's teeming with flowers and plants. Following the mismatched brick road with my eyes, I see the most beautiful, enchanting cottage nestled in the flourishing meadow. With a moss-covered roof that's sprouting wildflowers, irregular shapes and rounded edges, it's like a perfect storybook design.

My mind can't map out every feature fast enough, but I sure as shit try. From the quirky, crooked chimney to the lavender door, I take it all in. Lanterns hang with a magical, never-ending flame from the front porch post, casting an ever-changing dance across the windows.

Oh, Elementra…the windows.

Stained glass windows flicker with the light emitting from both the flame and the sun, creating a breathtaking story happening right before my eyes. The kaleidoscope of colors merges into depictions of creatures I could recognize anywhere.

Wolves and dragons.

The longer I stare at the wolf that's darker than obsidian and the dragon with violet eyes, I start to unravel.

"Do you know what this place is, Lyker?" Aria asks softly as she, Lennox, Zane, and Kyan come to stand beside him.

Watching his face out of the corner of my eye, an all-familiar expression crosses over him. I've made that face many times. It's one of frustration and confusion. It happened every time I walked into my woods to go visit my tree. Like there was something I should remember but just couldn't.

"No clue," he mutters, then turns to me. "Do you?"

"Yeah, I do," I breathe, closing my eyes for just a second. "You don't remember anything from before you were found outside the Terravile pack lands, so nothing before the age of eight, right?"

"Right," he says timidly.

"When we first came today, I thought I'd be telling you we share the same father, but we…we share the same mother," I say as the tears begin to fall. "And I have your memories."

"How do you have my memories?" His voice holds a tinge of accusation that cuts me deep even though I know I shouldn't let it. I know what this feels like.

Pulling my Memoria stone from my shirt, I command my magic to reveal it and I let it fall down my chest on clear display.

"Your memories are in here," I say, tapping the stone. "I watched one of them when we were in the office. Not through your eyes, but through the eyes of my stranger, CC. They're the one who put them in here for me to hold onto until you were ready for them."

The shock in my Nexus, Gaster, Oakly, and her guys is stark. Everyone's finding this out together and no doubt they're whirling on the fact my elusive CC's been in Lyker's life as well as my own.

"Ready for them?" he asks incredulously.

"I know you were young, and I'm in no way trying to make this seem like someone is to blame for this, but you weren't forced into this. They weren't taken from you unwillingly. You were given a choice, and you were so, so brave. Our mom did all she could and was allowed to do to prepare you for this."

I take shuddering breaths as he just stares at me. There's a war being waged within him right now, and he doesn't know if he wants to surrender to it or fight. It's clear part of him wants to know, but the other part desperately wishes this had never happened.

"I'm ready."

"Lyker, if you want—"

"I said I'm ready." He growls, cutting me off, and I swallow roughly.

"Okay then." Nodding, I slowly reach my finger up to his forehead and grip my Memoria stone in my other hand.

How to return the memories to him came to me as soon as CC told him the dragon would return them to him. So at least there's no sort of mystery behind that, but that doesn't stop the sweat in my palms, the racing stampede my pulse is causing in my ears, or the tremble on my bottom lip. If he's angry about his memories being taken, he's surely about to blame me for him losing his parents.

"Release them to him," I command.

There're no physical effects on me in this, but there is for him. As the stream of magic pours out of my stone and into him, he grunts, growls, and tries to fight off the trembles running through his body. He tries his hardest to hold my gaze, but eventually, he caves, falling to his knees, and I follow him down.

When a mournful howl soars from his throat, the magical flow cuts off, and I fall back on my heels. My men instantly encase me as he rocks back and forth on all fours. I'm not sure if he's fighting off a shift or fighting off the memories now flowing through his mind, but he's a whirlwind of feelings, each one flaying me open. Deeper and deeper.

His brothers surround him, laying their hands on him in silent solidarity, and Aria follows suit, kneeling beside him, rubbing calming circles on his back. Their comfort slows his rocking until he finally stops, and he mimics my position. His head tilts to the heavens, and he emits a deep, releasing sigh, like that swoosh of air is enough to let go of the ringer he was just put through.

Then he looks at me.

And smiles a sad smile.

"You have her eyes, little dragon."