22. Twenty-Two

Damn, it's kinda cold.

I reach my hands around, searching for my cover, but all I feel is my chilled skin. My very naked, chilled skin.

My eyes fly open as the grogginess fades from my mind, and I remember why I'm asleep in the first place. Damn, they wrung me dry with pleasure and then put my ass to sleep.

Low murmuring voices reach my ears and I turn my head to see the four of them huddled together a few feet away. I can't help but stare. There's nothing different about them right now. They're each dressed in their own tailored perfection, muscles concealed but also displayed in their tight-fitting attires. Still, some days when I look at them like this, when they don't know I'm openly staring, it's like looking at them for the first time all over again. They're gorgeous men.

The thought reminds me of why I barged in here today to begin with. That perfection and power of theirs attracts women like moths to a flame, and I can't shove down the possessiveness that rises in me all over again.

My men. Mine.

Draken and Tillman turn on their heels to look at me when I send a pulse of what I'm feeling down the bond, causing a smug, satisfied smirk to cross my face. Although Corentin and Caspian don't feel it as strongly, they got a piece of it and their smirks match my own.

"Woke up feeling protective, sweetness," Draken purrs as he kneels down on the floor in front of me.

"Possessive. I woke up admiring what's mine."

His responding groan is followed by his lips catching mine, and I'm all too aware of how naked I am, sprawled out on the couch as the others stand a few feet back and watch.

This couch is dangerous.

"Why am I still naked?" I ask breathlessly when he pulls back.

"Corentin didn't want to wake you up to dress you," Tillman answers, kneeling beside Draken, laying his hand on my hip.

His element caresses my body, dressing me in something of his choosing, and I give him a thankful smile, then pull him by his shirt until he kisses me too. Damn, I missed them so much.

"How are you feeling, Primary?" Caspian asks.

My heart jumps to my throat as he comes to the couch, lifts me, and places me in his lap. I don't dare move around too much. Fearful he may place me back down. I need his touch as much as I need my next breath.

"Better, much better," I whisper as I slowly lower my head to his chest, pleading for him not to tense up.

I could cry tears of joy as he just wraps me up tighter in his arms and his shadows travel over my body. I've done my best not to push him. I've given him time, and I'll continue to give him eternity if he needs it, but I can't deny the fact that I've craved this, his touch, his affection. His actions today have made those needs ten times worse.

"We're going to head to the gym in a few minutes, then after the debrief we'll head home," Corentin states, handing me a cup of coffee, and I sigh around the rim of my mug as the sweet scent fills my nose.

"And then go for a flight," I declare.

I hide the smirk trying to take over my face as I watch Corentin and Tillman shift nervously from foot to foot. I know they've all ridden on Draken before, but it's obviously not their favorite thing to do.

"Yes…then go flying," Corentin answers not so confidently.

Caspian's chest shakes slightly behind me, and I peek over my shoulder, my mouth gaping open as I see the beautiful smile taking over his features. Even though he's getting satisfaction from his brother's evident objections, his smile is breathtaking and lights my heart aflame.

"Fuck yes. This is so fucking exciting. You know how much I've had to beg to get them to ride me, little wanderer, and they always tell me no," Draken says excitedly. And I die laughing. For once, I know he didn't mean for that to sound so sexual, but yet, it did.

My laugh is still echoing through the office as Draken swoops me off Caspian's lap and starts heading for the door, shouting for the guys to move their asses so we can get home.

I let him carry me down the steps, but as we open the door and the sun hits my face, I pat his chest and give him a kiss to the cheek, telling him to put me down so I can stretch my legs.

My head tilts back as the warm rays coat my skin. Tillman's outfit he put me in is a replica of the dress I was wearing this morning, and I can't help but wonder where the clothes I had on disappeared to since they weren't actually disintegrated.

"Did the nap help, princess?" Corentin asks, standing in front of me, blocking out the sun.

"Everything about today helped. Thank you," I say sincerely, wrapping my arms around his waist. I love the way that anytime I touch him, I can feel tension leave his body. I love the fact it's me that brings him peace.

Walking into the gym, all of Rhett's, Lucas's, and Ry's Nexuses are here waiting, including Oakly, and I smile as she looks me over, eyes calculating before she winks and goes back to hanging onto Nikoli and San. How she knows, I don't know, but no words have to be exchanged for us both to know we got a little piece of our Nexuses today.

I stay plastered between Corentin and Draken as Tillman calls everyone's attention and gets Lyker on the phone. He instructs Lucas to start his debrief and we all sit silently, listening to the things he learned from the shifters he interrogated, followed by Rhett, then Ry.

We had assumed Terravile was being used as a training ground from the things we learned from Jarod before he died, and all three Nexuses pretty much learned the same things, verifying that assumption. That's where the shifters recruited went to learn how to fight and control their dominance. It very much sounds like an E.F. training center, like here, or like they apparently have at the palace.

"Are you thinking there's someone on the inside working with the Mastery?" Ry asks incredulously after listening to Tillman's theory.

"It's possible. Their structure is so similar to ours. Some of the training simulations and exercises that were explained to me today, is training that I began enforcing when I took this position. It's not outlandish to assume there's someone working for the E.F. that's crossing us," Tillman states.

That's so fucked up if it's true.

"What about the boy?" Lucas asks.

"Lyker, can you all come the day after tomorrow?" Corentin asks.

"Yes. I'll use the rest of today and tomorrow to get a plan in place for Rylan," Lyker answers.

"Then my Nexus will leave that morning to go find the boy's parents. If we're successful in finding them, we'll meet at Rebel Castle. Depending on what we get from him, Tillman will assign a team to him, and we'll move him out of the cells and enroll him into the academy. Tomorrow, everyone meets here at midmorning, including you, Oakly," Corentin declares, standing from his seat, pulling me up with him.

"Why me?" Oakly asks Ry, horrified.

"You get to see Rebel Castle and keep the other trouble company," he picks.

"That's all for now. See everyone in the morning. Lyker, we'll see you soon," Tillman finishes, ending the call and dismissing everyone.

I'm practically jittery with excitement as the guys surround me to transport back home. Literally my heart is racing like I've chugged a whole kettle of coffee. I don't even ask questions or speak, afraid I may say something that changes one of their minds.

The moment we step out of the transport, I race to the back lawn, stripping my dress over my head, and jump up and down, ready to shift. When I turn to them to see if Draken's ready, my words freeze in my throat as I take in their gazes.

"Need to be in just your bra and underwear to shift all of a sudden, sweetness?" Draken asks, prowling toward me.

Whoops.

"I don't know why I took my dress off. It just felt like the right thing to do with how excited I was," I murmur honestly, causing the other three, who are stalking closer, to chuckle.

"Make sure you don't get too excited in front of others, Primary. I'd hate to have to kill someone for looking at what's ours." Caspian's dark tone doesn't match his ravenous smirk. I can't tell if it's the prospect of killing someone or me half-dressed that's causing that look honestly.

"I won't…" I whisper, trapped in his gaze.

"Who's riding me?" I ask, breaking the rising tension, but quickly correct myself when they all groan, and I realize what I just asked. "I mean, when I shift."

Is that really what I mean, though?

They all get unnaturally quiet, looking amongst themselves and between me and Draken. Some of my excitement flees when I think they're about to bail and not fly with us, and I reach my gift out to see if any of them have their block down.

I gasp, placing a hand to my chest in offense when I pick up Tillman's train of thought. "Oh my God, you're all scared to ride on me. What the hell?"

"We're not scared, Will. We just think that we should probably go with Draken, who has more experience flying us." Tillman tries to reason, but I just pout.

"What do you all think, I'm just going to drop you?" I question. Their silence is answer enough.

Assholes.

"Fine. But after I fly around for a while, I'm getting on Draken with you three. The whole point of this was to spend time together." I cave, crossing my arms, purposely pushing my breast up. I turn my back and let a satisfied smile cross my face as they all moan and groan.

Serves them right.

"You ready, little wanderer?" Draken asks as the two of us walk farther into the lawn to shift away from the others.

"Hell yes," I cheer, my smile matching the brilliant one he's gracing me with.

We both tilt our heads back, calling forth our magic, and I let the feeling take over me as the bright light conceals my shift. There's always a small sting of pain, but it happens so fast, it doesn't truly register as elation from my dragon floods my senses.

As my claws dig into the soft, cold dirt beneath the surface of the ground, I throw my large head back, roaring to the clear skies. When Draken joins me, the trees shake. The sound of rustling leaves and wildlife running through the foliage, trying to flee the echoes of our roars, pierces my enhanced hearing.

The beauty of Elementra is evident to me in my human form, but in my dragon, there's simply no comparison. Everything's brighter, livelier, louder, more potent. The fabric of everything is magnified, and it's impossible not to stand in awe.

Since the guys weren't flying on me, I shifted into a smaller version, about twelve feet tall, while Draken chose to go with a larger of his forms, probably three times my size. Standing in all his glory, he waits as the guys make their way onto his back. As they each climb up, his sleek auburn scales shine, casting the illusion that they're walking over smoldering, charred embers to reach his back.

The looks reflected on the guys' faces as they get themselves situated cause me to chuckle. The sound is like a mix between a roar and purr, and it grabs all of their attention. Instead of brilliant smiles and overwhelming excitement, they look like they're preparing to ride Draken into battle, conquer their enemies, and burn the world down.

So serious.

Flapping my wings, I shoot off into the sky, knowing Draken's going to be right behind me, whether or not the guys are ready.

Letting the air carry me, I bask in the feeling of the sun beaming down on my back, causing my silver scales to reflect rainbows off my wings. I soar through the clouds, embracing the power, the freedom, the peace I feel as I dive in and out of the fluffy pillows in the sky. My heart thrums even stronger when I hear the sound of wings beating against the current of the air behind me.

Normally, I'd take off and force Draken to catch me, but this time, I slow myself down, waiting for him to glide beside me. My bond swells in my rather large chest as the guys look at me like something spectacular. The pride and amazement reflected toward me has me purring in approval as my dragon preens under their observation, pushing me to show off for them.

I chirp a small roar, warning Draken that I'm getting ready to take off, and he responds with a more enthusiastic one, encouraging me on. I let my wings carry me forward on the air rather than flap them beside the guys, not wanting to send one of them accidentally tumbling off, but once I'm ahead of him, I take off.

Racing through the sky, my body shines like a sword. My sharp, precise turns slice through the air as I flip and twist around Draken and the guys. Adding in a few barrel rolls and corkscrew twists, I level myself out and fly right over them, low enough Tillman could probably stand up and run his hand over my belly.

"Fly ahead a little bit then shift back, little wanderer. I'll catch you."

The deepened tone of Draken's voice floats through my mind, both a demand and a challenge and my chest pumps with anticipation. That sounds both crazy and exhilarating. Cocking my head down, he peers up at me. His lip is slightly peeled up in what I'd call a dragon's smirk, and the look screams "I dare you." It's impossible for me to resist.

Fuck me, the guys are about to flip their shit.

Gliding ahead of him, I keep my body above his and mentally check in with my dragon. If she's not on board with this, she'll fight me for control, and I won't be able to shift.

What I find from her surprises me, but then again, I guess it doesn't.

She's one hundred percent on board. Our mate told us to do it and he'll catch us, so that's all she needed to hear. It truly amazes me the way our beasts are with one another. Both mine and Draken's dragon will easily go toe to toe with one another if they have to, but then there are times like this when they defer to one another, trust the other so completely, there's no dominance needed, no questions asked, just blind faith.

On my exhale, smoke mingles with the bright flash of light that takes over my shift. Those seconds pass in the blink of an eye, and I'm left floating in the air, tethered to nothing but the wind that blows my hair around wildly. My feet point toward the ground, my arms splay outward just like my wings had just been, and I laugh. The sheer vastness of the sky in front of me pulls the ecstatic sound from the depths of my soul.

Adrenaline, that intoxicating tonic of exhilaration, surges through my veins, turning my small bit of fear into a heady cocktail of courage. As gravity relinquishes its hold, the weightlessness comes crashing down, and I start falling freely through the clouds. I hear Draken's roar, the sound so close, so loud, my nerves easily calm because I know he's there to catch me.

The sound of my laughter is swallowed up by the rush of the air, my descent picking up unimaginable speeds, and a surprised squeal leaves my lips as Draken's back grows closer and closer.

Fuck, didn't think the landing through.

Suddenly, I start to slow, and the freefall frenzy transforms into a gentle descent, and I realize there's a vine around my waist, shadows surrounding me, and I'm being glided down softly by a bubble of air. Draken lets out a magnificent roar as my bare feet touch his back and he speeds ahead.

"Your half naked state is not helping your case right now, Willow. It's taking everything in me not to bend you over Draken's back and fry your ass," Corentin growls, really pissed as he blocks us all off from the winds with an air shield.

I didn't notice it or remember that I shifted in just my bra and underwear, but now that he said it and is threatening to spank my ass again, it's all I can think about. Sliding closer to him, I run my hands up his chest and around his neck.

"That was the most adventurous thing I've ever done, and it was so amazing. Please don't be upset. I knew Draken would catch me, and you all were here too," I say as he pulls me closer and sits us down before we go tumbling down Draken's tail.

I try to force some reassurance and love down the bond to calm him down because he's really heated right now. I don't have to try to pick up the feelings. The tremble in his muscles and how his hands keep clenching on my hips give it away easily.

"Don't do that again without warning us first," he grunts, wrapping his arms tightly around me and kissing my forehead before he passes me off to Tillman.

"Trouble little warrior. You and Draken." He smirks.

"Oh, so you knew the plan and instead of telling anyone else, you let me get in trouble," I sass, placing my hands on my hips, pushing up on my knees, causing him to groan. His magic slides over my skin, clothing my exposed body, and I can't help but smirk at him. That was supposed to be my distraction.

"I wanted to see if you'd actually do it. I was ready for you," he whispers, I guess still keeping his own ass out of trouble. He steals my next snarky remark right out of my mouth as he kisses me stupid and passes me off to Caspian all in a matter of seconds.

Mentally, I was prepared for him to be furious, so my breath hitches when he looks down at me. The usually haunted residue that taints his beautiful whiskey eyes is gone, replaced with a mischievous but warm, playful gleam.

"You're not mad at me?" I ask quietly.

"No, naughty little Primary, I'm not mad. I'm jealous. The unrestrained bliss and wonder that spread across your face as you fell through the sky was like watching a shooting star fall from the beyond. So bright, so free. I want to smother myself in it," he states as his shadows caress every surface of me.

"You can," I whisper, gently running my fingers down his face. He spins me around where I'm seated so fast, I'm surprised I don't have whiplash. Tightly coiling his shadows around me, he pulls me back as close to his body as he can.

"I plan to, Primary," he swears low against my ear, causing shivers to cascade down my body.

For an hour, we stayed flying. My head leaning against Caspian, the cool touch of his body mingling with the heat of the sun and Draken, lulling me into the most comforting state. Tillman and Corentin moved to either side of us, each holding a thigh while we soared in silence. They made this day everything I needed, plus some.

"Ready to learn how to track some shit down?" Oakly asks me with a hip bump and a smirk as she comes to stand beside me.

"Yeah, but I'm nervous as shit. I already don't care to transport myself, and that plays a pretty big role in what you do," I say, giving her a glare when she chuckles at me.

"Huge role. But that's not the only way to track. That's just when you need to track someone or something far away. Like how you feel your guys when they're close, you can learn to do that with other people if they're close enough around. If you want, we can focus on that today rather than anything that requires distance. We're not allowed to leave the castle anyway," she says with an eye roll aimed at her Nexus.

Her sass is just to ruffle their feathers and give all the guys a hard time telling us what we can and can't do. Neither of us is stupid enough to do anything that would put us in danger… Most of the time.

"You two are most certainly not allowed to leave the castle, under any circumstance," Corentin declares, giving both of us warning stares.

"We know that. So what are we waiting for?" I ask, closing the distance between the two of us, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Gaster. I asked him to join us so he could work on his gift with you as well," he informs me.

My chest grows with excitement and warmth at the mention of Gaster. I'm not sure if any of us truly understand the connections between all my bonds, but they've rooted me so deeply to everyone that I can't stand to go a long time without seeing any of them. The guys are obviously the worst—my crazy-ass mood swings are evidence enough of that—but being away from Gaster so much over the last couple of days was beginning to bother me.

"Good morning, kiddos." Gaster's cheery voice sends love and longing down my bond and I'm on him in two seconds flat, wrapping him in a hug.

"Good morning," I murmur into his chest, inhaling his warm, pine needle scent.

"Morning, child. Let me see you," he demands as he holds me out at arm's length.

"Whatcha got in the bag, Gas-man?" Draken asks curiously.

"Oh, just some things we may need," he answers vaguely.

"What would we need? The castle is stocked for anything that could come up," Corentin chimes in, glancing at Gaster's bag as well.

"Well, some extra healing vials just in case. My kettle and mugs so I can make Willow some coffee or tea if she wants either, with all the nonsense she needs to go with it. Those little strawberry pastries she and Oakly eat all morning in my office. My journal. Some tissues in case either of the girls cry today… Just things," he says nonchalantly, peering into his bag.

The guys all give each other knowing looks. Well, Tillman, Draken, Caspian, and Oakly's Nexus do. Corentin looks like he's about to snap because he didn't think of that first. My eyes mist up through my smile at how sweet that is, while Oakly squeals and asks for a pastry now.

"All right, Rhett and Lucas, you all go ahead and get started. We have to get Oakly's signature on the ward, then we'll join you," Tillman orders, cutting off everyone's laugh at Oakly's excitement over food.

I step into my Nexus, along with Gaster, and Oakly steps into hers, and in seconds, we're standing in the massive forest that conceals the view of Rebel Castle. Me and everyone else whose signatures are already on the ward can see the silhouette of the castle a few hundred feet away, but Oakly's glancing around, confused, the same way I did when the guys brought me here for the first time a few days ago.

I was utterly lost when we, well, they, were transporting the Mastery shifters. When you first step out, all you see is trees upon trees for miles. It's a huge forest, full of wildlife, foliage, no trails, and no elemental alteration. Then a feeling filters across your mind that gives you the impression you took a wrong turn somewhere and you need to turn around.

Thanks to my dragon, that feeling only lasted a second before I could sniff out the ward, and as soon as I realized what it was, the feeling slowly drifted away, but I was still a little dazed.

Poor Oakly has no shifter side to rely on to sniff the ward out, and so currently, she's trying to convince her guys that they shouldn't be here, and she's growing pissed because they're laughing at her.

"Oakly, come here for a second," I call out to her.

"Why the fuck are they laughing at me? I'm the tracker and we're lost, and no one's listening to me." She huffs, royally pissed.

"We aren't lost. It's a ward. Concentrate on it for a minute," I instruct, putting her out of her misery before she fucks someone up.

She opens her mouth to argue with me, but then it slowly sinks in. Her eyes lose their glossy shine, and she shakes her head out a couple times, looking around the trees, then sending her Nexus a withering look.

"Put your hand here. You can yell at them in a second." I laugh when I see her about to go off.

When she places her hand beside mine, I drop mine as my guys all lay their hands against the ward, and Corentin begins speaking the incantation to open the ward for her and remember her signature.

There's no shock like when Gaster's pocket dimension accepted our signatures. Instead, this process feels like a vacuum has been stuck to your palm, sucking your magical signature up to mingle and mix with its protective fabric. The feeling lasts seconds, then it's over.

"You're all assholes. I was seriously worried I got us lost somehow," Oakly yells at her guys the moment the fog fades and clarity returns to her senses.

I chuckle as they all sheepishly apologize, knowing good and well she was going to be upset thinking she somehow messed a transport up and brought them somewhere they shouldn't be.

"Look," I tell her, turning her back to the castle.

The large gray structure is truly a formidable fortress. It looks just like something I would've seen in a history book from the nonmagical realm describing medieval castles. It's breathtaking in size and way too nice on the inside.

I didn't get a proper tour when I came a few days ago since we were trying to move fast and get shit done, but the guys explained the bottom level is for the E.F. members to stay and it's set up like a sleeping quarter with bathrooms, a kitchen, a lounge, and space for them to basically exist. Those who are on guard duty don't leave the structure; they're here twenty-four seven until their rotation is up, and then they switch, and their Nexus can go back to wherever their homes are.

The second and third floors are for the prisoners. The cells they're in are very spacious, with enough room to comfortably fit four shifters, six if they aren't massive, which most of them are. They have a semiprivate bathing area and an enchanted window.

It's a retreat compared to what they deserve truly, but Corentin explained the castle was originally used as a small school before his family built Vito Academy, and so they utilized the already built structure and turned it into a prison when they began apprehending the rebels.

"We'll be in the second-floor interrogation room. This is Codi and he'll stay down here on the first floor if you need us or anything else. Stay in here and out of trouble, princess," Corentin orders lightly, pulling me closer, giving me a kiss before passing me off.

All the guys give me the same warning other than Draken, who gives me a kiss and a wink, telling me to do as I please, track him and feel him all I want.

I swear he's been driving me crazy. His mind has been running wild with dirty ideas and group activities he can't wait to try. At this point, I can't tell if he does this shit on purpose to rile me up or if I truly take up that much room in his mind. Literally his thoughts go from the sweetest compliments, praises, undying love, to dirty as sin sex positions he wants me in…and eating people.

Sweet, crazy-ass dragon.

"I have no clue why they continue to warn me to stay out of trouble. I don't do anything to get in trouble," I grumble sarcastically to Oakly and Gaster when they leave.

"No, nothing. It's not like you're jumping in front of poisoned daggers and almost dying or anything." Oakly snorts.

"Oakly," I shout at the same time Gaster yells, "What?"

"Shit. I forgot. I'm sorry." She swears wide-eyed, looking between me and Gaster.

I haven't told him what happened at Terravile yet. I asked everyone not to bring it up with him, that I'd tell him. I knew he'd take this news hard since he's already lost one Guardria bond, and hearing that he almost lost me wouldn't go over well. So I wanted to do it alone, at his cottage, where it'd just be the two of us.

"That disturbance I felt. You all said you got hurt fighting but were fine. Willow…" Gaster says sternly. This is the first time he's ever been upset with me. He's not even attempting to hide the rage swirling in his eyes.

"I jumped in front of a dagger meant for either Tillman or Lyker. It was laced with Tarring poison," I admit softly, tears threatening to fall.

His emotions are pounding against my rib cage—hurt, fear, anger, sadness. It feels like a stampede of bulls is trampling all over my chest right now. I knew this would cut him deep.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you alone so we could talk about it, not in the training gym with everyone there with us. My vision in your pocket dimension showed me Lyker getting hit with the dagger and dying. Once the fight broke out, it veered to Tillman getting hit and dying. Me jumping in front of the dagger was the only way to save them both." I cry, not bothering to hold the emotions back.

"This will be the only time you must sacrifice yourself, right? No more of this."

I can't tell if his words are a demand or a question, but either way, I can't give him the answer he's looking for. To tell him I'll never have to do something like that again would be a lie.

The longer we stand staring at each other in silence, the more Gaster seems to turn gray. The brightness of his sky-blue eyes and his luminescent silver hair fades, his silhouette morphing into a black-and-white picture.

"What does gray mean?" I ask softly. My question prompts him to pull me into his arms in a hug and the deep sigh he releases ruffles my hair.

"When I was around the boys' age, I questioned absolutely everything. I was so mad, so angry with Elementra for not blessing me with a Nexus. I wanted brothers, a family to spend my life with. I couldn't understand what I possibly could have done to deserve the loneliness Elementra was cursing me to. Then the Vito family came along, and my life changed. Then you, and it changed even more.

"To lose you, child, I'm sure would be the end of me. The gray aura you see is my deep-seated fear of losing you. I quit questioning Elementra's plans a long time ago, or so I thought. I can't help but question everything she's placed in front of you, but I will do everything I can to teach you and protect you. Starting with reading an aura," he swears, kisses my head, and steps back from me.

I'm not sure if it's just my inability to hold onto sensing his aura or if he knows how to hide it, but the grayish color wanes away, leaving Gaster back to his normal coloring, and I blink my eyes a couple times to make sure I'm seeing clearly again.

"You've seen me reddish orange and now gray. Any other times you have spotted colors?" he asks.

"During the… I saw the color of our bonds, but I figured the guys saw that too," I admit a little embarrassingly. No girl wants to bring up anything sex related to their grandpa.

"I didn't see the color of mine either time," Oakly announces, helping break up the awkward moment.

"The boys more than likely didn't either. I assume it happened in that moment because of your heightened emotions. That seems to be when Oakly's and my gifts make themselves more known. Now that you know what's going on, you can focus more. The most important thing to always remember when it comes to your magic, gifts, elements, and even your dominance, is intentions. Your intentions set the motion for anything you do," Gaster states firmly.

He's told it to me over and over. My intentions are the driving force for all that I do. My enchantments, control over my elements, even when we brewed the curing potions, he preached that my intentions have to be set and firm, and there will be nothing to stop me from doing what I intend to do. And for the most part, it's proven true. The only thing stopping me is myself. My self-doubt is constantly at war with my mind.

"So just like with my magic, elements, and other gifts, other than the sight that doesn't listen for shit, I need to set my intentions on what, the colors I want to see?" I ask.

"Sort of. So let's start with a basic sense of auras. I'll focus on the main colors you will see but know these colors can blend and change shades, which the more you learn, is where you will begin to pick up someone's true feelings and intentions behind their mood. Focus on Oakly. Think about seeing a halo of color surrounding her," he instructs.

It's honestly hard to focus on her cause she's smirking, distracting me from my task, so I refuse to look her in the eyes. Instead, I focus on her hair, her outfit. I run my gaze up and down her body before deciding to just stare at her forehead.

I fight my eyes not to go crossed from staring for so long at the same spot and will them to stay focused, despite their need to blink. She knows I'm struggling too because she giggles when I huff my frustration, but that's what does it. Grasping onto what I'm seeing, I laugh in excitement.

"You're pinkish orange. Gaster, do you see it? What does it mean?" I cheer, and the louder I get, the brighter she does.

"Very good, Willow. Well, this is where you'll learn to decipher moods. Based on knowing Oakly and what we're currently doing, her coloring is a combination of her love for you and her optimistic feeling of knowing you'll get this," he tells me.

"Aww, you're so freaking sweet," I pick, cooing at Oakly.

"Yeah, yeah. I have all the faith in you. You should know this. So what are the other colors, Gaster?" she asks, stealing my next question right out of my mouth.

"We'll start with the foundations and try to keep it simple. Red coloring can be associated with passion, energy, or intensity. Orange will usually symbolize creativity, enthusiasm, and optimism. Yellow can reflect intelligence, positivity, and joy. Green signifies balance, progression, and harmony. Blue represents calmness, communication, and clarity. Purple indicates spirituality, intuition, and insight. Pink implies love, compassion, and affection. White reveals purity, protection, and divine connection.

Black may suggest feelings of negativity or unsettled emotional issues, like fear, depression, and anxiety," he informs us very simplistically.

I stop for a moment and think about the colors I saw when I bonded, and I can't help but think that the colors of our bonds have a lot to do with not only the guys' personalities but also what they bring out in me.

Draken's so passionate, intensely so. He's a ball of energy that's so freeing, so contagious, you can't help but feed off it. He makes me want to live every day to the fullest any chance I get. And our bond is red.

Tillman, in my opinion, is the definition of balance. He may have extreme emotions sometimes, but he's levelheaded ninety percent of the time. He makes me feel like I've grown since coming here. He pushes me to be more, to progress. And our bond is green.

"So just now when you were gray, you were feeling both fearful and protective?" I ask Gaster.

"Yes, exactly. The colors will mix and blend depending on the feelings. For example, someone can be a dark red, which could be a mixture of black and red, so they could be feeling a negative passion such as hate," he explains.

"Okay, so I need to study up on my colors more. When I was focusing on Oakly just now, I didn't really know what to pinpoint my intentions to, so I just stared at her, thinking about her, and it took forever. So when I want to use this, I need to set my intentions to show me what exactly, what someone's feeling?" I ask for clarification.

"Set your intentions to understand their feelings or even more so, their intentions in the moment. What is happening around you to bring out their feelings."

"I need someone else to practice on. And what about sensing their magical signature?" I ask, getting carried away. When the hunger to know something sets in, it's hard to cut it off.

"That's more difficult. You'd be able to sense anyone's elements, I have no doubt since you have three yourself, and if someone had a water element, you'd be able to sense its unfamiliarity and know that it was water, but sensing gifts is much different. You have to know what it is you're sensing because they must be using it at the time you want to discover it. Like I can pick up when Tillman is reading someone's thoughts because I sense it and know how to look for it. Or when Caspian tries to hide in the shadows, I can sense him because I know his gift. So you need to become more familiar with the gifts," he tells me, bursting my damn bubble.

"Okay, well, I'll add that to my study list, but I'd still like to get some practice in. I'm going to assume it's a lot like picking up an aura, I need to set my intentions on figuring out what their element and gift is, but how?"

"For an element, focus your intention on seeing their element coat them somehow. When I was just learning, I'd picture their hair blowing if they had an air element, turning to leaves for earth, catching fire, or soaking wet," he tells me with a smirk.

"Gaster, why in the world did you picture crazy shit happening to their hair?" I laugh.

"Because I had the best hair and I liked mischief." He snorts, admitting it honestly.

"Elementra. All right then who can I practice on?" I smile, still shaking my head at his nonsense.

"I'll go get Codi. You know nothing about him like you do Oakly and me, so he will be good practice," Gaster declares, hustling from the room excitedly.

"How are you feeling? Understanding it all so far?" Oakly asks gently, coming to stand next to me.

"Yeah, I believe so. Is your gift like this too? Set my intentions and push the gift out?" I ask.

"Yes and no. You have to use more than intentions with mine, but what Gaster is about to teach you is going to help learn the second part of mine, so it'll all flow together when he's done," she states.

Blowing out my breath, I run my fingers through my bangs and nod. It's a lot to take in, and I still don't know if I'll get the full range of their gifts, or if my mimicking is limited to something. So far, what Draken can do, I can do. And with Tillman, I'm nowhere near as close to his capabilities, but I can do everything he's taught me.

Gaster comes trotting back into the room, grinning, and I push my gift out to see if I can decipher what he's feeling. This time, it takes no time for his aura to reveal itself to me, and I damn near have to cover my eyes he's so bright. It's like staring into the rising sun, a mixture of red, orange, and yellow all blending together. To me, that says he's extremely eager or excited.

Hesitantly making his way in behind Gaster, Codi looks between me and Oakly like we've set some sort of trap for him. Following the same thing I just did to Gaster, I try to get a feeling for what he's, well…feeling. He's staring at me intently while I search his aura for an answer. The color popped up almost as soon as I commanded my gift out, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what this really dark, deep magenta means.

"Gaster, I can see the color clearly, but I'm lost here on picking it apart," I announce.

"It seems you girls have Codi here nervous and so he's a bit apprehensive. There's a mingling of red, black, and purple in his aura," Gaster explains and confirms the colors I was seeing as well.

"You told me they summoned me. Of course I'm nervous. I know who their Nexuses are and Ry said they're trouble," Codi declares, turning to scowl at Gaster.

"Gaster." Me and Oakly snicker at the same time, not bothering to hold in our laughter.

"I don't believe I used the word summoned, but anyhow, Willow, try to sense his element," he says very unconvincingly, and looking at the tilt of his upper lip, he most certainly said summoned.

Swallowing down my laughter, I focus back on Codi, keeping in my snort when he begins shuffling on his feet. Pushing all jokes aside, I set my intentions to show me his element, and as I send out my gift, I picture his element coming to life before me.

I expected the same sort of results Gaster was explaining, like his hair changing. What I didn't expect was his entire body to change right before my eyes.

Shimmering, like a mirage, Codi's porcelain skin changes to match that of the bark on a tree. For a brief moment, it's like I'm seeing Groot in front of me.

"Earth. He has an earth element," I breathe astonishingly. As soon as I say the words, Codi blinks back to normal, a surprised look on his face.

"Very good, Willow." Gaster beams.

"Do you mind if I try to sense your gift? I'm kinda using you as my guinea pig right now," I ask Codi.

"Sure, but my gift isn't one that can reach out or like a shifter. I have to touch someone," he says, and Oakly immediately takes a step back toward me, smiling at Gaster.

It takes considerable mental strength not to just reach out and read her thoughts since she clearly knows his gift and I don't, but I want to try this and that will just give it away.

"Fine, but just a little bit," Gaster agrees, eyeing Codi seriously.

Focusing hard, I track Codi's hand all the way to where he places it on Gaster's shoulder. I have no clue what it could be, and just as I feel a little tingling of something, a massive yawn leaks out of me, breaking my concentration.

"Damn, I lost it. My yawn messed me all up," I say, covering my mouth as another escapes me.

"It didn't mess you up. That was his gift, child," Gaster states groggily, shaking his body out as Codi removes his hand.

"What?" I ask.

"I'm a sleeper. I can put people to sleep with a touch," Codi informs me.

"Holy shit, that's incredibly cool and very frightening."

"Luckily, your shifter nature and fire would burn right through a gift such as this, so nothing for you to be frightened about. Let's take a break and get some coffee. No time for a nap," Gaster declares, still shaking his head out as he makes his way to his bag.

Good to know I can't just be put to sleep like some helpless princess…

"Want me to explain the similarities in my gift to Gaster's while he does that?" Oakly asks.

"Absolutely, is it really hard?" My question, both laced with excitement and challenge, causes her to snort and link her arm with mine.

"No. You're picking things up fast and now that you got an idea on how to sense something, it'll come even easier. That's the second part that my gift requires in close quarter tracking. I have to have a sense of the person or whatever it is, to look for them. Say I wanted to track down one of my guys in this building, it wouldn't call for blood since that's really only used for farther tracking, but I'd need to either be familiar with their magic or I'd need to be in possession of something of theirs," she tells me.

"Okay, explain that a little more. You lost me at being familiar with their magic," I confess.

"We're all able to push our magic out to test the strength of someone else's. It's like getting a reading on how powerful they are compared to you. You remember how your magic responded to Dr. Evie when she touched you, how it spread out to examine hers?" she asks, and at my nod, she continues explaining.

"Well, that's what I do, but instead of just testing, my magic memorizes theirs. I send my magic out with the intention of remembering that person's, the feeling of it, the strength. Mentally, I really won't remember or be able to tell whose signature is whose or what I have stored, but my gift will if I ever needed to find that person. I'd just have to think of them. Practice on me. Picture your magic flowing out of you and embracing mine," she instructs.

Calling my magic forward, I push it out toward her, aimed at her chest since that's typically where most everyone's magic sits, and hold it there for a moment. It doesn't take very long for a vibration to pass through me, alerting me to something.

"Good. I can sense you pushing your magic onto mine. You'll be able to pick that up as well if someone were to do that to you, but now think about your magic giving mine a hug," she directs.

And that's what I do. I wrap mine around hers for a moment, like I'm cocooning her in a blanket of me, then I pull back.

"Perfect. Let's try it on Codi in case our bond is making it easier," she declares, sending him an evil smirk that has him pushing off the wall.

When he gives me a nervous little nod, I command my magic out, pinpointing it at his chest as well. I give it a few beats, not feeling the vibration like I did with Oakly's, and then I command it to spread farther across his chest.

Unlike hers and mine, where our magic seems to kinda sit behind our heart, his is center focused where my elements and bonds are. The second the vibration starts, I wrap my magic around his, then call it back.

"Could you tell what I was doing?" I ask him.

"No, but that's not an ability my gift would manifest. Not all gifts have that capability," he answers honestly.

"Now what?" I turn to Oakly.

"Codi, will you go hide? Anywhere in the castle is fine, just obviously don't leave," she asks him.

A Cheshire smile crosses his face, and he rubs his hands together, excited for the challenge before taking off in a sprint, out of the room and down the hall.

"Here, girls, drink your coffees, then you can find him. It'll give him a minute to hide good." Gaster laughs, passing us our cups.

The perfection of the coffee makes me and Oakly hum at the same time and I grin over my rim at her.

"All right, so what do I do?" I ask, clapping my hands together after I chug my coffee and set it down.

"Close your eyes and think of Codi. Picture him. Then focus your mind on finding him. Set that as your intention. Tracking Codi. When you push your magic out, it's going to feel like an imaginary string is pulling you toward him. Follow it," Oakly says, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with me as we stare in the direction he went.

Closing my eyes, I picture Codi in my mind just as he was moments ago. The feeling that comes over me reminds me of the one and only time I went fishing in my life on that godawful business retreat my father dragged me to.

It feels like I threw my line out, and I'm waiting for the tug on the other end. The moment my gift picks up his signature, the line draws tight, sending a small vibration through me, then begins to pull.

My eyes fly open, and I immediately take off speed walking down the hall, Oakly on my right giggling, Gaster on my left, encouraging me to continue following the feeling.

Around and around hallways we go until we climb the stairs to the second floor. For a moment, I'm jolted by the noise from the prisoners as we pass by them, their snarls, curses, or begs to be freed, but I ignore it all as best as I can, single-mindedly focused on following the string.

Coming up to a shut door at the end of the corridor, I immediately sense it's not just Codi in that room, so with a huge smile on my face, I push through and am met with four grins and an unamused Codi, who's sandwiched between them.

"Found you," I announce cheerily.

"Using our E.F. members to practice your tracking, are you, Primary?" Caspian asks.

"Yes, and I did it." I beam.

They all four move as one, surrounding me. Tilting my chin up with his finger, I meet Corentin's bright whiskey eyes.

"Good job, princess." He praises.

Fuck, I wonder if they'll practice with me.

Maybe naked…