21. Twenty-One

Twenty-One

Willow

“You Primaries believe you can take on all of us? On the Mercie Nexus’s first day of training?” Dyce’s challenging tone draws a snort from Oakly, Aurora, and me.

The twelve men standing solidly in front of us all look amused at Aurora’s offer of boys versus girls to end our first training together this morning.

It wasn’t a surprise to me at all, but she and her Nexus were floored to see Oakly and her guys pick up on the true Nexus mingling—as I’m calling it—so fast. Nikoli and Oakly got it right their first time with their water elements, and it only took a few tries for her to get it right with all her men.

I had told her all about what the training was and what it required, and I lent her the book, so there’s no doubt she spent the night reading up on it in preparation for this morning.

“The lot of you really don’t believe we can take you?” I ask, gazing around at their overly confident smirks.

“This is different than E.F. training, trouble, where you and Oakly can take down six men. The twelve of us have trained the three of you in some form or fashion. We know every move you’ll make,” Ry says .

“He doesn’t know every move I can make.”

“Oakly.”

She giggles and his eyes whip to her, confused and believing she’s laughing at his words. She’s too sly to tell him the truth and just winks at the glare he’s shooting her.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea and I have a way in which we can make it fair,” Gaster says enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear at the three of us, and Keeper shakes his head beside him knowingly.

Well, I know who Gaster has his money on.

“Let’s hear it then, old man. If the Primaries want to try their luck, who are we to stop them?” Caspian says sarcastically, causing the guys to chuckle darkly and us to glare.

“A Forcefield Ring. Theo can draw out a large circular formation and once one of you boys or ladies is knocked out of the ring, you can’t enter back in. It’ll only be him that will have to be truthful about whether he gets knocked out, and obviously we’ll be able to see if that happens. This way, you can’t just continue to attack. Metaphorically speaking, you’ll be out.”

The horde of Nexus members look at each other to weigh their opinions in that scenario, while us girls are game. We were ready for this face-off without this fairness added.

“Fine, but we need rules,” Corentin declares, and Aurora scoffs.

“No rules, son. Gifts, elements, magic, it’s all fine. You men just get ready for this ass whopping we’re about to deliver.”

Oakly and I practically keel over laughing. Her voice was so sweet and soft. Nothing like the threat she’s letting linger in the air. Her Nexus stares at her heatedly and my men all groan in disgust. Of course Oakly and I swoon because it’s so romantic.

“Our men better still look at us like that in two hundred years.”

“If they know what’s good for them, they will,” I snark with a tilt to my lip as I gaze at my Nexus.

“It’s settled then. Come on, Theo, I’ll walk the barrier with you. Everyone else get prepared,” Gaster orders, clapping his hands in mischievous excitement .

The three of us turn from our guys and I lace my fingers with Aurora’s so I can open my mind to both her and Oakly so she can hear our words. While simultaneously, I attempt to block Tillman out, although I know he won’t try to eavesdrop. I feel his eagerness to see what we’ll do.

“So what’s the plan?” Oakly asks.

“Willow, I believe you should be the middle point. With all four elements at your disposal, you’ll have the greatest advantage. My men are going to try to attack from behind me, so keep your eyes peeled there.”

“My guys are going to attempt to hit from all angles. That’s their attack formation,” I say.

“Ry likes to hit head-on, so mine will be coming from the front,” Oakly tacks on.

See, these men may have trained us, but we’ve been watching them as well.

“So, Oakly, right side, front and back. Aurora, left. I’ll take middle and behind,” I say, and they both give me nods as we take our positions.

The men all line up in the exact formations as we assumed they would, creating a circle all the way around us.

My men are spread out, Tillman ahead of me, Draken to my left, Corentin to my right, and I feel Caspian’s eyes on my back. Without being able to see him, I assume he’s positioned himself between his dads, like Tillman’s positioned himself between Oakly’s Nexus. They’re spread out enough around the circle we’re completely surrounded, and I have half a mind to just send out a big-ass blast of air, knocking them all out of the circle together.

“On my count, everyone,” Gaster yells, “One…”

Shit.

“Wai—”

My sight decides that this is the perfect time to send me a vision and blurry images begin to race across my mind. Every strike, every move, every counter, and every step that needs to be taken at this moment to ensure the three of us are the victors .

“Three.”

Gaster’s voice pulls me out of the vision, and I rapidly lay my hands on Aurora’s and Oakly’s shoulders as I send out a ring of waves to hold the guys back for a second.

“Aurora midmorning, wrap a vine around Jamie’s ankle and drag him out of the circle. Oakly midday, Roye’s going to try to get you in a dirt mound. I’ll deflect with my air. You get him in a globe of water and roll his ass out.”

My waves come crashing down around us, soaking the bottom of our pants, but with a quick whip of my wind, I dry up all the water, while simultaneously, I send that burst of air up to block Roye’s earth.

In perfect synchrony, Aurora and Oakly follow my directions, sending the first two men out of the ring.

Then there were ten.

The first strikes take the rest of the men by surprise and they each pause their attacks, breathing heavily as they reevaluate what they assumed was going to be an easy takedown.

Aurora’s magic washes over me and Oakly, and we both take deep breaths as the calm focus she bathes us in settles across our minds.

Standing in the middle of them, with their backs turned toward me, I lay my hands back on Aurora’s shoulder so her mind stays open to me and call my dragon’s sight forth. Letting the violet take over my senses, I breathe slowly.

The maneuvers the men are preparing to cast out filter across my mind seconds before they actually leave their fingertips. By the time they command whatever they plan to send our way, I’ve already relayed the information to the other two and they’re ready for it.

The sensation of Tillman beating on the barrier of my mind draws my attention to where he’s making his way closer to me and I grab Oakly’s hand in mine, lacing our fingers together.

Her gasp is loud, sudden, but she instinctively commands her element to obey, and I take control of the water flowing through her.

It looks like my Nexus isn’t the only bond I can connect with.

Like a geyser shooting from our connected hands, the brutal stream of water hits not only him but Ry straight on. Their stone-covered boots drag across the floor, tearing the hardwood up, and they cast an earth wall between them and the water.

Pushing even more of our element out, the earth wall collides with the two of them, sending them right over the forcefield line.

The three commanders are down.

Growls roar around the circle and I whip around as Draken and Dyce, in their partially shifted forms, run head-on toward Aurora with fire-blazed hands.

“Aurora, I need to command them out. Hit me with something.”

Lacing her hand with mine, my shoulders straighten of their own accord, my violet eyes glow, and confidence on a whole other level blooms across my chest. Instead of a ground-quaking roar, a low, commanding purr leaves my lips.

Draken and Dyce hit a knee with their heads bowed to us, and together, our earth elements sweep them up on a wave of sand.

The two most fearsome shifters I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting go rolling over the line with growls and sand falling from their lips.

Six down. Six to go.

Repeatedly, we twirl around our three women stronghold as if we were having a dance party in the middle of a room. Our bodies sway smoothly in sync with each other, and my hand always finds one of them as if I’m being passed between two dance partners.

Before I know it, Oakly is sending San and Nikoli surfing out of the ring. Despite Nikoli’s attempt to command her water with his own, he’s too late. On my other side, Aurora has Theo and Neil lassoed together, faces smushed to one another’s. She snatches her vines back, and like a spin top toy, the two men go spiraling out of the line.

That means two.

In this calm, Aurora and Oakly breathe heavily, searching around us for my two men who currently can’t be seen by the naked eye. The tension and anticipation build so high around us as our gazes scan the seemingly empty space, it’s electrifying.

Tickling up my spine calls my shadows out and a gentle breeze that has my chin tilting up brings light to my fingertips. That cold chill that makes me shiver in the best of ways is warmed by a subtle heat on my front.

The God of Light and God of Dark believe they’ve caught their Goddess.

“Sorry, boys.”

Turning sideways, I shoot my palms out.

A stream of light pours from one and shadows as dark as night from the other.

My light surrounds Caspian in halos, snatching his cover of darkness away from him, and my air cocoons him in a bubble. My shadows take over Corentin’s form, making him as fluid as they are.

“Out,” I command.

The brothers go soaring over the line, and as soon as they cross the threshold, I pull my gifts back to me, smiling in triumph.

There’s a beat of tense silence as the three of us stare our men down.

“That’s my girls. I knew it.” Gaster breaks out in rambunctious cheering as he jumps up and down. Keeper’s laugh echoes around the room a split second later as he applauds and whistles as loud as Gaster cries out.

All our men turn to the two of them, and me, Oakly, and Aurora giggle, wrapping our arms around each other while we celebrate our victory.

“Did you have any faith in us whatsoever?” Draken asks Gaster.

“Not for a second, my boy. I knew those girls were going to hand you a beating to be remembered.”

With shakes of their heads, our men begin walking toward us and we break apart, meeting them halfway. I’m surrounded in seconds, and the pride vibrating from each of them makes my cheeks hurt from the smile crossing my face.

“You were phenomenal, princess,” Corentin says, laying a soft kiss to my forehead.

“She cheated,” Tillman says teasingly and I narrow my eyes on him. “Visions before you battle us is unfair advantage, little warrior.”

“I don’t dictate when they come,” I sass in defense .

“I’m aware,” he says, gripping the back of my neck. “That’s an amazing advantage, Will, and I’m so proud of you for taking it,” he whispers against my lips.

The hunger for me pumping between his bond to mine is almost overwhelming. I’ve felt Tillman’s pride plenty of times now, but this…this is fucking heady.

My eyes are dilated as he breaks away from me and I shove my dragon down because all she wants is to pounce on him. Our ghost doesn’t give us a chance, though, as I’m wrapped in shadows and twirled around like a ballerina.

“Dangerous little Primary. You didn’t pull a single punch,” he says low as he leans down to my ear.

“Of course I didn’t. I wanted us to win,” I breathe.

“Good girl.”

My body trembles in his hands, and his dark chuckle engulfs me as I’m passed off to my dragon man. You’d think for a beast so dominant, he’d be a little upset at being forced to submit, but instead, he’s hungry smiles with devilish eyes.

“If you wanted me on my knees for you, little wanderer, all you had to do was say so. I’ll gladly bow to you and worship you the way you deserve to be,” he purrs and I melt.

Fuck.

Nothing in the realm can compare to sparring the way we just did, then have each of them look at me like I’m something so spectacular. There’s not a shred of anger, resentment, or anything with a negative connotation in relation to how they feel about the Primaries’ victory.

If anything, they’re the opposite. As if us winning makes each of them feel better, more confident, and determined.

The blaring sounds of Tillman’s and Corentin’s timekeepers startle me, and I flinch in Draken’s arms. The thrill of this training distracted me from the reality of what the rest of my day will look like now that it’s over.

The sting in my nose is instant, and I suck in a deep breath. Regulating my now pounding heart is even harder as the guys close in on me, but I force it to calm .

“Everything’s going to be okay, princess. We’ll meet at the mansion for lunch, then you’ll transport back with us. And if you need any of us in the time between then, we can be here in seconds,” Corentin says softly.

“I know. I’m just being emotional. I’ll be fine once I’m knee deep in research and my mind’s distracted.”

“The Amplifier room, Primary. If you’re having mini visions of what’s about to happen minutes in the future, you’ll be spending the morning there. Honing that in,” Caspian commands behind me.

Well, damn it. No dipping my toes in on this new routine.

I’m being tossed right on in.

“Why has this spell been concealed from my knowledge and why have the two of you kept it from me?” Caspian growls darkly, cornering San and Gaster.

To say he’s not taking being informed about the Recollection spell very well is an understatement.

Keeper snickers as he walks up to us with two mugs of coffee in his hand, one for me, the other for himself. Caspian’s deadly glare does nothing but make him laugh harder as he walks away to explore CC’s room.

San rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. It takes a good bit to ruffle the walking library, and him not telling Caspian a tidbit of the knowledge he holds in his mind is the least of his concerns. Gaster, on the other hand, looks guilty, and I’m a second away from stabbing Caspian in the ass with my shadows for making him feel bad.

“There’re reasons why certain spells have basically been wiped from the books, Caspian. It’s a powerful spell that doesn’t need to be in everyone’s hands,” San states boredly.

“But it should be in yours and not mine? You already have a gift that remembers everything you fucking read.”

“Calm down, Cas. They’re going to teach it to you now, so all’s okay,” I say softly, trying to hide my smirk behind his back.

“All is not okay, thank you very much, Primary. You didn’t tell me either. I want a legitimate answer. Now.” He huffs.

I shake my head and look at Gaster with pleading eyes, begging him to give Cas a reason that is worth his while so he can get over this. It’s not usually my darkest of men who gets so worked up over things. That’s typically Draken, but this surely has him bent out of shape.

“Some things are better to forget, Caspian. This spell is one that wraps completely around the mind, and when you activate it, it remembers any and everything that transpires until you deactivate it. Even once deactivated, you still have your own consciousness that can recall the events that take place. Until now…” Gaster trails off, looking between the two of us before sighing. “Until now, my boy, this was not a spell I thought would be in your best interest to know. I do believe you can agree with me on that.”

Caspian’s dark eyes gaze down at me, and I watch as the anger bleeds away. We both know there’re things he’s both done and experienced that I’m sure he recalls fragments of but doesn’t need or want to remember it all. With a spell like this around his mind before now, he would’ve kept it activated all the time. We both know that, and we know that would’ve done more harm than good.

“Fine, yes, I agree. But that’s no longer the case, and you’ll be teaching it to me now.” Caspian compromises and Gaster deflates.

“Yes, I believe you’re ready now.”

“Great, so me and Oakly will hit the books while you all do that. I’ll worry about this spell another time,” I say as I try to mosey out from underneath his arm.

“Not so fast,” he and Gaster order.

Groaning, I turn back to them with the most innocent smile I can muster.

It doesn’t work on either of them.

“I know what you experienced the last time in the Amplifier room was rough, child, but you can do it. It was obviously needed for it to be that hard on you your first time, but this time will be different. You’re more prepared. Now, San taught Oakly the spell last night, so she is ready to go. Oakly, take your fancy new book and go with Willow. Stay outside her door in case she needs you, and us four will do what we need to in here.” Gaster decides, leaving no room for argument from me.

Pressing up on my toes, I give Caspian a kiss on his cheek, then turn away, chugging down the piping hot coffee to distract my mind.

Yes, I’m nervous about going in there again. The last time, I got some half-ass vision that made me feel like I was burning from the inside out and never once did it allude to the fact that’s what my best friend, sister, would be experiencing. Never mind the other confusing shit I saw about the Summum-Master.

“Come on, if you need me to come to your rescue, I’ll bust down the door,” Oakly says as she hip bumps me before climbing the stairs to leave CC’s room.

“I very well might need you to.” I sigh, linking her arm with mine when we step out into the bedroom. “So how much of it have you already read?”

“Well, when San taught me the spell, I skimmed through the Elementra bits since I was already familiar with them. It’s kind of a crazy sensation. With the spell activated, it feels like it’s literally being written across my brain permanently, then it just fades into my knowledge. It’s hard to explain,” she says, and I hum as I cover us in my shadows.

Like the trooper she is, or maybe because of our bond, she doesn’t sway, get dizzy, or need a minute to collect herself when my shadows release us in front of the south wing ward and we walk through.

Since her kidnapping, both Caspian and I have realized we can travel much farther in our shadows now. We don’t even have to be completely covered in darkness or move through walls to get to where we need to go.

Although I’m far more confident in transporting people now that I’ve done it a couple of times, it feels so much more natural to me to move myself and others through the shadows.

“That sounds a lot like the communal knowledge Tanith explained to me and Draken. I think we have a touch of it, small things we just know, but she makes it seem like information on the brain, waiting to be called on.”

She snorts, nodding along. “Exactly, it’s just there now. I’ll never forget it and it’ll come as soon as I need it to. ”

Blowing out a harsh breath as we hit my hallway, I squeeze her hand. “You’ll use the spell wisely. I know it. CC wouldn’t have mentioned it if he didn’t already know you were meant for it. This spell will benefit you for the rest of your long, long, long life.”

“Is it cheating, though?” she asks quietly.

“What? What do you mean cheating?”

“Well, being a Master Archivist requires you to rely on your own intelligence. I feel like having this spell is a crutch for me to remember things I should remember on my own.”

“Oakly, that’s ridiculous. Gaster uses the same spell. When you live to be as old as him—which I assume is fucking ancient—then can you imagine how hard it would be to remember things you learned two thousand years ago? No, it’s not a crutch. If anything, it’s best practice for your line of work. In my opinion, a Master Archivist should use whatever tools are provided to her so she has the answers and knowledge whenever she needs it.”

“Pot meet cauldron,” she says as we come to stand in front of the door of the Amplifier room. “CC’s given us both other-realmly gifts. Between this wing, this whole palace, and what Elementra’s blessed us with, we’ve got plenty of tools at our disposal. We need to use them wisely.”

“See, you’re already so smart.” I grin down at my feet rather than at her as I shake my hands out.

She’s right. Time to get to work.

“If you need me, call for me. I’ll barrel on in there,” she says, giving me a little push forward before she sits on the ground with her book.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Happy reading,” I grumble.

Taking a deep breath, I push the door open and walk on in before I convince myself otherwise. The power of the room is already calling to me, but I lock everything up until I can get in and get comfortable.

I haven’t even made it across the room to my platform and the reflective walls are making ripples like the first raindrop disturbing a calm puddle.

Still, I lock my barrier up and caress each crystal that circles the dais. My hands linger on the Angel Aura Amethyst. The pure connection and protection to Elementra herself surge into my palms from the four massive spires and I get lost in the stunning purple shades.

Just gazing at them, they’re striking in beauty. The varying light and dark tones of the purple gives them depth, and at first glance, the only thing anyone would think is how stunning they are. Then, like I’m doing now, they’d lay their hand on one and realize how incredibly powerful this crystal is.

Fitting.

Lowering myself to the ground, I lean my back against the crystal and release a steady breath. The last thing I want is to be invaded with the burning pain I felt last time. I’ll stay pressed as closely as I can to my crystal until I know no shit like that will be happening again.

You can do this, Willow.

You can control what comes through.

Breathe.

“I wish I could tell you it was as simple as that, filia mea, but sadly, it’s not. You can, however, tell it what you want to see. Sometimes you get an answer. Sometimes you do not.”

I close my eyes and relish the warming of my bond that comes with CC’s voice. I’ve had to face the hard truth lately, well, really, when Tanith fussed at me, that he did and is still doing everything he can for me, even from the beyond. I can let my emotions overrule me every time he comes to me. Or…I can accept the fact that his and Elementra’s hands are tied, and they’ve done everything they could to keep me safe and get me here.

“Tell it what I want to see…okay. So set my intentions and tell it to show me something?”

“Tell it exactly what you want to it to show you. Do not give it options. The sight is not like the other gifts that will work seamlessly with you as you know. You must be firm with it, and even then, it’s stubborn on the best of days.”

Snorting, I smile softly. “Sounds familiar.”

“That it does, filia mea, that it does.”

His presence leaves me once again, and I sigh.

This is another hard truth that’s plagued my mind since Oakly’s rescue. I’ll never be able to just have a casual conversation with the man who was more of a father to me that my own for a large part of my life. I’ll never be able to just call him up in my mind or otherwise and tell him about my day or ask him about his. The only time I’ll be able to hear his voice is when there’s something I need to know.

I’m so grateful for that, and I’ll cherish the information he gives me, but damn, what I wouldn’t give for one more teasing conversation, inside joke, training session. Anything really.

Gripping the blanket beneath me tightly, I regulate my breathing once again and clear my mind of those sad thoughts. I focus on what he just told me to do, and I ground myself in the belief that I’ll be able to.

Peering at my wobbling reflection in the mirror, I nod to myself. Start with something easier but just as important.

Show me the families betraying us.

The second I lower my block, the sight takes hold.

Gathered around a table, five females pass around a parchment, talking frantically amongst themselves as a swarm of men behind them speak in much quieter voices. Counting them out quickly, there’re twenty.

The five families.

“I just can’t believe this. Why are we pushing out a ball because the heirs have met their so called Primary? It makes no sense at all.” One of the females scoffs, tossing the parchment to the woman beside her.

“It’s tradition to announce when a royal has met their true Primary, Kellie. You know this as well as I do. And knowing Aurora, she’ll want time to plan something grander for the girl,” another answers.

Kellie…Kellie…why do I know that name.

Shit.

Everglow. Gima’s mom.

“Well, it’s a little showy if you ask me.” Kellie hisses.

“Why? Is it because you had high hopes for your daughter to be paired with the boys? How is her retreat going anyways?” one of the men asks. His deep tone is laced in disgust and everyone in the room senses it as they fall into tense silence .

“Enough. It’s been decreed. Let’s carry on with the meeting,” another man barks and everyone shifts around nervously. “We called this meeting today…”

No, no, fuck, wait.

With all the power of the gift I possess, I snatch on to the fragments of the vision, but it doesn’t matter. The sight kicks me out just as easily as it allowed me in, and I growl as I come to fully.

Staring once again at my reflection rather than that crowded table.

Huffing, I run my fingers through my bangs and untangle the bunched-up blanket in my lap.

As annoyed as I am, technically, the sight did show me exactly what I asked for, just not exactly what I wanted to see. I’m going to take the wins where I can get them, though, and at least now, I’ve seen all their faces. I can even put a name and face to Gima’s traitorous-ass mom.

It’s easy to assume the four men who were standing behind her, including the one who said they called the meeting, is her Nexus.

And I know good and damn well Aurora didn’t organize a meeting. And seeing as she wasn’t there, she has no clue that they planned this little get-together.

So two wins.

I know all the faces of the five. And I know those assholes are having secret meetings.

Talking it out with myself transforms my thought process from that being a failed attempt at controlling the sight, to a small taste of what I could really do if I kept at this.

Okay, let’s try this again.

Building up my magic, I think clearly about the biggest obstacle we’re facing and how much it would help to know who we’re truly up against. If we knew his name or could see his face, we could figure out where this vendetta came from, what his capabilities truly are, and so much more. We could start working on tearing him down before we even get our hands on him.

Show me who the Summum-Master is .

For a brief, blip moment, a figure cloaked in all black crouches and shakes so violently, their limbs tremble through their covering. Repeatedly, they beg to be spared.

Their body continues to vibrate to the point they become nothing more than a hazy form.

After countless seconds of nothing but a distorted picture, finally a…

Elementra.

I suck in a startled breath as that same pixelated picture that I saw the first time I came in here begins to take shape and a lump forms in my throat as I watch the chaos and destruction he brings.

The Summum-Master dances around, shooting power out of his body with the ferocity of a volcanic eruption. Every way he turns, he cuts down another body with nothing more than a flick of his wrist.

There’s something different about him this time, though.

He’s…more.

There’s something about the gifts he’s wielding to kill what I’m assuming is our people. It doesn’t flow naturally through him as our blessed gifts do, and even those I’ve seen wield the stolen power move more fluidly than he is right now.

Regardless, whatever it is. It’s deadly.

Blood. Bodies. Destruction.

It’s everywhere. Everything.

As he turns around, his cloak flaring out behind him, the scene completely changes, leaving us eyeing the two young men standing in front of him.

Oh, Elementra.

I know one of them. The other’s identity is easy to guess.

“The illusion will fortify your glamour completely. No one will be able to bring it down.”

“Good. Looks like your brother lives another day.”

With that dark threat, the Summum-Master turns once again. This time, I see the all familiar blurry face that keeps his identity his most well-kept secret.

Gasping, I fall to the side, catching myself between the Angel Aura crystal and the Blue Calagate. The sudden rush of my mind being my own once again makes everything around me spin and I crawl across the room to get to the door.

Fuck me, I can’t wait till this little side effect stops.

Searching in the darkness for the handle, as soon as the cold metal touches my fingertips, I snatch it down and pull the door wide to break the connection.

I nearly eat carpet as I fall out into the hallway in a heap, and the groan that leaves me ricochets down the long stretch almost loud enough to cover up Oakly’s shriek.

“Willow, what the fuck? Are you okay?”

“Fuck me, those visions are so much more intense than when they come randomly.”

“That’s because you’re attempting to force it. Which is what you’ll have to do to gain any control over it, but that’s beside the point. What the hell? Answer me if you’re okay or not.”

“Fine. Just need a healing vial and a minute.”

Huffing, she latches onto my wrist and the little shit that she is whisks us through a transport back to CC’s room.

It’s one hundred percent her fault, and I don’t feel even a touch bad when I throw up all over her shoes.

“Shit. Gaster, Caspian, someone get her a healing vial,” Oakly yells as if I’m on the verge of dying.

“Primary,” Caspian says, panicked, as he kneels at my side immediately and lifts me into his lap.

“Oakly’s freaking out. I’m fine. The vision made me dizzy, then she transported me here,” I groan, squeezing my eyes shut from the sudden movement.

“Oh, okay, blame it on me, huh? You’re the one who fell out the damn door barely able to catch her breath.” She fusses.

“Here, child, drink. My, I didn’t believe this time would be just as bad. I really didn’t.”

“It wouldn’t have been if I didn’t force out two visions. Got a little cocky after the first one.” I sigh as the liquid miracle works its magic as soon as it slides down my throat .

“Two? You got multiple to come forth?” Caspian asks quietly, respecting the fact my head is still pounding and everyone else is practically yelling.

“Yeah. And I learned some things. Is it almost lunch yet?”

“We’ll take an early one if need be, Primary.”

“Let’s do that. Call the others, please. Tell them to have Codi and Trex meet us at the mansion as well.”

Other than it’s the right thing to do…

I finally know why it’s so important that we find their brothers.