Chapter Seventeen

"Stay here," I tell the light-being, going against all my instincts to leave my mate. He takes a step after me, and I whirl on him. "You can protect her because you are solid. Stay. Here." The words come out dark and demanding.

His bright golden eyes fill with understanding. He nods, then takes a step back, grabbing Lexia by the arm and tugging her to him. My eyes home in on the way his fingers dig into her arm and do not go through her. I think of how her skin must feel—soft and warm.

"What's going on?" she whispers, holding onto him. Her grip on him is even tighter.

How I wish she could grasp onto me like that. Hold on to me for dear life. Hold on to me with so much trust…

I wretch my gaze away. The pain is too much.

"A shadow just showed up," he tells her quietly.

I close my eyes for a quick moment, suck in a breath, then step through the door. Confusion fills me when I see Jhaixl. Confusion and relief.

"What are you doing here?" I ask only loud enough that he will hear. I am not so stupid to run to him, so I keep my spot on the porch, while he stays beyond the wards.

"I came to warn you," he says in a rush. "Let me in."

"I'm sorry, friend, but I cannot." He frowns, so I add, "My mate is here."

He nods, letting out a breath. "I understand, Vesperon. I would do the same."

"What is your warning?" My nerves are on edge, wondering if this is a setup or if I can actually trust Jhai.

"Jlenar is in on it. He has sent men to seek out your mate and kill her."

Jlenar? I grit my teeth. I'd already known someone was trying to kill her, but my chief? What a betrayal! "Why are they going after her?"

He shakes his head. "I do not know, Vesperon, and I am sorry this is happening."

"How do you know this?" I demand, fighting the urge to run to him and clench his throat. This isn't his doing. He is helping me. I need to remain calm, or I could put us all in danger.

"I overheard them speaking about it. There are things I know that I wish I could share with you. I've brought something for you. It may help."

I move down the stairs, knowing the edge of the barrier isn't far. I want to trust Jhai, I truly do. We've known each other for years, but still, I stop before I leave the safety of the wards.

"How did you overhear them?"

"Jlenar had me in his office, questioning me. It's why I haven't been around. He knows you know something and has been speaking with everyone who was told to watch you over the years. Once he dismissed me, I hung back hoping to get information."

Everyone? There has been more than Jhaixl? How many more? Who?

"Why are you helping me, Jhaixl?" I sigh.

His brow creases, as if he is offended. "I already told you; we are friends, Vesperon. I care for you, though I know I shouldn't. Your happiness means something to me, and if your mate bond is so strong that it overcame the spell, who are we to stop it?"

I search his gaze, deciding I see nothing that tells me he is lying. I nod, then step outside of the ward, putting my trust in him. He reaches forward, taking one of my hands in both of his. He closes his eyes, focuses, and something appears in my hand. Glancing down at it, I frown.

"It is my journal," he says. "Read it. Memorize it the way you would the handbook."

My eyes narrow on him, but all he does is nod. I cover the book with my other, allowing it to soak into my form. Because it was made in our realm, I can carry it with me even here.

Jhai continues, "Whatever happens, know that you are a friend, Vesperon. Do whatever it is you need to keep your mate safe." He stares into my eyes, his words sinking deep into my soul. "Anything, my friend."

He turns and runs down the road, disappearing into the darkness. I watch for moments after he is gone. This may be the last time I see him. That thought makes me sad. When I get back inside the house, I find the radiant and my mate where I left them. Still holding on to each other.

"We must go. Now," I state.

"To your realm?" the radiant asks.

I shake my head. "To your place." I move closer to him, bringing my mouth by his ear and whispering so quietly only he can hear. "They are on their way."

I step back, finding his eyes wide. He glances at Lexia, then at me.

"Take her first," I say, moving further back to give him space.

"Take me first? Take me where?" she asks, frantically looking between the both of us. The radiant nods, then tugs her into the center of the room. He puts her in front of him, her back to his chest, and wraps his arms around her, holding her tight.

"I will return for you the moment I can. Seconds," he says with a firm nod of his head.

"What's going on?" Lexia calls, her voice trembling. Her gaze darts from him to me, pleading. "Tell me what's happening!"

"He will keep you safe," I say as I turn to look out the window.

"Vesperon! Tell me what is going on!"

A few seconds can be a matter of life or death. The amount of darkness coming toward this home is enough to call upon more radiants to fight.

Are they trying to start a war? Will the radiants even show?

"Vesperon!" Lexia continues. "Lumen, tell me what—"

There is a loud zap of electricity, and the room lights up brighter than I've ever seen before. It's so bright I feel it. It burns right through me, and the crack of lightbulbs shattering echoes through the room. My energy dwindles to an unsafe low, but as soon as the light is there, it's gone. I glance over my shoulder and find the room empty and dark. The lack of light has my energy returning quickly. Seconds. Seconds and he still isn't back.

Radiants have the ability to travel using the light particles in the air, but it is tiring for them. It drains their energy. Especially when they are taking a human who has no magic, and a being like me who pulls their energy naturally. We are the opposite; therefore we clash and give nothing to one another, but instead, take. If he were traveling with another radiant, it wouldn't bother him at all.

Darkness surrounds the house, a feeling so heavy a wave of fear rolls through me. I cannot face them all by myself. I'm not so na?ve to think otherwise. But they are here, and I am alone. There are wards, but they will not withstand the number of shadows who have made their way here. Especially with the light-being not being here to uphold them. Whoever wants Lexia dead, really wants to make sure the job is done.

The witch's last words play through my head again.

This isn't the first lifetime…

Meaning Lexia and I have been together before. Lexia is a reincarnation of another that was killed. Murdered, most likely. It's possible her soul doesn't belong to a human, but instead, was put into a human for protection. Perhaps to keep whoever is looking for her off her trail.

Why this is my thought process now, as hundreds of shadows surround the house, I am not sure. Of course, this is only a theory and it's possible her soul is entirely human. The prophecy would make sense then. A shadow, a light-being, a grey, and a human. But prophecies have been known to change over the years.

If I thought this light-being was frustrating, I cannot imagine how the grey will be. They are the most frustrating beings of all.

I feel it the moment the ward is broken through, the wave of darkness crashing over me makes me feel like I am home. Though, unlike when I am home, I do not feel at ease. It's been at least thirty seconds since the radiant has been gone. Does he plan on coming back at all? Was it a ruse to get my mate away from me?

Perhaps it isn't something so wicked.

Is he too weak to return? Such is my luck to be stuck with a weak radiant…

The shadow soldiers seep in through the walls like black smoke; so many of them it's hard to make out who is who. I step into the center of the room, prepared to fight. I have nothing to help me. No weapons, no magic, only my body. I am skilled in combat, but against so many…

Where is that radiant?

Just as I think it, the buzzing starts and there is another bright light that stuns the shadows. As one, they flinch back at the bright light, while I turn to face it. It hurts, but it is my only chance.

The light-being steps into me. Literally inside me, to stand within my body as if we are one. "Close your eyes," he says, and then my world is spinning.