“You wouldn’t have,” Riven says. “It only works for those with celestial blood.”
He doesn’t add that they could pass through the gateway if they were touching me, and I’m glad. I’m a stripper, not a tour guide. My trip home will be short, bloody, and no one’s idea of a field trip.
My fingers shake as I pull out my phone and call Ciprian.
He answers on the first ring. “Hot wings! Did you find it? Are you okay?”
“We’re fine.” I glance at the wolf pack and decide not to mention them. It will only stress everyone out, and they’re not a threat. “It’s real, Ciprian. I-I’m going to go through.”
“That’s great, baby.” Luca’s voice comes through the phone,slightly distorted but not enough to disguise his worry. “We’ll come with you. Give us a few hours, and we’ll be right there.”
I shake my head, even as my eyes burn. “I won’t risk you, Luca,” I tell him. “But I won’t risk myself unnecessarily either. I promise. I’ll get in, lie low, and figure out what’s going on with Malach before I do anything. If...” I swallow around the lump in my throat. “If he doesn’t love me anymore, I’ll come right back, but we both know I can blend in better without you.”
It’s hard to say the words to him, even though they’re true. I rub my hand over my heart, but there’s no getting rid of this ache. The heavy breathing coming through the phone tells me I’m not the only one hurting.
“Angel.”
“Hey, Ali.”
“Take Riven with you,” he demands.
My head snaps up. “That wasn’t the deal?—”
Riven takes the phone from me and twists out of my reach. “I’ll go with her,” he says. “I’ll protect her with my life; you have my word.”
The urge to tell them all to fuck off is strong, but I wall it off. This is hard for them. I know that. And if the roles were reversed, I’d be the same or worse. Alistair is trying. Luca and Ciprian are too, and part of me is relieved I won’t be going alone.
Riven hands the phone back to me.
“Are you sure you’re done?” I purr.
“All settled, darling.”
I give him my back and return the phone to my ear. “I’m here.”
“I love you, baby.” Luca’s voice is raspy.
My eyes well up, and I fight tears, wishing I didn’t have an audience. “I love you, too,” I whisper. “All of you.”
Assoon as Ciprian and Alistair say it back, I hang up, unable to stand a painful, drawn-out conversation. It’s too much like goodbye, and I’ll never be ready for that.
I glance at the curious wolves and widen my stance. “Stand back.”
Riven grabs my hand. “If you try to go through that gateway without me, I’ll hunt you to the ends of the universe, darling. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. Don’t make me a liar.”
My eyes widen at his intensity. I wasn’t planning to leave him behind, but I guess he can’t know that. I pat him on the cheek and shake my head. “Don’t worry. You’re about to get a new stamp on your passport.”
I press my hand to the rune, grinding my palm against the sharp point in the middle. It draws blood and hums to life. Golden light explodes in all directions, runes projecting in a circle twenty feet high.
One wolf yelps and runs away. I suck in a breath. This is definitely a gateway. It’s almost as big as the one I came through years ago.
Riven links our fingers, and we step into the light.
Except . . . I can’t get through.
It’s like stepping into the side of a bubble that won’t pop.
I try again, lowering my shoulder to shove. The lights flicker, then turn red, flashing half a dozen times before the runes contract into a tiny ball of light. A second later, it winks out completely.
