Kalinda shrugged. She’d never been comfortable with people caring for her like that. People didn’t … stay. “Damn, I feel like I’ve been hit by a dump truck.”
“You look it too,” Zoey quipped.
“Oh, thanks, that makes me feel grand.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Romano said. “I’d eat you and go back for seconds, I’m just saying.”
Kalinda rolled her eyes at the last statement. Of course, he’d say that. Instead of focusing on how it felt to have them around—or how good it felt to have him there for her—she looked to Zahara again.
What mattered was what had happened to her. “Where was I?”
Before she could answer, Romano huffed. “Zoey, you’re doing that miracle grow thing again.” Kalinda had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but his eyes were glued to a potted orchid in the corner of the room. It was … massive—larger than any orchid she’d ever seen—and little gold dust floated around it.
“Did you just call my mate fertilizer?” Dominic forced out. Kalinda couldn’t tell if he wanted to laugh, growl, or a mixture of both.
Romano whirled on him. “Well, what else am I supposed to call it? Magic poopourri or something?”
“I’m going to punch you.”
“I’m just saying, D.”
“Still going to punch you.”
“Sorry,” Zoey quipped, and she stepped back a bit, away from Romano.
What. The. Hell? The damn orchid shrank back to normal size, but the petals were a bit wilted.
Kalinda pointed to the plant. “Um, what was that?”
Zoey shrugged. “We don’t know, honestly. But it’s not important right now. Zahara? What happened to Kalinda?”
Okay, I’ll file that for later ‘cause, you know, sudden plant explosion isn’t weird at all.
“She was in the Chaos Realm, of course,” Zahara stated it like it was child’s play.
Everyone sucked in a breath and then started talking at once.
“What?”
“How?”
“Is she safe?”
The last was from Romano. Smart. It seemed
Zahara lifted her hands, quieting the room. “She pulled her magic from there and got lost in it. That’s how. As for why she got lost, it’s because she’s been a very naughty girl and hasn’t been practicing with it.”
“Wait, stop. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never been able to use magic like that. The most I can do is put good vibes in food.”
Kalinda was really tired of explaining this. It irritated her how much things had changed lately, but she hadn’t caused any of it. It was like getting mixed up with shifters and their shenanigans had turned the whole world upside down.
She didn’t hate them—that would be silly and unfair—but she didn’t like things she couldn’t control. Her catering company ran smoothly, and she went home every night to dream up new business opportunities and leave it at that. She didn’t have to deal with the stress of a relationship, family depending on her, or finding a way to save herself from sliding into some godforsaken realm where flames spoke to her!
Over it.
She wanted to go back home, curl under her cover, and realize this was all a damn dream. A bad one, but a dream all the same. She sat up to do just that. Forget all of this.
“The Council of Mages will come for you soon.”
