Page 78 of Maleen

I sit up, still holding her against me. “Shadow our clothing on,” I whisper, which she does without hesitation.

The shadows seem to pulse and I hear Jesper, running toward us at full force. “Watch out!”

The male from Craven’s cabin in the mountains steps out of the shadows in front of us and I instinctively put myself between my mate and the interloper.

The shadows pulse again and I reach for my blade as the male stretches out his hand toward me and the realm slows. Jesper jumps between us and the last thing I see is his mischievous grin before him and the male disappear. From here we can hear Tisur’s roar and it shakes the ground.

No! That fucking bastard! Where are you? I try to reach him through the bond but there’s nothing. I still feel him there, so he must be alive, but what in the fucking Fates just happened? In a blink of an eye somehow Jesper put himself in the middle, and we barely had a second to react. Did he just stop me from being taken?

Ravina’s rage pours through the bond like an erupting volcano. “No! Jesper!” She grabs my hand and shadows us back to the camp, dropping us right in the middle of everyone. “They took him! They took Jesper!” Her hands are steady as she grips her blades just as the first sound of wraiths screeching in the distance rent through the field. Their noises make my flesh pebble.

“We are under attack. Arm yourselves and stay close!” Killian bellows, taking his place at Ravina’s back as she replaces her daggers with her sword, tears of anger rolling down her face as she wars with the panic in her chest.

I grab her hand. “We will get him back, I promise. Let’s just end these fuckers first. Take out your frustration on them,” I whisper.

She nods, unable to speak as she squeezes my hand back before heading to Vasari, lighting her sword with shadowflame.

I glance over at Tisur. He roars again, his serpentine eyes nearly feral with rage from his missing rider. The bond to him opens just a bit and his thoughts are broadcast to all of us. “ My rider, I can’t feel him. Don’t know where. Don’t know where. Don’t know where.” My throat closes and we all try to push soothing thoughts toward his beast but I’m not sure it does much to help.

In moments we each have a weapon blazing with the purple flames.

The first wraith breaks the treeline and doesn’t hesitate as it streamlines straight towards us, smoke and shadow surround it, moving faster than any fae could possibly move. Dozens follow and Evisdor, Vasari and Ember’s white dragon Ivna shoot spurts of shadowflame toward the advancing group, taking out as many as they can.

A few slip through, and Aemon and I dive into the fray, taking out any that dare get close.

Nero soars above Ravina and I can hear him chattering to her, being her eyes in the sky as she whirls around with the grace of a warrior queen, with Killian at her back.

After the longest ten minutes of my life, the field grows quiet, with nothing but our heavy breaths filling the space.

Everyone is okay.

Everyone but Jesper.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

MY CHEST HEAVES AS I look around the field, making sure all my family is okay… all but Jesper. I was too distracted—I should have noticed the shadows. I should have seen the disturbance in the air as unfamiliar magick expanded near us. I should have reacted when that male appeared, but I was so taken aback and everything happened in a blink of an eye.

How did Jesper know before us?

I reach into my bonds again, feeling Jesper’s. It pulses calmly, almost as if he’s asleep. “Jesper? Jesper, you better wake up and answer me before you worry your mate any further.”

Nothing.

My fingers white-knuckle against the hilt of my blade as I stare blankly into the clearing. All of these powers and I can’t fucking do anything?

An idea jumps out at me. Dreamwalking. If he’s unconscious then maybe I can reach him through the bond. “Aemon,” I yell out, my voice hitching, betraying my panic.

He’s at my side before I finish my breath. “What is it? Are you okay?”

“I’m physically okay,” I tell him, placing my hand on his bicep. “I need you to watch me. I’m going to dreamwalk and find Jesper.”

His lavender eyes light up. “Of course. You don’t even need to ask, but I’m coming with you. Killian, Talyn.” He turns to face them. “Secure the perimeter; Roz and Ember, you will be guarding us.”

“Guarding you?” Roz asks as he sheaths his blade.

I nod. “Our bodies will be vulnerable while we walk in the realm of dreams.”

“Say no more. We got you. Go find our psycho and bring him home,” Roz states with a smile.