Page 61 of A Bond So Deadly

“We could take the fight to them for once,” Thane growls.

“Or at least investigate their realm and determine the full extent of what we’re dealing with,” Knox adds, his eyes dark.

“Hold on, but I can’t leave the academy. You can’t go there without me,” I blurt, panic filtering into my system, because what if my mates go there and they never return?

Thane rubs his hand soothingly along my thigh. “No one is saying we’re leaving, but it’s worth discussing the possibilities.”

“Do you intend to tell this to your queen?” Blake asks, her gaze hard.

Galen shakes his head. “For now, I’m going to continue experimenting.”

Blake’s shoulders relax. “Good. Shade can keep us updated on your progress. For now, I guess let’s enjoy the night. We’ll be leaving at sunrise.”

Germain slinks from the darkness of the forest then, entering the invisible dome as he strides toward us. “Thanks for the invite.” He smirks.

Ambrose walks beside him, the pair taking a seat at the bonfire.

Raith mutters a curse under his breath. Of course, no one invited these two to the celebration, but it’s not surprising they found us.

Callan plays with one of his knives, and going by his expression I’m guessing he’s imagining burying the dagger in Germain’s throat.

“So…what did we miss?” Germain asks, and I’m glad Galen took precautions before he spoke.

Chapter Twenty-Three

~ Shade ~

When morning comes, I’m not ready for it. Sunlight starts to peek over the tops of the academy trees, and Blake lets out a long sigh.

“That’s our cue,” Nate murmurs as he stands and stretches. “It’s been fun, but we’ve got work to do.”

We all lift to our feet, and my stomach twists as Blake summons the demon generals, and we gather on one side of the clearing. Sebastian is the last to join the group, like he’s reluctant to leave Satine after they’ve been talking all night, and more than one student looks sad as they gather and watch the demons.

Blake’s mates all hug me in turn, but Blake and I hug for the longest.

“I hate that you’re leaving already,” I murmur against her shoulder. “I wish I could keep you all to myself. I hope the royals from the other realms listen to you.”

She squeezes me tighter. “And I hate that you have to stay here,” she counters. “Don’t worry about us. You just focus on getting strong. We’ll find a way to get you out of here.”

I smile weakly as we part, and Kenzie comes up to my side.

“Good luck,” Kenzie says awkwardly, fidgeting with her fingers like she doesn’t know what to do.

Before she knows what’s happening, Blake strides over and hugs her as well. “Try to keep Shade out of trouble, will you? At least until we return.”

Kenzie grins. “Yeah, that’s not something I can promise.”

“I know,” Blake replies, her golden eyes sparkling. “That’s why I said try.”

“Hey!” I protest as my friends both laugh.

“All right,” Blake says taking one last look at me. “We’ll see you soon, okay? Make sure you keep in touch.”

I salute her. “Will do, bestie.”

The guys are quicker to say their goodbyes, and Blake creates a portal that burns with black fire. And then they walk through. The demon generals follow behind them until the last demon is gone and the portal closes.

Without the demons, the clearing goes quiet. Raith comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing a kiss to my hair. “They’ll be back before you know it, sunshine.”