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He needed to get his head out of his ass and concentrate on what was important. This new emotional crisis he was suffering through with Hale was not a problem he should be focused on. That kind of shit was going to get Hale killed.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he straightened from where he’d been leaning against the passenger door and looked at the watery landscape one more time.
“Just keep going slow,” Dane directed.
“I’m barely doing thirty-five now,” Clay countered. “We should have reached Sedona or at least Arizona today, but we’re still stuck in Colorado.”
Dane reached across and placed his hand on Clay’s tense shoulder. “And the pestilents haven’t found us since Wiley put on the new cloaking spell. We can take a little more time getting to Sedona if we need it.”
Clay drew in a deep breath and loudly released it again. He tilted his head left and then right, cracking his neck. “You’re right. I’m sorry. This weather has me on edge.”
Beside Harrison, Wiley snapped the book in his lap shut. “Don’t go to Sedona.”
“What?” Clay cried out.
Harrison twisted in his seat to find Wiley frighteningly pale in the dim light and tears glistening in his eyes. “Wiley—”
“Don’t do it, Clay,” Wiley continued, ignoring Harrison. “Let’s just take the next exit and head back to Savannah.”
Dane was also turned in his seat so that he was staring at Wiley. “What are you talking about?”
“The final spell. There’s no way around it. They’re all going to die. No matter what, they all have to die. I’m going to lose Baer.” Wiley’s voice cracked, and he roughly wiped away the unshed tears with the heel of his palm. “You’re going to lose Clay.”
Harrison couldn’t breathe. His lungs had locked up at Wiley’s choked words. Hale was going to die. Yes, he’d come to terms with his own death a long time ago. He’d always known the trek to the rift would end in his death, but Hale…the Air Weaver couldn’t die. The world couldn’t keep spinning and dancing through the heavens without Hale there to witness all its splendor.
Before he could ask Wiley to clarify and give Harrison a chance to punch holes in this horrible theory, two different cell phones rang. Wiley jumped and grabbed his, swearing when his fingers were shaking too much to answer the call. Dane answered his a little quicker and started talking to Grey.
“I’m okay, Baer,” Wiley was saying into his own phone. “I swear I’m all right, honey. I’m just tired and stressed over this last spell. I promise that everything is okay.”
“What’s going on?” Harrison asked Clay.
“Bonded soul mates can feel each other’s emotions. Baer is apparently freaking out over Wiley’s distress.” Clay glanced briefly at his own mate. “Who’s driving that car? Grey?”
Dane nodded his head. “Yeah.”
“Hell. Can he use his power to knock Baer out while he’s driving? This isn’t a great place to stop so he can switch cars.”
Harrison could only guess that Grey heard Clay because Dane didn’t even have a chance to speak. The man shrugged and lowered the phone from his ear while Wiley continued to sweet-talk, reassure, and even coo at his mate until Baer finally reached more rational levels.
He tried to tune out their conversation, but that only left him with thoughts of what it would be like to be bonded to Hale, to know the Air Weaver’s emotions. Would they flow through him the same way his own emotions did? At least, he’d always know when the man was in trouble.
But he’d also be able to bask in his happiness. When Hale soared through the air, his laughter carried on the wind, Harrison could imagine getting drunk on that kind of pure joy.
And if they were to make love…
“Sorry about that,” Wiley murmured as he shoved his phone back into the pocket of his red hoodie.
Dane turned to face Wiley, and Harrison shoved aside his own thoughts of Hale to concentrate on the problem that was right in front of them. How could the Weavers not possibly survive the last spell to permanently seal the rift?
“It’s okay, Wiley. None of us want any of the Weavers to die, especially our mates,” Dane said, his voice coming out a little rough.
Clay reached over, placing his hand on Dane’s thigh. “There’s no way in hell I’m dying. I’m never leaving you. I promised.” Dane flashed him a weak smile, but Harrison didn’t miss the stark fear in the man’s eyes.
“Start from the beginning, Wiley. Tell us everything,” Harrison instructed in the calmest voice he could muster. “We’ll go at this from every angle. There has to be something you’ve missed.”
Wiley’s expression twisted up and he opened his mouth only to snap it shut. He took a steadying breath and nodded. “You’re right. I had to have missed something. There has to be another answer. I just—”
