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“I trust you, sunshine,” Denver murmurs, giving me a wry grin. “If you think this is what’s controlling them, then go for it. Just do me a favor and stay on guard in case it isn’t.”
“You’re right,” I agree, pushing my emotions to the side. I can’t let the bond influence me in any way. I pull on my senses, letting the goddess guide me as I hover my hand over Damon’s neck.
“The moment you physically touch them, the entrapment spell will release,” Denver warns me, his jaw tensing. “Are you sure this is it?”
“I’m sure,” I declare, infusing my voice with the confidence I feel as conviction pumps through me from the goddess. I let the orb of light fade from my palm, with the crystal’s location now burned into my memory.
This is going to work. Thishasto work.
Pulling in a deep breath, I steel myself. My fingers are poised just over the crystal, and in one swift move I rip it from his skin and crush the delicate crystal in my palm. Light flickers in it but it quickly fades away, the power draining as the pieces crumble through my fingers.
A roar of pain tears from his lips, and I hold my breath waiting for some sign that it worked. I’m not sure what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t him growling in outrage and starting towards Denver.
“Uhh, Aria, I don’t think it worked,” Denver shifts his panicked gaze to me, unsure if he should entrap Damon again.
I’m about to cast the spell myself, my heart cracking as a sense of hopelessness sweeps over me, but Damon’s voice stops me in my tracks.
“Aria?” His shocked voice holds none of the hatred it had just moments before. It sounds—like I remember it.
He turns on his heel slowly, as though he doesn’t truly believe it as his shadows drift back to me. They curl up my legs slowly, seductively instead of spearing for me like they had before. I do my best to stifle the moan that bubbles in my throat as they caress against my inner thighs.
Damon’s eyes widen as he catches sight of me, drifting from me to him as though he can barely believe that we’re both here in the flesh. He doesn’t waste any more time closing the distance between us. His strong arms wrap around me, and I relax against him.
“How did this happen?” Damon asks cautiously, like he already knows he doesn’t really want the answer.
“What kind of magic is this?” Kai roars from beside us, and I spring away from Damon immediately as reality comes crashing back in. “How did you do that to him?”
“There’s a lot to explain,” I say hurriedly, shifting to stand behind Kai while Damon’s shadows dissipate away.
“Get away from him Aria, it’s not—“
“He’s my mate too, Damon,” I breathe, giving him an apologetic look. I wish I had more time to explain this properly, but I have to get this crystal off Kai and figure out how to do the same with all the other monsters. “And Denver is one of my goddess-blessed partners,” I add on, needing to clear that up as well.
“Nice to meet you now that you aren’t trying to kill us,” Denver says cheerfully, extending his hand for the shadow monster to shake.
“Shh,” I scold him, leaning around Kai’s shoulder to glare at him.
Focusing back on Kai, I search the skin just behind his ear, summoning the orb of light again to help me search.
There. The crystal rests tucked behind his right ear, so hidden I may not have noticed it if I’d checked him first.
I do the same as I did to Damon, ripping the crystal in one swift pull, but instead of crushing it, I tuck it into my jacket pocket, a plan already beginning to form in my mind. Kai hisses out a pained breath as green blood wells to the surface, but before I have a chance to do anything to help him, he whirls around, his teeth bared and his tentacles snapping out to wrap around me.
“Aria!” Denver and Damon shout at the same time.
I pull in a sharp breath, getting ready to use the entrapment spell when his grey eyes spark with recognition. His lips descend upon mine, devouring me in a quick hard kiss as his tentacle wraps around my waist and presses me against his hard chest. I moan into his mouth, letting him swallow the sound and allow myself this one moment to celebrate having both of them back.
“That’s not fair,” Damon sighs, while Denver grumbles something unintelligible under his breath.
“I wish we had more time,” I murmur against Kai’s lips, pulling away slightly to look up at him, even though it kills me to do so. His tentacle slips from my back reluctantly and he turns to examine Damon and Denver.
“I’m Damon, Aria’s other mate,” Damon quickly introduces himself. Some of the tension eases away as I catch a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.
“And I’m her goddess-blessed partner,” Denver adds, his chest puffing up in pride as he announces himself. I can’t help but smile back at him, but it quickly fades as he continues. “But we really don’t have much time.”
He motions over my shoulder, and I turn to the chaos erupting behind us. The students and the monsters are still locked in battle, but our side looks decidedly weary as the weight of exhaustion from battle must be setting in. The hunters have made their way farther, nearly to the gates, but they’re still not close enough.
“What’s going on? And why did you say that I was about to attack you?” Damon asks, looking between Denver and me.
