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NATALIE
Iflew out of the portal and fell face-first onto a polished tile floor. Springing to my feet, I flicked strands of hair out of my face and growled at the masked man who’d finally released me.
But he simply turned and walked back into the portal, rubbing the hand I’d bitten.
"Hey!" I growled, but he vanished along with the portal, leaving me alone. “Great, just great. Now what?”
My eyes darted from left to right, taking note of the room I was in. The high ceilings and elegant tile gave the room a ballroom vibe. There were several large white pillars and walls of white, filled with gold symbols and writings I couldn’t understand.
The tiles beneath me were white marble, with gold patterns that kept moving.
I held my hand to my chest, but I could no longer feel the red mist moving within me. I rubbed the dried blood on my hand. Had I imagined the whole thing with the mist?
This world was falling apart.
I dragged my nails across my skin, ignoring the pain when the memory of the werewolf I’d killed appeared in my mind.
This was her blood. I'd killed her.
I’m so sorry…But it was too late for me to tell her. She'd already taken her last breath. But at that last moment, there’d been relief in her eyes, offering a quick glimpse of the woman she’d been before the rage of the illness had hit her. Had she been grateful that I’d helped her end it?
I’d thought she was too far gone for me to mind-link with her safely, but maybe I could have helped her.
But it was too late now. Two women were dead, and I felt sick to my stomach. What was going to happen to me now? Where had the man in the mask brought me?
I stopped clawing at my hand—the blood wasn’t budging—and pressed my wrist to my forehead. Maybe this was all a dream. A girl could hope.
Everyone knew how tranquil and peaceful this realm was, so there’s no way that woman would’ve ever anticipated an attack like that. My ears still rang with her cries of terror. And now she had been erased from existence while I just stood there and let it happen, too frightened to move.
I tapped at the silver bracelet around my wrist, and a holographic screen appeared. I quickly typed a message to Rumir to tell him that I was okay, and I sent him my location pin in the process.
Even though I had no idea where I was, he or Lucian would likely have a good idea. Knowing Rumir’s short temper, he’d turn up here any moment.
This night had sure taken a bad turn. We’d intended to gather for dinner to celebrate my finding my soul purpose. But it had ended with two others losing their souls altogether.
I pushed my thoughts aside when I noticed various scents and heartbeats behind me. I turned around… and found several of the gods staring at me.
I’d been so lost in thought, I hadn't noticed their presence.
A few of them were seated in a semicircle on golden thrones that extended up to the ceiling.
Wow! They were so tall! But I guess it shouldn’t surprise me. Rumir was half god, and he stood at seven feet. But some of these gods made him look short. I felt so tiny standing before them.
So those masked men worked for the gods?
Even if they did, it wasn’t the time to let my guard down. Not until I found out why I was here.
"Welcome, Natalie Blackwood." A goddess leaned forward, her long black hair pooling on her thighs. A giant black snake was making its way up her body, over her chest, and around her neck to rest its head on her shoulder. "I'm Hekate, Goddess of witchcraft and the mother of witches.”
"Hello," I replied, placing a fist over my heart and bowing with respect in the usual werewolf way. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
When I stood up straight again, Hekate smiled warmly and ran a hand down her deep purple dress. She was stunning, but her dark features made her seem a little intimidating. Luckily, her gentle voice negated that.
The only gods I'd seen in this realm were the ones who’d attended a ball thrown by the Greek god Poseidon. And of that group, only Zeus was now present.
Zeus had been the one to step in and stop Rumir and Lucian from killing each other that night when I’d first discovered they were both my mates. Now, he sat on his throne in silence, glaring at me, his hand under his chin. On his head sat a crown made of six black horns.
"I apologize that you were dragged here against your will, but you have no reason to be fearful.” Hekate held her hands out on either side of her, gesturing towards the other gods and goddesses. “We’re the Imperium, the gods and goddesses who created all the species on Earth. We are the elders in this realm.”
