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Whiplash from a burning rollercoaster would have felt better than this aftershock. My body trembled and I was struggling to comprehend what had just gone down.
If what I thought happened happened, Rainer was dead. This young, barely old enough to have her first kiss, Mazza was off to save the human realm, and we were about to let her.
She was probably more capable than me.
“Rand, are you okay?” I reach out and touch his arm. He turned, his eyes wide and glassy.
“I hated him. He was a terrible man. But it still hurts that he’s not here.”
I folded my arms around him, and the other guys joined in our hug. We held each other for several minutes. When we finally separated, the field was empty and the Waesaris was deactivated. I’d never stuck around to see how long they stay open, but it was apparently not very long.
“Can we take the rock portal back to Aamori’s?” I still whispered and I had no idea why. It wasn’t like anyone was around to hear us. Rainer certainly didn’t care anymore.
The girl had someone gather her father, because we were alone with Rainer.
“We can. I’ll get it ready.” Jari peeled away and Sage went with him.
“Are you really okay? I think it would be normal to be upset.” I smoothed my hands down the back and pressed my forehead against his chest. He closed his own arms loosely around me.
“I’m not upset. I don’t know why it hurts at all.” Rand didn’t cry, but his eyes were wet and his lips a tense frown. My sweetheart was confused and heartbroken.
“Ready?” Sage asked softly.
“Yes,” Rand croaked. “My lady, after you.” Rand turned me toward the rocks and nudged me forward. I caught his hand. The first time, I’d gone through holding Sage’s hand, it was only right that I held onto Rand this time. He needed the contact more.
We stepped through and appeared in the small room. Whatever people the Mazza had brought with her were no longer here. “Do you think they stuck around?”
Jari walked to the door and peeked out into the hallway. “I don’t think so. Let’s go check out the statue and then we can figure out what we have to do for the night.”
“Where did the Cherries and Cabbie go?” Sage glanced around as we made our way down the deserted hallway. After the field, everything was so much louder here. The silence. Our breathing. The lack of movement in the place.
It was like my senses were on hyperdrive.
When we reached the edge of the dining hall, the Cherries stood guard over the statue while Cabbie lounged in one of the chairs. Two mangled bodies were twisted on the ground. No blood, but they were tied with sex toys.
“Are they dead?”
“Deader than my last relationship.” Cabbie hopped up and strutted toward us. “I’m glad to see you all are fine.” He looked us over with a critical eye, most of his exuberance missing.
“What happened here?” I stepped over the bodies and moved closer to the statue. I didn’t touch it. I didn’t want to risk another vision until I was ready for it.
“Those two rultsharts got by us and pushed you through the portal. Then they ran here, and we managed to overtake them before they managed to take the stone,” the shorter Cherry replied in a husky voice. Then she kicked one. Yep, they were both very, very dead.
“I’m not convinced they could have actually taken the statue,” Sage kicked the other body, probably for fun.
“Theymight not have, but the Mazza is definitely strong enough. She jumped through the portal though once you went through it. Did she not show up where you were?”
“No. She didn’t. Can you rekey those things?” I inched toward the statue, starting to feel high from the power rolling off it.
“I’ve never seen a smaller version like that. Yunez’s sapling Waesaris was new to me too. I’m assuming yes, you can rekey them, since that Mazza didn’t join us. How long before you think they’ll be back for this rock?” Jari rapped his knuckles on the statue but jumped back with a yelp. “Damn it! That hurt.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t learn your lesson the first time.” Cabbie raised a brow. “I guess it’s a good thing you’re pretty.”
A choked laugh escaped my throat.
“I have no idea how we’re going to get it out. But I need to sleep before we leave. I feel like I’m running on fumes.” I sighed, tucking stray hair behind my ear.
“How do your powers feel?” Rand turned woeful eyes my way.
