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“I meant what I said about not putting you in harm’s way,” Ruby cut in. “That extends to your lake. I harmed nothing in it.”
“You feel different.”
“Uncle…” one of the boys whispered nervously. “What’s going on?”
“Uncle, why are they in our lake?”
“Because they are liars and have been lying to us all along,” was Kin’s firm reply. “Our new savior was a lie.”
The two boys gasped. Maddox waited for Ruby to contradict it, but she remained quiet as if she couldn’t bear to continue the charade anymore.
“I’m sorry about that. Brian is not your new savior, but that doesn’t mean your protection is gone. It’s still there and thriving. Those creatures still can’t get in. I promise you that. And look.” She let her palm spread, and a glow appeared in the center, controlled and light. “I harnessed my energy. I have my magic back. If you want, I can show you just how strong your barrier is—”
“You got it without our consent. From the lake we consider holy.”
“Please,” she said softly. “Brian was protecting us. He also meant no harm.”
Moon growled when he was kicked but didn’t retaliate, glancing at the kids while Maddox pulled him away from harm’s way. Kin continued backing away until he was standing once more with the two boys.
“Keita?”
“Yes, Uncle?”
“Sound the alarm.”
A howl came from the two boys, eerily similar to how Moon would have sounded in his beast form. Moon shuddered. Howls came from a distance in response, sending a chill down Maddox’s spine. Then urgency snapped as he tapped Ruby’s back.
“We can’t stay here,” he murmured.
She looked torn, her compassion rising to the surface along with her desire to fix their group’s betrayal. But the louder steps already running their way ensured there would be no one listening, and with Kin’s closed-off, unforgiving expression.
“Hold on to me,” she warned. “This might not work.”
Kin caught on. “What are you doing? Stand still. You need to be punished—”
Her magic boomed out, hitting them with a force that threatened to push them away. But Ruby held on to Maddox and Moon as much as they held on to each other, the three essentially clinging to each other for dear life. When a familiar circle appeared beside Maddox, he gripped them tighter and threw his body into it until the portal took care of the rest. It sucked them into a vortex of insane energy. Then gravity yanked them out of it, as jarring as it had been the last time.
They landed in a heap, one after another until Moon was flattened by their combined weight. Ruby scrambled off first to seal the portal, then Maddox, who perused the two for injuries.
“Oh, shit,” Moon groaned, pushing up as his body became wracked with more intense shudders. He fell back to his knees, head lifting and eyes turning yellow. “Run.”
Instead of running, Ruby sprinted over and wrapped her arms around him. The hug stunned the boy, who tried to fight it off before he melted into the glow that she blanketed him with. A whimper of gratitude came from Moon’s lips as his fur grew and his body began its transformation. Wordlessly, Maddox tugged her away to let the boy do his thing, and they watched in awe as the gangly human transitioned into a large, magnificent wolf.
“Shh.” She placed a finger on her lips when the wolf’s snout rose to face the moon. “They can’t hear you. Not yet.”
The wolf gave her a measuring look, then turned its back on them and bounded away. She frowned, marching to the edge of the forest, and he followed her until he spotted the familiar sheen.
“Brian?”
She nodded. “There’s a thin barrier here. Nothing detectable from the outside. He knew we would come back.”
An ache formed at her smile. He looked away and cleared his throat.
“What day is it?”
She looked around. So did he, his gaze landing on a series of purple lights ahead.
“Oh, no,” she groaned.
