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Her mates growled beside her.
Sami’s eyes glossed over with tears. “If we could do it over again, we would’ve left you with your mother. We were afraid that a demon—” He paused, visibly swallowing when her mates growled again. “We realize our mistake now.”
She silently nodded, then looked away. That kind of prejudice was why the Amaroki had refused to help the demon wolves, but she knew her fathers weren’t entirely wrong. As much as she loved her mother, Jezebeth certainly had her flaws.
“We wanted you to know we’re proud of the young woman you’ve become,” Vidar said, his voice cracking, “and that we love you.”
She looked at her fathers through glossy eyes. Vidar and Sami both swiped away tears. They were crying—for her.
She broke away from her mates and rushed to her fathers, heaving a shuddering breath when they took her in a tight hug and kissed her forehead.
“Thanks,” she said to them. It was the only word she could force out through her constricted throat.
A wolf howl sounded in the distance, though it was so powerful it rattled the leaves on the trees overhead.
“We have to go.” Hodr pulled back, clutching her shoulders.
“Please tell your sister and brothers we love them. Their mother does, too,” Sami said, motioning toward that shadowy woman who stood behind them.
Her heart ached for Daeva’s mother. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I will.”
“Protect our daughter,” Hodr said to her mates before his soul blinked out and then reappeared like a glitchy computer screen.
Helius squeezed her shoulder. “We would sacrifice our very souls to keep her safe.”
She cringed at that. Hopefully it would never come to that. Hopefully.
Sami wiped more tears from his eyes. “How I wish we had more time with you, dear daughter.” Panic flashed in his eyes when he blinked out, too.
What was happening?
“You must go before your souls fade completely,” Amara said to them, jutting a finger toward the dark heart of the forest.
They nodded and then shifted into wolves with russet fur, their shredded clothes falling onto the forest floor behind them. With mournful howls, they bounded into the forest.
She spun on Amara. “Why couldn’t they stay long?”
“The veil between the living and dead worlds is too thin with the waning moon. They risk obliteration by straying from the veil for too long.” She paused when five mournful howls echoed in the distance. “But they told me you were worth the risk,” she added with a wink.
Phoenix wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes watering again. How she wished she’d had more time. How cruel fate was to give and then take away all her parents in one day.
Cadmus hugged her waist, kissing her cheek.I’m sorry, sweetheart,he projected to her.
Thanks.She leaned her head on his shoulder, but something was still bothering her. “Goddess,” she asked, “how areyouable to stay with us without risking obliteration?”
“I’m no ordinary wolf shifter. I’m a sorceress, but my magic is draining.” She held up her pale hands. They softly glowed beneath the mystic lights. “I don’t have much longer, either, but there’s something I want to show you first.”
She led them deeper into the forest. The lantern lights hung from every branch. Some had only a few fireflies in them, but others were almost to the point of overflowing.
“What is this place?” she asked.
Amara clasped her hands in front of her. “The forest of souls.”
Phoenix swallowed when the goddess turned her gaze on her. “You look just like your mother.”
Phoenix gaped at the goddess. “You knew my mother?”
“Jezebeth was like a sister to me. My grandmother raised us.” She frowned. “And then we parted ways.”
