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Death had shackled the tree. Chains around a coffin.
I unlocked them, a skeleton key into a lock. And as the coffin opened, I pushed my life magic into it.
The tree flared to life. Grey wood darkened to a vibrant brown, branches grew, and leaves sprouted until they grazed the ceiling. Even the roots grew, cracking the floor beneath them as they stretched wide, hungry for nutrients after decades of decay.
I turned back to the witch. “I’m going to rescue him,” I repeated.
Hecate dipped her head in understanding. “Very well. Then there is no time to waste.”
Now that I hadthe mantle, I could conjure portals. The catch was, they didn’t come anywhere near as easy as teleporting within the realm. Hecate explained that within Hell, barring pocket realms like the one I’d found Cole in to begin, my power was near limitless. Piercing the realms to move between them was only possible with the mantle, but it was far from effortless. Portals took a great deal of magic and focus.
Returning to the realm of the living was never meant to be easy. It took Hecate hours to guide me through, the task especially challenging since Hecate had never cast a portal herself. The ability was limited to just two creatures: Libra demons, and the rulers of the realms.
But first, we had to agree on a plan, and that had proved challenging. I wanted to go by myself. I could move faster, I was more powerful, and there was no sense endangering anyone else.
Hecate countered that, as the only ruler of the realm currently, Iwas the one that shouldn’t be endangered, and if I insisted on going—which I did—then I needed reinforcements. Preferably a dozen soldiers.
Hector had immediately volunteered, even before I could shoot down the idea. Daphne had joined in. After all, since she was still technically “alive” as she’d only come to Hell through a portal, she could protect me from others without the pits demanding their due. Hector obviously wasn’t happy about the idea, but at least he had enough sense to not argue.
In the end, we agreed to keep it to a small group. I didn’t know if we would have any run-ins with Moon-Ghost, or any other hostile packs.
But there was one pack that could offer help. One that kept the old ways and just might be able to help me.
Aiming a portal wasn’t easy, but it was at least possible to guide it to where I had been.
We were still in the courtyard, in the shade of the massive, revived tree, when I finally got the hang of it. Hecate had encouraged me to rest, but one look had told her exactly how likely that was.
Six months.
I summoned a portal that shimmered like an emerald, although the circle kept shrinking and enlarging in a way Phaidros’s never had. It was too bright to even see the other side, but I prayed my aim was true. I didn’t know what to pray to anymore. Never the Moon Goddess, not again. Maybe to the stars themselves. To the magic that had been entrusted to me. Hector and Daphne went through first, while I poured all my focus into keeping the magical door open. I didn’t want to know what would happen if it shut while one of them was halfway through.
With a final look at Hecate, I began to step through.
“Be careful, Soteria. I fear your journey will not be easy. Be mindful of what it may cost you.”
I gave a quick jerk of my head and then rushed through, the portal slamming shut behind me.
Chapter VII
“Who are you andwhat are you doing in my territory?” a familiar voice snapped as I stumbled out of the portal.
Hector and Daphne had taken defensive stances in front of me, but the Wing-Blood Alpha Heir’s voice was easy to identify.
I pushed myself up from my knees. The portal had taken a tremendous amount of magic; truth be told, I wanted to curl back in the dirt and sleep. But we didn’t have that time. I elbowed my way between them.
Xander’s eyes flared in recognition. The past few months had aged him. When I’d seen him last, he’d been beautiful, playful. Now he had grown, taken on more muscle, and lost that boyish edge. Something had happened.
“Remember when you said a certain wolf might be able to find allies in your pack?”
The Alpha Heir nodded.
“Well, we need help.” I wasn’t even sure what to ask. “Can I speak with your pack elders?”
A new voice joined the fray. “Who do we have here, Xander?”
The newcomer looked like a bigger, badder version of Xander. If I’d met him a year ago, I would’ve cowered. Now, I held the male’s gaze.
“Alpha,” Xander inclined his head. “This was the… visitor wefound a few seasons ago. The one Grandmother mentioned. And she brought friends.”
