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A few moments pass, but the feelings I can sense from Ari have me still hiding away until Zane runs his hand down my spine. “You’re good now, Dove,” he breathes, and I slowly lift my head.
I can’t see the Drake, but my Griffin is a few meters away on the other side of the barrier. I gasp when I get a good look at his face. Three thick, deep and jagged marks run down his face, and my heart lurches.
They’re not from today, though. They’re slowly starting to heal, which means they were already there before we got here. Is that why he was hiding?
Stepping around Brax, I half expect him to force me back behind him, but he doesn’t. I move closer to the barrier, careful not to touch it as I stare up at Ari’s defeated face. I want to stroke his fur and feel the comfort the nudge of his beak gives me, but I can’t.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask, wrapping my arms around myself as a chill seems to spike the air.
“Drakes. They’re what Erikel brought in. It’s what he’s hiding here.”
I quickly repeat his answer to the others, settling my gaze on Figgins, who looks as white as a ghost.
“That shouldn’t be in there,” she mutters, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Does this mean you’refinallylistening?” My chest tightens as I wait with bated breath for her answer.
She turns to face me head-on. There’s a sadness in her eyes and the smallest of smiles on her lips, which doesn’t fill me with hope.
“It does, but that doesn’t mean anything anymore because I’m no longer the one in control of the ward. I can’t set them free.”
TWENTY-THREE
ZANE
Raven sits with her head in her hands, Eldon and Creed on either side of her, while Brax and I pace. He’s behind the sofa, and I’m in front, walking in tandem as we struggle to contain our building frustration. I had hoped everything Ari had said last time wasn’t true, but unfortunately, we’re not that lucky.
It’s truer than true.
That creature…fuck. That was something else. By the looks of Ari, there are plenty more of them, and he’s been left alone to fight them off. I don’t know what fate we’ve been destined for, but the fact that the shit we’re dealing with continues to multiply doesn’t bode well with me.
“If they’re trapped in there by someone else’s magic, how can we gain access to free them? How can we do anything at all to help?” Raven sits back in her seat with a huff, dragging her hands down her face as she struggles to handle the helplessness consuming us all.
“I don’t know, Shadow, but we’ll figure out a way to do it,” Brax promises, rubbing at the back of his neck. Shit. I know things aren’t looking good if it’s Brax who’s the one doing the consoling.
“On top of everything else?” Raven adds, throwing her hands out in frustration. “This is too much for one fucking realm, nevermind one group of people.”
“One person.” Creed leans forward, bracing his elbows on his knees as he looks at our girl.
“Huh?” Raven looks at him, clearly confused, but I understand exactly what he’s saying.
“The person who has the power to face all of this is you, Dove,” I murmur, pausing my strides to turn and face her head-on.
“Me?”
It’s almost cute how she still doesn’t see how powerful she is, how much she can change the course of the world. The self-doubt and disbelief are etched into her very soul, making it clear as fuck that we need to help her realize her strength. Now more than ever.
I nod, crouching before her. “And we’ll be here at your side every step of the way.”
She nods at my words, but I know they’re not truly sinking in.
Rising, I exhale heavily as the weight of the world continues to try and crush us.
I feel helpless.
Eldon starts explaining something to Raven, distracting her, and I take the opportunity to slip from the room. I close my bedroom door behind me, falling back against the wood for a moment as defeat takes hold of me.
I give myself ten seconds to get over it, and even though it still clings to me when I stand properly, I push through the irritation and pull out my shell from my nightstand. My fingers dance over the device with muscle memory. The tone fills the air a moment later, and it hangs there for almost a minute before it cuts off.
