AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You did it, kids. Now come down and eat. We need to decide what we are going to do next.” Ravenal’s voice floated up from below. I wondered how long she had been down there, monitoring the magic as we corrected it.
Soren put out one hand, and I took it, smiling at him as I gave my other hand to my brother. Renth padded over to the podium and poked it with his nose, holding his head still for a minute before making his way back over to us.
My mate smiled down at his familiar. “Thank you. I think Alemos appreciates that.”
Curious, I asked, “What did he do?”
Soren grabbed the lecanifer’s scruff, and we started walking clockwise. Lark caught the beast’s tail, and suddenly we found ourselves back in our parent’s bedroom, with Ravenal sitting on the bed.
It was the coven leader who answered my question.
“The familiar offered the house his gratitude. He showed it the bonds between you all — him with Soren; your mate with you; and the sibling bonds you share with your brothers. That these connections will bring you all back to this place. This house. He provided a reason for it to continue as it is.”
I reached over and dug my fingers into the thick fur, scratching under the beast’s neck while he did a purr-roar sort-of noise. “Thank you, Renth. We won’t give up on Alemos, and we'll always consider this home, even when we are away. But we should tell the house this more often.”
Ravenal stood and started for the door. “Food. We all need to eat and to rest. We will have a long planning session ahead of us. I doubt we should kill the gods, but we have to figure out how to stop them from using Earth and us for play just because they are bored.”
We all nodded and followed her down the stairs, where the scents of barbecue filled the air.
I hadn’t realized we had been up there long enough that Shane, James, and Shalen had cooked up a feast on the outside grill.
Soren and I exchanged glances and then rushed for the food, while Lark laughed, catching Lexi and flinging an arm around her shoulders.
Chapter Twenty-One
Soren
I had just finished my hamburger as a flock of crows, big enough to block out the sun, descended on us. It was huge, but I sensed something behind them, something possibly even worse.
“The gate is opening,” Lark growled, turning towards where the arch existed.
Well, first things first. Betta! I sent my request down my bond to my sister.
Coming. I think our friends have decided to come back. She was rushing back to Earth, from somewhere else in the universe, running through the gates as only she could. I really hoped she had Stet and his guardians with her.
Wait... Friends? What friends did we have that she would refer—? Oh, right? Those.
“Sterling and Koran are back!” I yelled, snatching up Lily’s hand and dragging her towards the house.
My senses told me Alemos was also fighting something. Someone was attacking the gate energy. I couldn’t tell anything more, given that energy magic wasn’t one of my strengths. But that would have to be Lark's problem, being the master of the gate. His and perhaps Konner's.
No, my abilities laid with the elements. With that, I pushed Lily up onto the porch. “Go, Lily! Get inside your house. I need to use my magic.”
She started to protest but then snapped her mouth shut, nodding. She spun, sprinting into the kitchen where Maggie and Holden were, corralling Holden’s daughters.
Shane had shifted, but his wolf looked small compared to Justin’s Berserker, who was standing beside him. I didn't know where Konner was, but I knew Justin wouldn’t be far from his friend, so he had to be close by.
I jumped down the stairs, falling to my knees and digging one hand into the dirt while raising the other high up towards the sky. I knew I looked strange but this would give me better control over two of my strongest abilities. With the flock of birds overhead, I turned to the first.
Air.
A fierce wind came out of the north, tossing the birds up higher, exposing what was behind them. And now we could see all the players.
Hermes was standing in the air, several feet above the ground. His accomplices were below him, in front of the gate, in their shifted form. Sterling had his wings pressed close to his body, his eyes squinting against the gusts blowing around him. He was the most vulnerable to the air elements, along with the other avians. But since he had a third form—a man-hawk one—he wasn't as vulnerable as they were.
Koran was in his Naga body, his long, thick snake lower half lifting him up to Justin's height. He looked as if he had filled out during his journeys, finally accepting his heritage and welcoming the Naga abilities. While his torso was muscled, his haughty facial features showed little of his humanity. Still, he held some appeal, in a rough, mercenary way, if you were attracted to cruel assholes.
Hermes smirked, the god thinking he now had an advantage over us. Where had he found the other two? And why had they come with him? What had he offered them?
