Page 68 of Last Gift: Supernatural Battle

Delta rose and extended an arm to Rooke, who couldn’t portal.

“We’ll reconvene in the morning to hear your findings,” I told them. “We all need rest while we can.”

Huxley replied, “Until we know what damage is coming through those gates, you shouldn’t return to your quarters.”

I was half demon, but I had to operate as if I were simply a magus. Wild really was a full-blooded magus. He might get hurt despite his bond with me. “Good point. I’ll shift to a guest quarter for the time being. Let’s move any other magus close to the internal gate away too. In the morning. I don’t wish to rob anyone of sleep if they’ve managed to find it.”

“I hope you manage to find it.” Winona touched my shoulder on the way out.

I summoned a smile. “And you, Winona. Thank you all for your aid tonight.”

The response of the coven had restored hope that all might be well.

Delta and Rooke were gone by the time I’d taken my next breath, and all the advisors barring Huxley were gone in the one after that.

“Was it the Mother’s intervention?” he asked wryly.

I cocked a brow, thinking of the timely interruption to Wild’s speech about our mating ritual. “Felt like it at the time. I’d been convincing myself that I just had to surrender to her design for me.”

“You sound like Positive Patrick.”

“Maybe he’s onto something. I can’t decide.”

“Linen does look comfortable.” Huxley stood. “Hey, thanks for telling Spyne something personal. It’s difficult to keep things from him.”

I joined him by the door. “I don’t want to cause problems in your relationship. I realize that I come with a lot of…”

“Junk in the trunk.”

I stared.

“You have a lot of problems attached to you,” he clarified at my look.

“Wow, that means something else in human.”

“What?”

“I’m not telling. You’ll use it against me.”

Huxley smirked. “I’ll find out.”

“I come with problems attached, yes, and I hope we can fill in Spyne completely one day. I’d hate for you guys to suffer for all the secrecy.”

“I look forward to that day, but you’re not that important.”

Huxley walked out.

“He really is an asshole,” I told the empty room.

I followed him at a slower pace.

The soft voices of small groups of magus trickled through open doorways as I ambled through the caves. People were too wired to sleep, and I couldn’t blame them. I wanted to return to the gates, as if that could help matters.

What I needed was to be ready for tomorrow.

I opened the door to a guest chamber, and humor found me. This was the room I’d first stayed in when I arrived at the coven.

Full circle. Or did that mean I’d gone backward?

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