Page 105 of Of Flame and Fate

“I don’t know. My magic, Taran’s, and the Fate’s reacted.”

“The Fate?” she questions.

“Here,” Agnes calls.

Tim, one of Misha’s bodyguards, is carrying Johnny with his arm draped over his shoulders. Johnny’s tattoos appeared to have settled back into their original spots. But like Misha, Johnny has seen better days.

Celia’s brows knit, her attention back on Misha. “Where did the magic take you?”

His attention falls to her belly. “Nowhere good. Nowhere safe.”

My vision sharpens further. I don’t have to turn around to know who’s here, but I do anyway now that I know Celia is safe.

Gemini’s jaw is set tight. Aric stands just in front of him, the rage surrounding him accelerating like a dangerous landslide as he takes in Misha’s close proximity to Celia,

Celia and Misha rise as one, with Celia edging slightly in front of Misha. “I had to come, love,” she tells Aric. “I couldn’t leave him hurting like this.”

Aric doesn’t respond with words, reaching for her hand and pulling her protectively behind him. Celia doesn’t fight him, knowing the closer she is, the easier it will be to soothe him.

“We have to talk, wolf,” Misha tells him.

“About you keeping your distance from my wife and mate?” Aric replies, his timbre low and fierce. “Good. You’ve used up any favors you think she might owe you.”

“She owes me nothing,” Misha responds. “The only debt that remains is one I owe her.”

Aric doesn’t take his comment any better. Misha doesn’t care, his stance growing more severe. “This isn’t about me and Celia. It’s about her future and that of your children,” he says, his features hardening as they hone in on me.

I can practically hear Aric’s muscles stretch when his gaze drifts in my direction.

“The skulls are a warning, Aric,” I tell him. “Something is coming after Celia.”

“What skulls?” Aric asks.

At first I think he’s distracted by Misha’s presence. But nothing gets past this wolf. I frown and point to the remaining skull as it disappears into the ground. “All of them,” I reply.

Gemini takes point beside me, appearing as thrilled with Misha as Aric.

“Taran,” Celia says. “There are no skulls.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

We don’t leave vamp camp. None of us even move, the tension and fear over what may be coming cementing us in place.

“I saw them, too, Master,” Hank says, falling to his knees in front of Misha. “The skulls were everywhere and burning in flames.”

It’s only then Misha tears his gaze from Celia. “What else did you see?”

Hank glances up, appearing afraid to answer. Misha lost control over his magic and mind the moment Johnny appeared. Johnny’s power must have somehow clashed with Misha’s magic, and I suppose mine as well, stirring that vision I had at the concert when I first met Johnny, and causing Misha to completely lose his shit.

The pain at watching Celia die, and not being able to save her, too closely mimicked his mother’s death. Jesus, how could he not remember that moment then?

“I saw the tiger,” Hank answers. “But nothing past that.”

“What tiger?” Agnes adds, her breath catching when she looks to Celia.

“There was a tiger on fire,” Hank says, his hands clenching. “The master tried to save her.”

“Her?” Aric asks.

---