Page 3 of Called By Fate

A chorus of yeses reaches my ears, and they might as well be my favorite song.

Reed steps up behind me and places his hand on my shoulder. Dante steps up to my side and takes my right hand while Kaos helps Elian from the floor. He doesn’t sneer or make a rude gesture like I’ve come to expect. He looks impassive as he lays his hand on my other shoulder, but I’m starting to think that’s just how he is. He’s a dick, yes, but he has his reasons and I plan to get to the bottom of it one of these days.

Kaos grabs my left hand, bringing me back to the present. Once we are all connected my body sings and buzzes with energy, and I realize I haven’t only been falling for Vinson... I’m falling for all of them—each in their own little ways.

And that thought doesn’t scare me. Not even a little bit.

The Goddess winks at me as if she reads that thought before closing her eyes with a look of concentration. I watch as she waves her hand in an infinity pattern, sparks of black and gold trail the movement before there's a flash, and in the next instant my stomach bottoms out. Our bodies phase out of our world only to be planted into her realm.

Taking a look around, my jaw drops, because absolutely everything is different. A purple hue covers the world around us, including the soft grass beneath our feet. It's night out and the stars are shining so brilliantly that almost everything is illuminated.We're really freaking here.

The guys are wearing varying degrees of shock and awe on their faces. They’ve known about this realm their entire lives and now they’re here. Though I do wish the circumstances surrounding our visit were different. There’s an ache in my heart that’s not going to go away until Vin is back in our world.

The God of Dusk and Dawn didn’t follow us, so it’s just the God of Light and the Goddess. If I thought she looked ethereal in our world, it’s nothing compared to now. She is absolutely radiant on her turf; her hair is shinier and her skin glows like moonlight.

She releases my hand and looks me up and down, shaking her head. “These earthly clothes won't do here.” The Goddess snaps her fingers, and in a flash, my Sworn and I are wearing different clothes.

The guys are now dressed similarly to the Goddess’ consorts with leather straps that are strategically placed across their chests and nether regions, and holy damn. Forgive me for ogling, Goddess, but thank you for blessing me with these fine ass men.

I glance down and find my attire similar to the dresses the Goddess herself wears. I'm sporting a long, shimmering, purple dress that moves with me perfectly. It's sheer but somehow not in the places that matter, and it's so fucking soft. Much better than that bloodstained dress that reeked of betrayal.

Don't think about that now, Sadie.I shove the thoughts that want to bubble up down, locking them up tightly in my little box offucked up shit I'll have to deal with later.Our feet are bare but I prefer it that way honestly. I can feel the magic pulsing through the land beneath us, alive and buzzing with power.

With a nod of satisfaction, the Goddess and the God of Light start walking down the dirt path we’re on and my mates follow close behind. I notice every ten steps or so there are beautiful, glowing flowers that help illuminate the path even more than the stars. The colors range from vibrant purples to brilliant blues, and softer colors in between. It’s truly a sight to behold.

“Before we get started, you need to know that time works differently in my realm.” Her strides never falter, and I quicken my pace to keep up with her. “A few weeks may pass here but on Earth, only a few minutes will go by. Which works in our favor in this instance. My Brilliance” —she gestures toward the God of Light— “and I will lead you to the grotto where the entrance to the spirit realm resides, but you’ll be on your own from there on out. You will have to go in after the shifter alone."

"Oh, I thought my mates would be going in with me?" I ask as a spike of nerves shoots through me.

The Goddess shakes her head. "Only to my realm and the gate, I’m afraid. If they went in with you then no one would be here to keep you tethered and protect your body. There would be no thread to pull on if you needed it."

“What do you mean ‘protect her body?’” Elian demands, slight venom lacing his words even though he’s talking to the freaking Goddess herself. Reed, Kaos, and Dante also look anxious at the thought of me going in alone.

“Sadie’s soul will have to be severed from her body to allow her to go in and rescue Vinson. That will leave her extremely vulnerable, as you can imagine. You four will have to protect her body while she’s in there. Or, if something goes wrong while she’s on the other side, it’ll take all of you to pull her back.”

None of my mates like that answer at all, judging by the snarls and tension lacing through them. But none of them say they’re going to stop me, for which I’m thankful. Not a single one of them could say they’d do this differently if the roles were reversed. It’s written on all their faces.

“I don’t like it,” Kaos says softly, reaching out to hold my hand. “There are too many variables.”

“Me either,” Dante agrees and lays a hand on my shoulder in support.

“We can keep her safe,” Reed vows.

“I can do this, guys. I'll go after Vin and bring him back from death. No biggie, right?” I mutter the last part under my breath.

The Goddess’ lips quirk as she glances over before growing serious once more. “You are connected to him even though you are not mated yet.” My eyes widen with that admission. Is she saying we’re fated? “To ensure his soul heals, you will have to give him a part of yours, which will weaken you for a bit. Are you okay with that?”

I don’t even have to think about it. “Yes.”

“I figured as much. I should also warn you it seems Vin isn't the only one in the afterlife waiting to speak with you. Several others have been waiting for this moment to come.”

A chill shoots through my body at her words.

"Who?" I ask. There are so many possibilities and even more people I'd like to see. So many answers I could receive...

"You'll see," she replies cryptically. "Now, after giving Vinson a piece of your soul, when you are ready to send him back to your world, all you need to do is give him the shadestone Bedi gave you and it will transport him to his body. I’ve taken the liberty to add a special pocket to your dress to store it in. And such a special little stone it is."

I stop in my tracks, retracing her words. “Wait, so that means Bedi knew I’d need this all along?” That damn seer. She’s always one step ahead of everything and it makes me nervous as hell. What else does she know?

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