Page 173 of Visions & Shadows

Raighne comes to place our bowls in the sink, and his hand wraps around my hip. “Time for you to get some sleep.”

I glance at him. “I just want to check on the others.”

I can see he wants to argue, but instead of forcing me straight to bed, he walks with me to the living room.

Brenna’s the first to notice us. “You look much better.”

“I feel better,” I chuckle.

I glance over the group until my eyes land on Lydia, who doesn’t seem as terrified anymore where she’s sitting beside Sarah.

“Did they explain everything to you?” I ask Lydia.

She nods, then lets out a nervous chuckle. “I’m still wrapping my mind around everything. It’s all a little overwhelming, and if I didn’t see you appear out of thin air, I wouldn’t believe any of it.”

My attention is pulled away from Lydia when Riccardo steps closer to me. With remorse tightening his features, he says, “I didn’t mean to shoot you. I’m so sorry.”

I shrug and offer him a smile. “I’m okay. How are you holding up?”

“Confused as fuck, but I’m hanging in there,” he answers honestly with a thick Italian accent.

I glance at the group again, then say, “I just need to get two more chosen ones then we can return to Vaalbara.”

“I was thinking everyone can stay here while you collect the last two instead of me shimmering everyone all over the world. I’ll be able to move faster, and it won’t tire me out as much,” Ares says from where he’s sittingon the floor near the sliding doors with his forearms resting on his knees.

“I don’t like the idea of the group separating,” Griffith mutters.

“It might be better for everyone to stay here instead of taking them into a disaster scene,” Finian says, surprising me because he’s been quiet since his father joined us.

I look at my late father’s guardian. “Griffith, you, Brenna, and Finian can guard the chosen ones and get to Vaalbara via the waterfall if all hell breaks loose while Ares, Raighne, and I search for the final two.”

“As much as I hate the idea of splitting the group, Alchera’s right,” Raighne says from beside me. “But we can talk about this after she’s had some sleep.”

He takes hold of my hand, and considering the conversation done with, he pulls me down the hallway and into the bedroom.

I wait for Raighne to lie down before I make myself comfortable, lying half on top of him. Burying my face in the crook of his neck, I take a deep breath of his scent while my eyes drift shut.

He brushes his hand up and down my back, and within minutes, a deep breath escapes me as I drift off to sleep.

Chapter 31

Alchera

It feels like I’ve barelyclosed my eyes when I startle awake, my body jerking.

It’s only for a split second, then my vision blurs.

A thick smoke engulfs me, and I instantly start coughing. My eyes sting as I glance around me, taking in the burning trees and orange light glowing around me.

Jesus, have I stepped into an inferno?

I cover my mouth with my hands and blink like crazy, tears streaking down my cheeks while I struggle to make sense of where I am.

I hear people shout, and my head snaps in their direction. I watch as a group hurries to push boats into a wide river.

“Silvana, come!” a woman shouts.

“I’m not leaving my research behind.”

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