Page 92 of Gift from the Nexus

Stepping out of the transport, I break away from everyone and turn myself in circles, taking in my surroundings. We’re in the same forest I just saw, but we aren’t where CC left Lyker to be found. The tall, massive trees stretch high into the air, and just a few feet to my left is a stream flowing down the side of the mountain.

Tugging in my chest alerts me to something. What, I don’t know, but it garners every bit of my attention, and I can’t help but follow the pull. I’m so consumed with my pursuit, it only registers to me that Lyker is walking in stride right beside me when our arms brush one another’s. He has a single-minded focus just as I do.

“Fortune teller, wait,” he says, trying to grab onto my arm, but he isn’t fast enough. My face collides with a ward I didn’t even sense and I would’ve been laid out on my ass had he not caught me before I hit the ground.

“Damn it. What the hell was that?” I ask, rubbing the sting out of my nose and blinking away the tears collecting in my eyes from the pain of running into what felt like a damn brick wall.

“That’s what I was trying to warn you about,” he says, cocking an amused eyebrow at the slurs falling from my mouth.

“Let me see you, Primary,” Caspian orders, hauling me up and out of Lyker’s grasp. Gripping my face so he can check on my nose, he sighs, “For one day, I’d like to avoid the urge to destroy something over you.”

Snorting, then groaning through the sharp pain, I say, “I don’t believe that for one second.”

His mischievous smile makes my heart thunder enough that it blocks out the pain. That powerful thud swiftly travels south as he turns to grab the vial from Gaster’s outstretched hand, then looks back at me with darkened eyes. That look seems to draw the other three closer as if it’s his sign to them to move in. Pounce.

“Open up for me, Primary.”

Fuck. Me.

I know he’s talking about my mouth, but for the vial, unfortunately.

“Mind back on the task, princess. We’ll take care of that need later.”

Corentin’s dominating tone both throws fuel on my fire because of the promise I hear behind it and snaps me out of the eye fucking gaze I’m shooting Caspian. Who’s now smiling, incredibly pleased with himself.

Thankfully, they took their standard formation in surrounding me, blocking the sight of me from anyone ’cause I’d surely be mortified right now for everyone to see how fast I get hot and bothered by my men. Honestly, I think they do this on purpose when I experience higher, more negative emotions because it settles me faster than anything else can.

“Thank you. That’s much better,” I whisper to the four of them.

Draken purrs, Tillman runs his fingers down the back of my neck, Caspian commands his shadows to circle my wrist, and Corentin lays a soft kiss to my forehead. That’s their way of responding because they know I’m thanking them for more than just the vial.

“So is this nose-breaking ward what brings you out here?” I ask Lyker as my men part and let me out from their protective casing.

“Yeah. It’s barely noticeable. I ran into it in my wolf the first time I came across it because I couldn’t even sniff it out.” As he runs his hand down the surface of the barrier, I barely catch the glimmer of it moving, but enough to know his touch does something to it.

“Nikoli, can you detect anything?” Tillman asks.

“Nothing. If Willow wouldn’t have face-planted first, the rest of us would’ve done the same.” He snickers, earning himself an elbow to the gut from Oakly.

“Very funny. Does anyone live around here?” I ask.

“No. This is technically unclaimed land even though it’s close enough to us to be considered part of our territory. Someone could live here if they wanted to, though.”

Humming because I’m not sure what to say yet, I let my fingers run across the ward as I walk farther into the woods. There isn’t anything profoundly special about this forest. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful and peaceful. You can hear the birds overhead chirping, the water from the stream creates a natural white noise, and it’s the perfect temperature. Not too hot, not too cold, paired with a soft breeze.

It’s homey, inviting.

We continue our trek in silence. No one speaks or tries to initiate a conversation, but I feel the rising anticipation.Everyone’s waiting for me and Lyker to talk about what happened, what’s going on. His own emotions tell me he’s both anxious for me to get on with it, but he also doesn’t want the comfort of this moment disrupted.

“How much of the ward have you traveled?” I ask softly.

“All of it. It’s about a mile around. It’s just a circular area warded off, surrounded by trees and a random cave.”

My stomach tightens, my heart rate picks up, and sweat beads across my forehead, but I breathe through it because it’s my telltale sign. There’s nothing random in Elementra. There’re no coincidences. I’m going to need to see that cave.

“Will you take me to the cave?”

“We’re almost on it,” he says curiously, pointing his finger forward. Sure enough, covered by some overgrown brush, about one hundred or so feet in front of us, is the mouth of the cave.

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