Page 35 of Logan

“Yes, I would like to meet her.”

Logan slipped her phone into his pocket and held his hand out to her. She knew he had sent off a few texts but she found she didn’t care what they said. As long as that communication ended with her being released from her family debt, she was good with it. If you had told her a week ago, she would trust anyone like this, let alone a man she just met, she would have called bullshit. But here she was, about to head into a dragon cave to meet a druid temple.

She took his hand, and he led her from the cabin with Legion and Mara following hand in hand.

As Emily walked alongside Logan in the velvety cloak of night, the rural landscape stretched out before them. It was shrouded in darkness except for the ethereal glow of the moon, casting its silvery sheen upon the earth. Logan’s keen sensesguided them effortlessly through the shadowed terrain, his presence a reassuring beacon in the night.

Together, they pressed forward until they reached the mouth of a cavern nestled within the heart of the mountains. With Logan’s steady hand leading the way, they ventured into the depths of the cavern, where the darkness seemed to envelop them like a thick veil.

But as Logan flicked his wrist with a deft motion, a small orb of light materialized in the air above them, casting its gentle illumination upon their path. With this newfound radiance to guide them, they navigated a labyrinth of twists and turns, each step bringing them closer to their destination.

Their journey led them to a vast cavern, where the darkness gave way to a breathtaking expanse bathed in the soft glow of magical light. Emily felt a sense of awe wash over her, as if she had stepped into a realm untouched by time itself.

The temple was nestled at the center, with greenery growing around it. She thought it was some kind of temple oasis, but Logan had explained the temple was newly returned to this world and was still anchoring itself in its new home.

As they neared the majestic temple, two wolves exited the mists that surrounded it. One was white, and the other dark.

Hello beautiful.

Emily’s eyes widened as her gaze moved to the darker and the larger of the two.

“They talk?” she said.

Logan smiled. “Only Ren. He is more than a wolf. My brother Thorn was forced to inhabit Ren’s body for a very long time and when they were finally separated, Ren could not reclaim his former wolf form. His time with Thorn changed him, and he is now a guardian of the temple. He is difficult to classify other than family.”

“And the white one?” she asked as it sat at her feet and looked up at her lovingly.

“Daisy was Tempest’s protector before we rescued her from a dark dragon. She gave her life to save Tempest and now resides with the temple as a second guardian. She is confined to the temple, but it brings the ladies peace to be able to visit her here.”

The woman that emerged from the mist needed no introduction. She wore a simple white robe and exuded beauty and power.

“Greetings, Emily; it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Emily held out her hand as Adara smiled. “You, too.”

“I do not have a fully corporeal body yet. I look forward to the day when I can hug my children, but it will take me some time to cement my power.”

Emily dropped her hand. “Oh, sorry.”

“Do not be. I must admit, I am curious about you. When Mara told me of her vision, I was shocked. I cannot feel you at all, and even though you are standing before me and I can see you are one of my own, I still do not know what your power is.”

“Is that bad?” she asked.

Adara shook her head. “It is simply unusual this close to emergence.”

“Okay,” Emily said lamely.

Adara motioned to the temple. “Would you like a tour of the temple and your history?”

She nodded, unable to form words. But as she went to pull forward, Logan dropped her hand.

“I will visit the temple with you whenever you wish, but this time is for you and Adara. I will wait right here for you.”

She nodded, feeling his reluctance to let her go alone. He wanted to be with her, but he was abiding by a code of ethics he and his brothers had set in place so many years ago. He allowed her access to his mind, holding nothing back.

Emily followed Adara inside the temple and its smooth stone walls. The wall sconces all held wax candles, and they flickered in the wind Emily couldn’t feel. It was like passing into another realm, one stuck in history.

Adara pointed to several tapestries on the walls and began to explain druid history as well as the events that led to the destruction of the druids and dragons. Logan had told her the story, but Adara’s voice dripped with pain as she explained it, and Emily couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to lose all your children. It had been her head seer who had made the choice. The first Adara, who had rallied her sisters and the dragons to make the sacrifice that the temple could not.

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