Page 210 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

I glanced over my shoulder, watching as Cyrus, Killian, and Sierra headed over to several men who were already working on moving the dead. The men listened and looked at Killian and then Cyrus with respect as each man spoke, so I knew things would be okay. Cyrus was ready to learn to be a strong beta. The role he was always meant to play.

Forcing myself to move forward, I faced the front again and headed to the car.

Rosemary groanedas we hit the bump where the land and the bridge that led to Shadow City connected. “Pull over.”

“Now?” Griffin asked as he slowed the vehicle. “We just got on the bridge, and we need to get to the council.”

“I know that,” Rosemary snapped. “But stop. I need a minute.”

She hadn’t healed herself yet, and her attitude worried me. “I thought you said—” I began, but my words died off as a bright light started to glow from the back.

The light grew brighter, and as I turned to check on her, the whole back seat lit up brighter than the sun. All I could do was close my eyes, hoping that my retinas hadn’t been burned to a crisp.

“Damn it!” Griffin bellowed as he slammed on the brakes, making the car lurch forward. “A little warning would’ve been nice.”

I faced forward, stretching out my arms to brace myself on the dashboard. The seatbelt caught, causing my body to jerk. The light in the back seat ebbed.

“I did warn you.” Rosemary’s voice was clear now, without any evidence of pain. “I told you to stop the car.”

“She’s right.” I blinked a few times, trying to stop seeing spots. “Are you going to light up again, or are we safe?”

She huffed. “I’m healed, and I couldn’t do that again right away, even if I wanted to.”

“Are you still hurt?” I looked at her and realized that her skin was a shade darker than normal. She still looked beautiful, but she looked tan. How the hell was that possible?

She shook her head. “No, I’m not, but it took a lot out of me to heal myself.” She lifted her arms and examined her skin. “My magic is almost depleted. It’s going to take some time for it to recharge.”

Griffin glanced in the rearview mirror. “Is that why you look different?”

“Yeah, our power inside projects outwardly more than it does in other races.” She rubbed her fingers together. “You can easily see our essence, though only angels can sense it.”

Her words settled over me. “Wait, are angels able to see the intent of others, too?”

“Yeah, we are. That’s one reason why I warmed up to you so quickly.” Rosemary shifted around, stretching out her arms. “Your light was pure like Mom’s, and of course, I felt the familial bond, though I didn’t quite understand that since it was different with your wolf and all.”

She’d warmed up to mequickly? The first time I’d met Rosemary, she was complaining about not being waited on fast enough, which I hadn’t tolerated. When I’d pushed back, I’d somehow gained her respect, despite Carter bitching about how I shouldn’t have told her off. But I wouldn’t have called her reaction…warm.

“So I can see intent, too.” I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it away from my face. “That’s why I don’t trust certain people, especially the ones negativity clings to, like Luna, Azbogah, Saga, and Dick.”

“Yeah, the wickedness around them is probably the worst I’ve ever seen, too. Granted, I haven’t been around much in the world outside of the city.” Rosemary blew out a breath. “God, it feels good to be able to move and breathe without hurting.”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” I leaned over and touched her arm. “Seeing you get hurt…” I trailed off as my throat dried. I’d lost so many people I loved.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere.” She patted my hand awkwardly, clearly still uncomfortable with intense emotion. “So we’re good.”

A chuckle left my throat as I slumped in my seat. Rosemary being back to her awkward self comforted me.

Griffin pressed the gas, and the car accelerated toward the large gate. “Why didn’t you do that back at the house before we got into the Navigator?”

“Because I wasn’t strong enough yet, and I didn’t want to do it in the Ridge in case any humans were close by. They didn’t need to see the light.” Rosemary cleared her throat and crossed her arms. “I waited until the witches’ spell hid us.”

The gate opened without Griffin even having to get out, just like the last time we came. “Should we be worried?”

“No, there isn’t a threat inside, so someone was watching for us,” Rosemary answered. “Mom probably put out the word to the guards on duty.”

We pulled into the city, and within minutes, we were at the council building. The lights were on, making it clear that people were already inside.

“Alex and Matthew aren’t here yet,” Griffin growled as he parked. “Good, I wanted to beat them.”

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