Page 120 of Fated Exile

She just sobs against me, none of her typical fire or humor present. Pulling slowly from my arms, she shakes her head and turns to Niall, who folds her in a strong hug and draws his hands down her back. He winces as his fingers tangle in some of her burned hair, which comes off in his hand.

In a low voice he tells me, "The fire brigade is on their way, but they've been... waylaid. There are a few other fires burning in Jupiter."

And I don't think that's the only issue.

Because other than my aunt, mother, and Niall, I see no one else out here, just like there was no one in the office as Kerry pulled me from it.

There's something that no one has said yet, something I'm afraid to discover.

"Kerry." I have to screw up my courage to ask the question that follows. "Where is everyone? The guys? Where have the gone?"

Her stricken expression is answer enough.

So is the answering silence from Niall, and Cat's strangled sob of despair.

The worst has happened, and I was asleep during it.

Forty-Four

Delilah

"When you're in the dream world, your mind and spirit will disconnect from your body entirely. It'll be like you're dead, a little, but not quite. Part of you will remain behind. It's that part of your own soul that you must return to upon waking."

Only I've woken up now, and my soul is gone.

Stalking across the distance between us, I grab onto Niall, pulling him away from Cat, who weakly lets go of his shoulders. He looks down at me with sorrowful eyes as I dig my fingers into him and demand, "Where are they? What happened to them—to my mates?"

"Look for them yourselves," he says quietly. "Maybe you can find them through the bonds. I doubt you'll be able to—she was too powerful not to ensure that. But maybe there's still a chance."

I swallow, my mouth dry. Flames crackled and roar in my ears, wood splinters and falls, but the burning of my childhood home behind me is nothing next to this pain in my heart.

Pain, and absence.

Because though I'm afraid, though I don't want to, some tiny, instinctive part of me just searched for the bonds within my body.

Kieran, my first love, who I once believed was my last. He fell from grace, then did the strongest thing anyone I've known has ever done: he got back up and became stronger. More determined. Even more alive.

Roarke, who has always burned with fire and determination, turned from a goofy young boy to an impossibly handsome man. He's led the pack through so much just to get here, and he's meant to lead all of us into so much more. I see the summer in his eyes, and the dawn in his heart, where hope and leadership lie.

Finn, my north star, who sees me and hears me in a way no one else does, who draws passion and joy alike from within my soul. He fights fiercely, loves deeply, and never lets a moment of laughter pass by. I was looking forward to knowing a thousand more laughs with him, each one brighter than the last.

Lance, strong and protective, who holds a secret creative side in his heart and would stand between anyone and a bullet. He's my strength, my rock, the one I can turn to in the darkest and wildest of storms. I think there are so many more layers inside him that I've yet to discover.

And Bastian, who I never could've dreamed of meeting, who's ripped free from chains that encircled his body, and chains that enslaved his mind. I wanted so badly to tell him what I found out about the gemstones that were put inside him. Together we could've discovered more about Asher, the spirit of youth, and explored ways for Bastian to grow and heal now that he's free.

They were all in the back of my mind, undeniable presences that I could reach out and touch for an instant.

I've barely even had them.

Now they're gone.

Looking up into Niall's exhaustion-crinkled eyes, I have only one word. "How?"

He tells me, in slow and halting sentences, as Cat sobs and Kerry turns to face the house, spells tripping from her lips, the flames abating at her magic and the power of water she summons. I keep my eyes on Niall's face, and listen to his tale.

While I was gone, Delphine must have sensed it, because she came almost right away.

The guys went out to protect me—of course. They fought the vampires bravely, but this time, there was no fur-ripping and gently scratching. They didn't fight weak simulacrums of the vampiric coven they faced before. It was the real deal, supped up on Delphine's powers and her blood, and they ripped flesh apart with fangs and claws.

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