Page 36 of Shannon in Sombra

So why is she?

I mean, I probably should’ve known. When neither Loki or Kennedy reacted until I shouted, I should’ve known it wasn’t just any white-eyed shadow creature tracking them.

But that doesn’t explain what Freya is doing here.

One more nuzzle and, suddenly, she’s leaping back to the ash. Her tail whips wildly. Her pointed nose sniffs. A moment later, she moves directly in front of the wall of impenetrable shadow.

She chitters, then waits.

What is she?—

She squeaks, more insistent this time, then waits again.

I can’t believe this?—

She rears back on her hind legs as another pair of glowing white eyes peek out at her from beneath the wall.

Frombeneaththe wall.

No. It couldn’t be that easy, could it?

Freya touches noses with the other ungez. Because that’s what it is. As it shimmies its way out, it’s clear that I’m looking at Freya’s twin.

She looks back at Kennedy, preening a little.

“What a good girl,” she breathes out.

The other ungez squeaks, then turns and burrows its way back under the wall. Freya scampers over to Kennedy, rubbing her ankle before strolling over to the spot where her friend disappeared.

Then, a heartbeat later, Freya is also gone.

I don’t know how much room is down there but there must be enough for her to turn around, sticking her face out from under the gap. She chitters once more, eyes flashing. I get the vibe she’s telling us silly humans in ungez that we’re taking too long because she snaps her dainty fangs, turns around again, and vanishes.

“Freya!” calls Kennedy.

A faint squeak from a little further in the distance tells us that, wherever the ungez went, she’s done it. She’s found a way around the block.

Hope… the emotion, not the person... it’s a delicate, fragile thing. Part of me doesn’t want to believe that Kennedy’s pet followed us all the way through the shadows to help. It’s so damn fantastical… but I mated a monster. Before Sammael returned to his demon form, Hope was fated to a phantom. Billie was grabbed by a guard.

And Kennedy bonded to a beast in these same shadows that Freya once called home.

This is real life. Even when I look around, see the demons, and admit that I’ve stumbled into a fantasy romance with a kind, sexy demon lead, it’sreal… but in my new, real life, why can’t a tiny black squirrel-cat with glowing white eyes save the day like Sombra’s version of freakingLassie?

“I’m going,” I announce to the stunned group. Freya is small, but the ash moves. It’s not packed together like dirt. If I dig a little and wiggle, I can follow her.

This is the way… that’s what Lucian said.

I look at the stone-faced seer, arching an eyebrow.

He nods.

Yes!

“We will all go,” he says. “One at a time. And if we are warded away again, now we will know how to get past it.”

“Because of Freya,” Kennedy beams.

“We will all go.” That’s my mate agreeing with Lucian. “And I will go first.”

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