Page 37 of Solan

Solan breaks the silence after a long while, his voice soft but infused with a faint trace of amusement. “Have I ever told you about Thraxus?”

I glance at him, raising a brow. “Your sister’s bonded, right?”

“Yes. The Glowranth who taught me about this world and his language.”

I can’t help but think how fortunate it was to at least have some understanding of a world you were unceremoniously dumped into. “How did that even happen? Them finding each other?”

Solan smirks, his golden eyes lighting with humour. “Oh, it was chaos. My community had seen other species over the years,thanks to the rifts, but never a Glowranth. They’re… not exactly subtle, as you can imagine.”

I blink, picturing the Glowranths I’d seen since being in Terrafeara. The faint bioluminescent glow, the sinewy, and sometimes hulking, humanoid figure—definitely not something anyone would mistake for anything ordinary. “I’d imagine not.”

“Thraxus didn’t just arrive—heexplodedinto our world,” Solan continues. “He came roaring like a storm, glowing with so much raw energy, he lit up the sky and scared the life out of everyone.”

I can’t help but laugh. “And your sister just… knew he was her mate?”

“Instantly,” Solan says, shaking his head. “Ignis marched straight up to him, completely ignoring the fact that he looked like some eldritch horror straight out of a nightmare, and declared, ‘You’re mine.’”

“No hesitation?” I ask, grinning at the image of this fearless female Pyronox. Andeldritch… really? How the heck does he know such a fancy word? I can’t imagine Arnie ever having used it.

“None. Meanwhile, the rest of us were scrambling for weapons, thinking we were under attack. Thraxus… well, he was confused. We both know what it’s like being ripped from our worlds and dropped into a new one. But add in being confronted by a fiery woman claiming you belong to her.”

My grin forms easily despite how well I can relate. I also wonder if his experience with Thraxus and his sister is the reason why Solan didn’t immediately declare me as his. “What did he do?”

Solan’s smirk widens, and his tone turns conspiratorial. “He tried to run.”

“Didn’t work, did it?”

“Not even a little,” he replies, chuckling. “Ignis didn’t give him the chance. She tackled him to the ground—right there in front of all of us—and wouldn’t let go. She just kept shouting at him to stop being abumbryand accept his fate.”

I can’t hold back my laughter, the mental image vivid and absurd. “That’s insane.” I can just imagine being abumbryisn’t meant as a compliment.

Solan continues, his amusement infectious, “By the time he stopped struggling, Thraxus was completely smitten. Though, if you ask him, he’ll say he was ambushed.”

“That sounds like something out of a storybook,” I say, grinning ear to ear.

“It was… memorable,” Solan admits, his smile lingering as his gaze grows distant. “They’re happy… and have a daughter. Thraxus has calmed down a lot, but he still claims Ignis cheated fate.”

The levity of the story lingers between us, a much-needed reprieve from the weight of our mission. But before I can ask more, a faint sound breaks through the stillness. A rustling, deliberate and sharp—too deliberate to be the wind.

Both of us freeze, instincts flaring as we strain to pinpoint the source.

The movement grows louder, closer. My heart pounds as I grip the hilt of my blade that Solan insisted I strap to me. Solan’s posture shifts, predatory and protective, every muscle coiled and ready.

“We’re not alone,” he murmurs, and fuck it all to hell. I am so over this shit.

CHAPTER

NINE

“Uncle Jack!”

I’m on the ground in an instant, legs moving, chest constricting, and relief racing through me so fast, my head spins. It’s really him. He’s flesh and sweetness and trembling as I tug him into my arms, holding him so close, I’m sure he’s struggling to breathe. But shit, Jamie… here, as I live and breathe.

“Holy shit, kid.” I pull away, holding him by the arms as I peer into his face. Dirt smudges litter his skin, but he’s unharmed and bright-eyed. “Bloody hell.” I tug him close once again, pressing my lips to the top of his head and hugging him hard. “You’re okay.” Another kiss and I ease him back. “You’re okay, right?” I search for signs of injury. Search his gaze for distress.

He nods, his little bobblehead bouncing up and down as he grins at me. My gaze darts behind him, falling on Calythra. He’s speaking to Solan in Glowranthian (maybe), and his hands fly wildly in the air as he points to his right, signalling somewhere far off in the distance.

I follow where he points and don’t see anything but trees—a given, since not long after exiting a valley, we entered a forest.

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