Page 7 of Fated In Forever
“Sorry.” I muttered, sheathing my woefully insufficient weapon. “We’ve had a wild night.”
“I totally understand,” Aisling offered sympathetically. “We’ve all had them.”
I glanced again at Malachi for guidance for how much information to reveal.Go ahead, we came here for help, and there is no reason to keep what happened a secret.Then his fingers tightened around my arm.Except for when I drank your blood. You can leave that part out.
I wasn’t planning on including that, but thanks for the tip.
Still, I was blushing when I explained, “I only saw the rift for a minute before Malachi brought me here and to be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking at. I can tell you what led up to Ravok collapsing the ruins.”
“You’ve both been through a lot,” Ash offered sympathetically. “Tell us everything you can. Wolf and Dravin are checking the site and will report back, but if the evidence isburied beneath the mountain, any details you remember will help us figure out how to fix this.”
“All the tunnels led to a circular room, with walls so perfectly smooth they looked polished. At the center was a pool of still, silvery water and the ceiling was covered in ancient symbols, runes, I guess. But suspended over the pool was a portal.”
Nikolai drifted closer, pausing when that rumble started up again in Malachi’s chest, his paw landing on my shoulder once more. Given how outnumbered we were, I couldn’t say I minded.
“The center of the portal was swirling with dark shadows and flashes of crimson lightning. I couldn’t see much, but somehow…I felt like someone was watching us. The portal was fed by the magic leaking up from the ley line, and the sheer amount of power inside that room…” I shivered, my teeth aching from the memory. “The very air hummed. Now it’s worse. Ravok collapsed part of the mountain and opened up the ley line. Now all of that magic is loose, leaking up into the rift. We need to seal that leak off.”
“How long ago did this happen?” Brendan asked.
“Less than an hour. Blake, my mate…and the king of our clan are still there, and if I know Riordan, he’s working to stop the leak from getting any worse, but with Ravok still there…and Romulus, they have a fight on their hands.” I spread my hands in front of me. “We could use some help.”
Malachi bristled at the mention of Blake, pressing tighter into my back, as if he couldn’t bear there being an inch of space between us. For some reason, I had the same undeniable urge to keep physical contact between us.
“Rowan Forge, our king, is away, but I think I speak for everyone here when I say we will help, however we can. Brendan will concentrate on the rift, Ash and I will come upwith a plan to halt the leaking magic.” Nikolai offered, glancing to Finn. “Once Wolf and Dravin report back, the commander can put together a force to secure the area.”
My knees went wobbly, eyes burning from the knot in my throat, the sheer force of relief I felt at hearing those words.
They were going to help us, no questions asked, apparently.
I hadn’t realized the weight of responsibility I’d been carrying since we arrived, the terror that we’d—inadvertently—caused the end of the world. Knowing we weren’t alone in this made me want to weep. Hopefully they didn’t discover I was a Silverwood slayer, and throw us out on the street.
Malachi’s thumb rubbed circles on the inside of my arm.
I told you I would keep you safe, Vicious, and I always keep my promises. Brendan will know what to do, and once I’m sorted out, we’ll deal with Ravok and Romulus.
“Thank you for helping,” I rubbed my tight throat, “A small contingent of our Knightsguard are still there, along with Commander Nash, and some members of our clan.”
“The same Nash, just a few hours ago?” Brendan shifted on his feet. “I am, unfortunately, the person who sent you to Château des Ombres Éternelles in the first place. So I bear much responsibility for this disastrous outcome.”
The look he shot Malachi was not kind. “Of course, had I known the full scope of the threat, I would have sent reinforcements straightaway.”
“None of us knew what Ravok was capable of.” I interrupted. “And Malachi…he intended to go to France, kill Ravok and end this before anyone else was hurt. Unfortunately, the entire thing was a trap. Because Ravok can…” I paused, unsure how much to reveal.
Tell them, they deserve to know what they are facing.
“Ravok has the advantage. Not only is he stronger than ever, he can see the future. It’s been impossible to outmaneuver him, and believe me, we’ve tried everything.” The room went quiet, all conversations stopping.
Brendan gave me a kind, if rather condescending smile. “I highly doubt…”
“Evangeline is, unfortunately, correct.” Nikolai interrupted. “I was there, you see. Caine hunted down Ravok, because even human, he was a powerful seer with the ability to foresee the future with near-perfect accuracy.”
I didn’t miss the way Aisling nudged Nikolai with her shoulder, how his mouth tightened, ever so slightly. “Wolf and Acheron captured him, brought him to Caine, who turned him. I can confirm Ravok’s visions were never wrong, but his predictions always benefitted himself more than they ever did Caine.”
“So…you knew Ravok?” I asked slowly, trying to wrap my head around the fact Nikolai—calm and in control—was in any way similar to Ravok. “Were you aware he’d returned?”
“No,” Nikolai shook his head. “I haven’t thought of him in centuries. But of all my brethren, he was one of the most dangerous. You are right. He would destroy this world before he would allow it to slip through his fingers.”
“Malachi planned to finish Ravok off while he was still weak, but Ravok was always one step ahead.” I laid my hand over Malachi’s. “Otherwise, he would have succeeded, this would be over, and we’d be back in New York with all of this behind us.”
