Page 90 of Ignited Spirits
Might as well throw a family reunion in the castle. I’m sure Hades will absolutely love that.
She wavers before agreeing. I open a portal, and Gran disappears through it. Once she brings back Gramps, we all go through a rift toInfernustogether. I’ll have the joy of telling Hades the newest wrinkle in our plan once we arrive. Lucky me.
CHAPTER 30
LEGION
“You want me to do what?” the jaguar shifter asks my mate incredulously.
After discussing plans with her grandmother, we returned toInfernusto explain our plan to the king of that plane. He was not thrilled about the prospect, but my mate was able to persuade him.
Now we are making stops to get more support on our side because numbers will matter when it comes to defeating thecura.
She gives him a sheepish grin. “Oh, you know, nothing too big. Just bring all your shifters who can fight toInfernusto battle Lua.”
He blinks at her in disbelief for a long moment. “Who all is going to be battling LuaMaterwith us? Or will you just be sacrificing my shifters to her?”
A growl rumbles in my chest as a look of hurt crosses my mate’s face before she shutters it. I have to resist the urge to yank control away from the pup and put the jaguar in his place.
However, I do not believe my mate would appreciate that.
Whenever I receive a new host, I have access to all the knowledge he has accumulated throughout his life. It makesit easier to assimilate to a new place and new time and new language. I had never heard of a jaguar or a shifter before. Due to the pup’s memories, I know exactly what a jaguar looks like and what shifters do.
“I wouldn’t do that, Mateo,” she tells him with her shoulders slumped. “I don’t think shifter lives matter any less than any other lives. There will be most of Hades’s army there fighting as well. Our current plan hinges on having enough people to tire her out, so we can use all the help we can get.”
The jaguar at least has the grace to look chagrined. “I’m sorry, Izzy. It’s just scary thinking about sending my people to battle someone as unstoppable as Lua. I don’t think you’re the type of mage to sacrifice my people like that.”
She laughs. The sound is filled with anxiety instead of mirth. “How do you think I feel? I have to put everyone I care about on a battlefield with the same person who already killed one of my mates before. Then I have to hope we can last long enough to exhaust her. It’s terrifying.”
His eyes soften in sympathy and understanding. “We’ll help you. When do you need me to have everyone ready?”
“How’s tomorrow sound?” She gives him a big smile to distract him from her ask.
His eyes widen and he makes a choking sound. One of his fellow jaguars pats him on the back until he stops coughing. “I’m sorry, I must’ve misheard because there’s no way you said tomorrow.”
“Nope, your hearing is good. I absolutely said tomorrow.” She shrugs and gives him awhat can you doexpression.
“How do you expect me to get hundreds of shifters ready in less than a day?” he asks incredulously.
Izzy throws up her hands. “I don’t know, Mateo. You’re the governor or president or mayor or whatever ofLa Esperanza.Can’t you just tell them that they’re all going on a field triptomorrow? I’m sure they’d love to seeInfernus, so think about it more like a vacation rather than a battle.”
Another one of the jaguars behind Mateo cracks a grin at her calling their alpha a mayor, president, or governor.
I would be lying if I said I never thought about what my mate would be like. But even in my wildest imagination, my idea of a mate pales in comparison to the reality of Isabel.
She is witty and sarcastic and funny. She has a wall constructed around her heart from a lifetime of being treated horribly. But when she cares about someone, she is soft and loving and warm. Her backbone of steel is impressive for one so young, and her continued compassion after all she has been through never ceases to amaze me.
While I have not known her very long, I feel like I have, thanks to the pup’s memories. I know she’s still unsure about me, but, hopefully, we will have a long time to get to know each other once thecurais taken care of.
“Alpha,” Mateo corrects. He rubs his temples like my mate is giving him a headache. “I’m the alpha, Isabel.”
“Sure,” she agrees, not understanding why the shifter is insulted by her not recognizing his rank.Anguiahave a looser rank structure than shifters, but respecting rank is still a crucial part of our society. Disrespect is not tolerated. “So, can you help out tomorrow or not?”
“What’s the rush? Why does it need to be tomorrow?” he presses.
Stuffing down the exasperation that was beginning to show on her face, Izzy blows out a breath to calm herself. “Because LuaMaterhas pretty much everything she needs to drain the Earth of its magic. We don’t know if she’s days or weeks or months away from completing the spell, and we can’t afford to let her do that.”
He laces his hands together and places them behind his head. The jaguar stares at the ceiling as he works through something in his mind. Blowing out a breath, he nods to himself before looking at my mate again. “We can do it. Will you be back to pick us up tomorrow morning?”
