Page 30 of The Dark War

She was using her healing powers unknowingly, but why she would try and use them then, I wouldn’t understand. “Rest,” I urged her again until she fell asleep.

Not saying a word, I ticked my head in the direction of home. The magic fading quickly, enveloping us all as the warrior that tried to help my mate shifted again. The scratches from their run, the exhaustion that loomed over them now lifted, ready for us to return home.

Clara lay in our bed. Her deep breathing had me at ease. She wasn’t thrashing, trying to grip onto me as I sat beside her. Our daughter watched her intently, holding onto her arm as she lay with her. Evelyn’s eyes drifted, watching her sleep until she too succumbed to her mother’s calm aura.

When I entered the pack grounds, the warriors were frantic. My father went into alpha mode, trying to get a handle on things. When word got out that the luna ran off the pack territory, it made them fear I would come after all of them, seek my wrath on them all if anything happened to my luna.

I probably would have.

But I was a different wolf now. After bathing and setting her in bed, Raine and Leia stood at the door of our room. “Watch over them.” I growled, heading to the doorway. “I’m sorry,” Raine muttered. Her eyes didn’t meet mine as I continued to walk down the stairs.

It wasn’t her fault; none of it was. I tried to save my mate from the worry. There were no plans to battle this day, but the nagging feeling in the back of my head told me something was amiss. As much as Clara had confided in me about her strange dreams, I had them also.

Running up the stairs, finding darkness and blood, yet no recollection of anything else. As she held her hand next to my beating heart as we traveled home, more scenes pulled together inside. Being the unemotional piece of shit, Torin pushed them away and concentrated on our mate.

“Powder, the white powder,” Clara was mumbling into the mind-link. Giana must have kept it open, so if Clara had another nightmare, I could run and find her.

“I’m so sorry.” August ran through the foyer of the pack house. His heavy pants and waving his hand in front of his face didn’t have me forgiving him so easily. “What happened?” I gritted my teeth. I wouldn’t let my father elaborate on how Clara was able to run past all the warriors and get free of the protection of the pack. I had to keep her safe now since I failed to do so earlier.

“I wasn’t with her when it happened. I was told she panicked and ran after you when she couldn’t mind-link you. I was in the office.” He puffed out his chest, trying to gain his confidence. “I was in a meeting with a sorceress.”

My head perked up in surprise. Sorceresses don’t just talk to anyone. They stick to their own kind, their covens. You would have a better time talking to a witch rather than a sorceress. “Who contacted who?”

Children ran by, giggling, breaking the tension between us until he stiffened again. “She contacted me; she was specifically looking for Clara’s parents, but they are not near any reflecting mirrors for communication. She found me when I sat in your office going over financials.”

Shit, shit, shit.

“Office.” I growled. Opening the door to my office, papers spread across the desk. August was an effective gamma; his organizational skills were lacking, but he knew where everything was. My desk, on the other hand, I hated that it was a fucking mess.

“Sorry, I’ll clean it.” He cowered back. Torin was soothing Giana inside my mind, causing me to be distracted. “Just spit it out.” I huffed, sitting on one of the black leather couches, pouring myself some scotch.

“Anyway, this sorceress, she had a vision. I am surprised Queen Eden hasn’t had one yet,” August mused.

“Clara’s mom can’t pick what to see in the future. She sees what is granted. Sorceresses can pull strings, dance with the devil, and prance around a field of dead cats, shit that Queen Eden doesn’t do,” I said sarcastically. Taking the drink down in one go, I poured another. “What did she say?” Gulping the rest of my second glass, I set it on the glass table. August jumped at the sharp sound, and my head turned to meet him.

Why the hell is he so nervous?

“It was Sorceress Cyrene, from the Earth realm.”

Shit.

Chapter Seventeen

Taliyah

Ipulledthemagnifyingspectacles off my face, rubbing my painful eyes. Even the whites around my irises were red. Papers sat scattered across my desk, the computer I had used taking some of the mess with it, but even then, I had windows open with budgets, laws, past laws, and the sort.

After going through an extensive library day in and day out, there was nothing I could find. Nothing in the history of the Vermillion Kingdom to give me some sort of hope for the future. Not only had most vampires turned on the kingdom, but now witches and warlocks had too. I prayed to the gods that no sorcerers or sorceresses were being pulled into the dark; otherwise, we would really be in some trouble.

The magical beings usually had covens scattered across the land of Bergarian, but many took residence in Vermillion over the years. Covens were small, nomadic, much like the gypsies I had read about on Earth. Wadding up another piece of worthless parchment, I threw it in the nearby trash. Its contents were already running forth with nothing but dead ends and disappointment.

This kingdom used to be such a lovely place. Within the last thousand years, it had become desolate as the centuries went on. The pictures that hung on the walls showed life filled with animals in the darkened forests. It reminded me of the Brothers Grimm stories and the artists who would paint their tales.

Bare feet hitting the cold stone floor stood outside the office door. The candles blew toward me as the air shifted. Jasper, my constant rock the past few months, came in bearing nothing but black slacks and a bare chest. His feet were bare yet clean of dirt. His eyes softened once he met mine. His heavy footsteps carried him around the desk only to pick me up and put me in his arms.

“My mate.” His nose went into my neck. “You’ve been working too hard. It’s late.” I smiled softly at him, tracing his sandy beard with my finger. His hair had grown just to his cheekbones. He wished to cut it, but I wouldn’t let him.

“I was just waiting up for you.” I kissed his cheek. Jasper frowned, narrowing his eyes at me.

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