Page 89 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

Shelly shook her head. “Nope. That totally doesn’t happen. No zombie apocalypse either.”

“What? How do you know? What the crap did you do in hell? Learn stuff?” Tara asked with a deep frown.

“I’ve got so much to tell you.” Shelly sighed.

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“Thank you for the information you’ve shared, Collin. It is very helpful,” Nasima said. “You will stay here, in my home, and my household staff will get you settled.”

“You’re leaving?” Collin asked.

“We cannot allow a demon as powerful as Dolion to continue to consort with covens and dark elementals. It is our duty to protect the humans and all of the realms,” Avuir said. “You will be safe here.”

Nasima truly hoped that would remain true. If Viscious and Dolion were working together, along with the other dark elementals, then things were going to get worse before they got better.

Kairi opened a portal that appeared as a whirlpool floating in the air. With one last look at Collin, the three royals stepped through the portal.

Nasima felt herself slam into something hard. She was violently thrown backward. Then she felt a hand around her arm. She turned to see Aviur pulling her and Kairi into a different portal.

They hit the ground hard. Nasima was on her feet an instant later. “What in Gaia’s name was that?”

“I opened the portal to the earth realm so we could check on Dhara,” Kairi said.

“Something has managed to close the realm,” Aviur added.

“Something evil,” Kairi said. She had been the first one to step through the portal. “When I touched the boundary it felt like oil and smelled like sulfur.”

Nasima cursed as she realized what it must mean. “Dolion has gotten to Dhara. How could he completely lock down an entire realm?”

“He’s gotten very powerful,” Aviur said.

Nasima looked around and realized they were in front of the mountain that housed Terra Academy. “Good job bringing us here, Aviur.”

He bowed his head and then started for the place where the doors were on the mountain but hidden behind the rocks. Nasima lifted her hand and whispered in her language. The doors appeared, and Aviur pulled one open for the two queens.

They walked inside, and she trusted that the fire king would make sure to put the glamour back. It didn’t go unnoticed by Nasima that the gnome who was usually manning the door wasn’t at his post.

“Do you feel that?” Kairi asked.

Nasima nodded. “It’s something powerful and pure,” she said as the magic brushed over her skin. She headed for Terrick’s office, which happened to be the direction of the magic pulsing in the air.

They didn’t knock when they reached the closed door. Nasima pushed it open with her power and strode in. “We have a serious problem,” she said as she took in the wide-eyed stares at the three royals. All accept Terrick and Iterra, at least.

“Pretty sure that you mean problems, plural,” Liam said.

Nasima’s head snapped over to the water elementalist student. He held up his hands and lowered his eyes. “My apologies, your majesty. I meant no disrespect.”

She turned her attention to Terrick and Iterra. “We have much to discuss.”

Tara sat nextto Elias on the large couch in Terrick’s office. She didn’t want to sit. She wanted to pace, but Elias held her hand tightly, and she had the distinct feeling that if she attempted to get up, he would put her in his lap to keep her still.

“If you will please close the door,” Terrick said to the air queen. “We were just about to be filled in on some information by…”

“Miles. Josie,” Kairi said as she hurried across the room to the couple. The couple went to one knee before the queen.

“Our queen,” Miles said as he bowed his head.

Kairi placed a hand on each of their heads and looked down at the pair with such love that it made Tara’s throat tight.

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