sharp chin. I was long overdue for a visit to the spirit realm to actually get to know my mom and bio dad, but that was one more thing on my to-do list that’d have to wait. 98.5% lame.
She grinned.
Reyna cleared her throat, and Sariah jumped.
“Oh dear. You need to hurry. You’re going to be late.” She raised her gaze to Reyna and said, “The high mage of water will meet you in the quad. He’ll take Nai for the first part of her initiation. After you drop her there, come straight back. Don’t let Kian or his men bait you into staying. It’s against the rules, and we have to play by the rules.”
Reyna nodded sagely. “Yes, ma’am.”
Then my grandfather’s shield pulled the front door open. The early morning sky was still pitch black overhead, but in the east, the darkness had been wrung from the horizon, and the sunlight continued to leach away the depth of night. The cool morning temperatures kissed my hands and face, and my heart flipped with anticipation.
Soon enough, I’d be done with this and racing back to Rage.
Sariah kissed me on the cheek and then whispered, “Be respectful, but don’t cut them any slack if they get out of hand.” She looked me in the eye. “Elia said one of them tried to kill her during her initiation. There’s no such thing as benefit of the doubt.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t trust them a bit.”
She smiled, and I turned to follow Reyna, who was already down the steps and waiting for me a dozen paces into the courtyard. More bushy hedges lined the area, and several breaks in the flora indicated wandering paths. The deciduous trees were stripped bare of their leaves, but the evergreens rose into the sky. On the other end of the courtyard was a stone wall at least twenty feet high, and a wrought-iron gate was guarded by two massive Dobermans—each one as big as Rage’s wolf.
As I bounded down the steps to meet the guard dogs, Sariah gasped behind me. I leapt down onto the flagstone patio and spun to face her, my eyes wide with concern.
She offered me a guilty smile. “I can’t believe I almost forgot to tell you. Your mate, King Courage of Midnight, came to the portal last night trying to find you. I couldn’t tell him anything, but he wanted me to give you a message.” She squinted as if she were trying to remember something. “He said, ‘Tell her I love her, and … please, please come home to me.’”
Home. Rage.
I closed my eyes and let his message sink into my soul. My eyes pricked with tears. I missed him so much it hurt. Even knowing why I left and the importance of my purpose here, guilt sank into my chest. Swallowing back the emotion, I blinked away the tears and gave my aunt a watery smile. “Are you going back there today?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I wish I was, but today is my day off.”
“I understand,” I said, forcing a smile. “Thanks for the message.”
“Nai!” Reyna hollered. “You’re going to piss off all the high mages if you don’t hurry.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m pretty sure me being alive, not to mention me being here, pisses them off already.”
My aunt burst into laughter. “I’m sure that’s true. But really, you should go. Good luck.”
Bolstered by Rage’s message, I set off, determined to face whatever obstacles they threw at me and return to him tonight.
Bruno and Max might be fierce—but they showed nothing but enthusiasm for me. As I approached the gate where Rey waited, both of them spun to face me. Then the one on the left whined at Reyna.
“You can play with her later. She’s late!” she told the dogs, and we set off outside of the castle gates. By the time we were halfway across the quad, the sun had peeked over the horizon, and I noticed four more castles, each one spaced an equal distance from its neighbors.
All of the castles had high walls around them, including Grandpa’s. We approached one of the castles, set on a hill, and the sloping elevation drew the eye to the building and not the blockade around it.
“You’re late,” Kian snapped, stepping out from the gate, his blue robe billowing out behind him. “The summons clearly said six o’clock, and timeliness—”
“If you’re going to say timeliness is close to godliness—” I started.
“Timeliness is a mark of respect,” he snarled.
Oh, bite me,