Peri gave them all a few more minutes as the couples continued to stand and look at her. Cynthia had taken over getting Drake to his feet since he did not have a mate. Peri found it odd that they didn’t embrace each other, or ask each other if they were all right. But, as she watched each of the males eyeing one another, she realized that they didn’t trust each other. They didn’t trust that this was real, that the women that they each held close were genuine. Their minds were trying to come to terms with the notion that the mates, solid and whole in their arms, were not going to be ripped from them and tortured
Though she knew that they needed more time to come to terms with reality, she couldn’t give them time. They needed to get the hell out of dodge and they needed to do it yesterday.
“Okay all you lovely, people,” Peri’s voice rose so that everyone could hear her. “As much as I would like to give you all time to process this, you are going to have to put on your big girl panties and just trust that your mates are here to save your assess and go with it. We don’t have time to do a twelve step program, so pull yourselves together long enough to get out of here.”
“Man I missed you,” Adam said from across the room with a sly smile, one arm wrapped around Crina as he smiled at Peri. The smile was real and the words as sarcastic as ever, but there was still something off in his eyes.
“Yes, yes, I know. You want to pledge your undying love for me, yada, yada,” she said, dryly, “Let’s get moving people. Cynthia, start singing again, please, and maybe make it a happier tune so that we don’t all want to shoot ourselves.” Peri headed towards the stairs. She motioned for Vasile and Alina to come over.
“Alpha,” she bowed her head slightly to him. “It’s good to see you. Now, if you would be so kind as to lead your people out of here. Keep your wits about you. Listen to Cynthia’s voice and don’t think about your worries. If you have to, take a note from Jen’s book and think about sex.”
“I heard that,” Jen hollered. Peri ignored her.
Vasile took Alina’s hand and began to lead her up the stairs. He cleared his mind of any worries or fears. He only thought of the rich sound coming from Cynthia and the feel of his mate's, hand in his.
Peri directed each of them up the stairs, telling them each over and over to think only of Cynthia’s voice. Peri was the last to begin the climb up the stairs and she herself focused on the doctor’s voice pushing away the fears that were attempting to flood her mind. She refused to give them even a fraction of her attention.
When she reached the top of the stairs she stopped when she saw that everyone was standing there staring at where the opening should be.
“What the hell, Peri,” Jen snarled.
“Has it been over two hours already?” Elle asked.
Peri reached out her hand and placed it on the wall. She closed her eyes as she concentrated.
“That sniveling little weasel,” she spat at the wall. “It hasn’t been over two hours. Our friendly, neighborhood troll thinks to trap me, Perizada of the Fae.”
Adam laughed as he shook his head. “They never learn.” He said to no one in particular.
Peri’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the place her hand had just been. She spoke in a low voice, a beautiful language that rolled off her tongue. Her eyes gleamed and she began to glow as magic pulsed from her body. Suddenly the wall burst open and Thurlok stumbled back on the other side. Vasile and Alina were the first to pass through, and then the others followed. Once they were all out, Peri stepped through the veil, and let it close behind her. She stood looking down at Thurlok.
“You thought to trick me?”
Thurlok pushed himself to his feet clumsily. “I knew you could get out, Peri,” he told her nervously. “I had to close it in case someone came by. It would look awfully suspicious should someone come by and see the veil just sitting open.”
Peri watched him as a hawk would watch a mouse. He fidgeted under her stare as he waited for her response.
“I will let you live only because the blood oath was not broken.” Peri turned to look at Vasile and Alina. “We need to go, now.”
She took off at a brisk jog and trusted the others to follow.
“What about the stone?” Thurlok yelled.
“Check your pocket you dimwit,” Peri yelled back, but didn’t turn to see if he listened to her.
Peri and Elle got a fire started as the others grabbed logs to sit on. The camp was quiet and somber. They had run late into the night and were all exhausted.
Cynthia walked over to Peri and pulled her to the side.
“Why does that seem like it was a little too easy?” Cynthia said, squinting her eyes.
Peri let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Rescuing them from the In-Between was never my real worry,” she admitted.
Cynthia waited for her to go on. Peri looked over her shoulder at the group as she spoke.
“That was the easy part; the hard part will be keeping the males from killing anyone.”
Cynthia’s eyes narrowed. Peri motioned for Cynthia to look and so she did.