A Fey New World (The Godhunter #32) - Amy Sumida Page 0,105

maelstrom of magic. The storm grew beneath us, spinning outward until we fell into it. I heard the roar of a dragon from somewhere above me but I was lost inside the magic.

Ribbons of light wrapped around Azrael's wrists and then mine, binding us together. His hands took mine, fingers weaving together. Ruby, emerald, citrine, sapphire, and jet—the jewel tones of the elements—bound us sacredly. The ribbons of light spun faster and faster around us, between us, and through us until they merged and shifted to gold. Together, they became stronger but also more savage. This was where the wildness came from. When unified, the elements were powerful enough to form worlds but they also lose their individual strengths. The stability of Earth is muted by the flightiness of Air, the warmth of Fire is cooled by Water, and the emotions of darkness run rampant in all. Like a man suffering from multiple personalities, the elements go wild when brought together without a purpose. Without Spirit. That insane energy creates marvelous things but it does so without sense. Its only goal is to grow.

Azrael and I gave reason to the madness. We became Spirit and united the elements, then anchored them in the Earth. The Elemental Well formed at our urging, condensing into a deep pool akin to a heart, with arteries and veins that pulsed magic throughout the planet. The ribbons of light that had bound Azrael and I together sank into our wrists, establishing a connection between us and the well—the bond of a creator and the power that comes with it. I instantly used that power to pull the magic away from the monarchs of Faerie and release their elements back to them. The separate wells that had been chaotically forming shrunk and disappeared, releasing the magic to its proper hosts.

The light around us paled into pure white as Azrael drew me into his embrace and kissed me again. With my arms wrapped around my lover, I rose from the Well of the Elements and hovered above it with him. The light of pure magic bathed us and held us aloft on its warm currents.

Azrael eased out of our kiss and whispered worshipfully, “My Goddess.”

“My God,” I said in the same tone.

“Vervain!” Arach roared.

I looked down at the man who had been my mate and smiled serenely. I loved him still but I knew that there were more important things than love. I had saved him and that was enough. Now, I could let him go. I had to focus on this new, flourishing world with Azrael. We would guide it into a glorious future and save it from destruction. But I couldn't do that if I went with Arach.

“Goodbye, Dragon,” I said gently. “I love you, but you have to go now. Look after our boys.”

I waved a hand and the Royals of Faerie tumbled through the rath, back to where they belonged. Arach roared and reached for me as he vanished into the shimmering glow. Then the rath winked out, closed for the time being; no one would come through without our permission. Its light shone briefly on the statues of a man and woman, leaning together as they knelt on the ground—their hands trapped in the earth and their cheeks touching.

Chapter Forty-Nine

I stared at my reflection in the golden mirror that hung between a pair of burning trees in my bedroom. My hand lifted and my fingers stroked the skin at my temple. I'd always wanted green eyes. Now, I had them—a perfect match to Azrael's, as were my midnight wings with their sprinkling of fairy dust. My hair trailed to the floor but refused to tangle. Instead, it shone like glass in the firelight and frothed in thick curls. The starlight stripe was gone, swallowed by darkness but I didn't miss it. My breasts and hips were larger, making my waist look smaller, and I was taller than I'd been, nearly as tall as Azrael. The old me would have hated the extra weight and height but the new me felt like an ancient goddess—fertile and lush. Powerful. Capable of anything.

“So beautiful,” Azrael murmured as he stroked the curve of my feathered wing and stepped up beside me. He took my hand and turned me to face him. “We have become who we were meant to be, Carus.”

“Yes. I understand now.” I let the shadows slip away from me, revealing my new body to my virile lover. “And I need you inside me,