Your power comes from your feelings.
I guess Serenity was right. Witch Bitch was onto something.
With her back still to me, the woman drops to her knees, a mumbled, ‘Fucking hell,’ escaping her. A smirk crosses my face and I mentally pat myself on the back. Not too shabby for a girl who had her world rocked by lightning just moments earlier.
I push up from the rock to stand, stumbling before righting my balance. My head swims with dizziness as black dots litter my vision.
Well, fuck a duck. I spoke way too soon.
The stranger chuckles and I look up at her. She’s still on the ground, sitting on her ass, the vines disappearing into the surface of the earth. She likely scooted to ogle me and now she’s watching me stumble around like a new born baby giraffe.
I’m supposed to be the leader of this realm, leading them into battle to defeat the dark fae. And yet, I look like a girl who’s had one too many shots and is in dire need of Taco Bell to sober the fuck up.
My visions swims and I start seeing double. Throwing out a hand to catch myself on the nearest rock slab, I squeeze my eyes shut and groan, pain rippling through my head.
Her voice carries as I take deep breaths, waiting for the lightheadedness to pass. “You managed to call new growth from dead soil, even when you were clearly past your exertion levels. I’m not saying I believe you’re Oslana, but I’m not saying you’re not.”
It’s the little victories.
“Zander, come out and help her please.”
Soft footsteps approach and small hands touch my arm as I try to hold onto consciousness. Someone was hiding?
For the first time since coming here, I feel like I’m closer than when I started. I can convince them to help me get into the dark fae castle and figure out what has been going on in this realm. My realm.
The thought draws a soft smile from me before I collapse.
Soft hands caress my cheeks, brushing away loose strands of hair to tuck behind my ears. For a moment, I forget where I am and allow myself to think that I’m back in our king-size bed with all of my mates.
“Lannie, open your eyes,” a kind, husky voice says, jostling a memory from my mind.
“Grammie! Look what I did!” I squeal as I rush over to the older woman with kindness and adoration in her eyes.
She’s perched on her old rocking chair, made of the white oak trees of our realm. I leap into her lap, knocking the air out of both of us. “Oof!” she groans. “Lannie, you’re getting too big to do that now. How did my little girl grow up so quickly?”
Pushing away the hair from my face, I peer up at her with a grin, uncurling my fist to show her what I’m holding. A single, teal wildflower lies in my palm. But its stem is broken, the petals ruined. My eyes water at the sight and my lip trembles. I was so proud of it.
“Oh no, don’t cry, my dear,” she says, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Just because something is damaged doesn’t mean you can’t find the beauty in it.”
Dejected, I mumble, “I grew it for you. I thought of you and this is what came from the ground. But it’s broken now.” I look up at her with hopeful eyes. “Do you still like it?”
She tweaks my nose with a smile, before closing my hand over the flower. “I think it’s beautiful and strong, just like you.”
A warmth spreads through my palm and I uncurl my fist with wide eyes. The flower rests in my palm, as perfect as it was when it first sprouted from the ground.
She pulls me into herself, wrapping her arms around me, propping her chin on the top of my head. “Remember, Lannie: no matter how bad something appears, we always have it within us to fix it.”
I open my eyes with a start, desperate for that voice to speak again, and meet the turquoise eyes that are so familiar to me. “Grammie?”
Chapter Two
Leo
Moments after Lana and Serenity vanish
I nudge Luke with my foot, kicking him in the side, needing him to wake the fuck up now. My heart is beating violently in my chest as my mind concocts the worst horrors, tormenting me.
Lana’s gone. I woke up and she wasn’t in bed.
I need Luke to wake up and calm me down like he always does before I raise holy hell in this house. I need him to come downstairs with me so we can check the kitchen together. Maybe she went downstairs for some water?
A sinking feeling in my stomach weighs me down, telling me that I’m fooling myself.
What if Anshar came back and took her while we slept, unaware?
Are we un-fucking-prepared or what?
Yesterday, when Anshar had that barrier blocking the doorway, it put into perspective just how unequipped we are to handle this right now. Even if no one wants to admit it out loud.
Kicking Luke again, I whisper-shout, “Get up.”
He mumbles something incoherent and flips his head away from me on the pillow.
I’m trapped in bed, with him on the edge, Zedd and Hale on my other side. Hale has now spreadeagled in the space that Lana had occupied.
Guess I’m going to have to use a little force.
Pressing my palm into Luke’s back, I slide him closer to the edge of the bed.
Right as he’s about to fall off, he wakes with a jolt and swats at me behind his back. He turns to me, the annoyed expression on his face illuminated by the soft glow of the moon coming through the window next to the bed. “What the hell, dude?”
I put my finger to my lips, gesturing for him to shut up. Shooing him out of bed, I follow him to standing and lead him out of the room, making sure he’s stumbling behind me, half-asleep. He looks to the bed once, checking to see if Lana is there like we all do, his brow furrowing at her absence.
Once we’re in the hallway outside of the bedroom, I turn to him, spitting it out so we can get into action. “Lana isn’t in the room. I have a bad feeling.”
His face contorts in fear before he immediately shuts that down, plastering a mask of calm as he catches himself. His typical response. This is why I need him.
He nods once and heads downstairs. I trail behind him like a lost puppy, careful not to make any loud steps to avoid waking the other two.
On the first-floor landing, we come to a halt beside each other, checking for any sign of our mate.
Nothing.
Luke calls out, a light tremble in his voice, “Lana?”
The panic in my chest swells, bile churning in my stomach. No.
We rush through the whole floor but she’s not there. Luke escapes through the front door as I stand there, paralyzed, already aware what he’ll find. He comes back inside, shaking his head.
She’s gone.
She’s gone.
With no one here besides my twin, I don’t cling to the walls that shield my emotions or scramble for a joke. I break.
The zip tie bites into my wrist as I rub my hands together, attempting to wiggle my small wrist out of the binding. Pain flares from my raw skin, the harsh edges of the plastic peeling away layers that are beginning to bleed. Sweat runs down my forehead from the heat beating down on me.
“Where did Mom go?”
I look to my twin, similar marks on his wrist and tears streaming down his face.
“I’m scared, Leo,” he continues. “I don’t like this.”