My wolf howled, a lament and a demand for the hunt. A face appeared before me, one I knew well. Scarred but beautiful. With honey eyes like my husband's. Fenrir. I had once bound him to me with Love, but that cord had broken. Something had cut it. No; it had snapped when Love was taken from me. That's what was missing; Love. One of the Great Nine Magics. I had held it for years; cultivated and cherished it. Transformed it back into what it was meant to be. And now, it was gone.
It felt as if a chunk of me had gone with it.
I was too exhausted to even cry. I just laid back in the emptiness that used to hold Love and closed my eyes. My beasts crept in around me and laid down with me, offering their comfort. I nestled in between them, pressed within fur and scales, and tried to forget. I just needed a little peace. Some time to heal.
But voices started to intrude on my oblivion. Masculine voices that made my skin tighten with awareness. They spoke gently but urgently, begging me to return. Return where? Where was I now? I dug my fingers into fur and slid them over glossy scales. No. I wouldn't leave. This was good. I'd just stay here awhile. Safe beneath the light of the Moon.
“A Thaisce, wake up. Please, wake up.”
I murmured into the fur. Made grumbling noises. Squeezed my eyes tightly shut.
“She's alive; that's all that matters,” Trevor said softly. “Let her rest.”
“We need to know what he did to her,” Odin argued. “The sooner the better.”
“Tima, I need you to vake up.” Kirill's hand swept over my brow, smoothing my frown.
I sighed and pressed into his touch. That felt good too. Maybe if I were quiet enough, he'd lie down with me and my beasts.
“Just vake up and tell us vhat happened. Zen you can sleep again,” he bargained.
“Damn lions,” I muttered as I opened my eyes. My eyelids felt heavy, weighted by exhaustion and sorrow.
“Thank the flames,” Arach whispered fervently.
“Minn Elska,” Trevor murmured but then the look in his eyes shifted. His voice lowered into a rumble, “Mate. You are well?”
“Hello, Wolf,” I said with a smile. “I'm not well, but I'll live.”
Wolf grunted. “I will kill that god for you.”
“Thank you, honey, but I think it will take more than wolf claws to defeat that bastard.” I groaned and tried to sit up.
“Easy now.” Kirill helped me, propping pillows behind me and then sliding into bed to hold me up himself.
“Carus, what happened?” Azrael asked urgently. “What did Marduk do to you?”
“I tried to use Love against him, and the Tablet took it from me; latched onto it and just pulled it out like I do when I take magic,” I whispered. “I tried to pull it back into me, and the Tablet destroyed my ability to take magic. I couldn't hold onto it; my love magic is gone. Maybe it's karma.”
The men stared at each other in horror.
“It did all that?” Viper asked. “How? I thought the Tablet only altered destinies?”
“Marduk changed my destiny and made me surrender the magic. When I tried to fight it, he took my ability to do so.” I yawned and snuggled back against Kirill. “At least, I think that's what happened. I'm not sure anymore. Everything is so hazy. I feel as if I had just gotten to my feet when he knocked me down again.”
“I'm texting Teharon.” Odin pulled out his phone and started typing. “He can't heal your star but maybe he can give you some of your strength back.”
“I just need to sleep.” I laid my cheek against Kirill's chest and closed my eyes.
“Zen you sleep,” Kirill said gently as he slid us down the mattress into a prone position.
“We'll watch over you,” the Wolf promised as he climbed onto the bed on my other side.
Pressed between the two men, I felt warm, loved, and safe. I could sense the others nearby, and I knew they'd stay as well. No one would hurt me here; no one would take pieces of me away. I fell back into slumber in seconds.
Chapter Seventeen
I sank into my dreams once more. At first, it was the emptiness again. But then the nothing brightened and my beasts lifted their heads as if to the Sun. Cool energy infused my essence, filling every cell with vitality. I got to my feet within the circle of my beasts and stretched.
“Teharon,” I whispered with a smile. “Only his magic could make the cold feel good.”
The cool touch eased back as if it sensed my awareness. In its place, heat surged in and with the heat came flames. Columns of fire danced around me, burning clean without even a whiff of smoke. Like a gas fire but golden-red instead of blue. My lioness and wolf got up and flanked me, staring warily at the leaping flames, but my dragon only cocked her head curiously. She could never fear fire, even if it didn't carry the scent of burning things. Fire is fire, and it's in my very essence. We are kin.
As I had that last thought, the flames swirled into shapes and took form. A fiery army came into focus around me. One man separated from the ranks and stepped forward, orange ribbons trailing behind him and embers lifting from his shoulders to spark in the air. As he moved, his features sharpened while his skin darkened and dimmed. The fire shifted into golden-brown flesh, deep-walnut eyes, and ebony hair; shades of the desert. But he
