Now he worries, just as Devon and I do, that she will not want us. She is human, and she may wish only to have two of us instead of all of us.
If that is the case, it will be difficult to watch my brothers so happy and in love with their mate while I remain alone and miserable. I cast a glance at Devon and Kai. Well, I suppose I will not be alone in my misery, so there’s that.
It goes quiet upstairs, and I wonder if they are finally sleeping. They will probably remain up there the rest of the day since I am almost certain they did not get any rest at all last night.
I am surprised when I hear footsteps at the top of the stairs. I look up and find Ella wearing her nightshift and robe we procured for her. Her hair is tousled, and her clothing is rumpled, but despite her disheveled appearance, she is still the most beautiful female I have ever seen.
Cash and Finn walk beside her, and when they reach the kitchen, they take a seat on either side of her as Kai serves everyone breakfast.
It is difficult, but I manage to push down my jealousy as we eat.
Kai’s gaze sweeps over us and lands upon me. “I know your illusion magic skills are strong. But the wolf shifters can see past certain spells due to their heightened sense of smell. I need you to make sure you fortify the shield you erected to hide us.”
I nod. I had planned on weaving more spells into our cloak this morning anyway, for that specific reason.
Devon leans forward. “I do not understand. Why would the wolf shifters go against the prophecy? The Elders are the ones who assigned us to Ella so that she could unite the two kingdoms. Why would they not wish for peace among our two peoples?”
Kai shakes his head. “I do not know. Perhaps the Wolf Queen and her kin see Ella as a threat to her rule. I only know what I saw that night in the castle. The male who attacked Ella was not the prince. He must have possessed strong magic, indeed, to have hidden so well. None of us even detected that he was a shifter.”
I have considered this. Our kind is always able to sense one another. To see past the human façade to the animal beneath. But with the prince, I detected nothing that night to indicate he was not entirely human.
I think again about my recurring nightmare of the Wolf Shifter Queen killing Ella. I turn to Kai. He is our leader, and from the look in his eyes, it is easy to see that he already has a plan. “What should we do?”
He meets my gaze evenly. “I will fly out to find one of the Elders. I must consult with her and see if she can sense anything amiss in the threads of fate. We need to know for certain who is after Ella so that we can better protect her. You will fortify your concealment illusion.” He looks to Cash, Finn, and Devon. “You will check the borders of the spell for any weakness or indication that someone is at the edge of the barrier.”
Ella looks to me. “I will go with you so we can begin my training.”
Kai’s head snaps to her. “You should remain here, in the cottage, where it is safe for now.”
“No,” she states firmly. “I need to learn how to defend myself. Nyx,” she gestures to me, “already agreed to train me.”
Kai’s blue eyes widen as he turns to me.
Before he can speak, I offer. “She wants to learn. I see no reason not to train her.”
Reluctantly, he nods, but it is easy to see in his gaze that he feels I’ve betrayed him. After all, he is our leader and I should have cleared this with him first.
Ella turns to him. “What do you think happened to the prince? Do you think he’s still alive?”
Kai shakes his head. “I do not know.”
She reaches out and takes his hand.
His expression softens as he looks to her.
I am irrationally jealous as her blue eyes stare deep into his with a look of concern. “Will it be safe for you to go to the Elder?”
“Yes. I trust her. I have known her since I was a child.”
“Please be careful,” she says. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Her eyes drift over each of us. “Or any of you.”
Kai’s gaze darts briefly to mine and I recognize the hope that flashes behind his eyes. Perhaps she is not still angry with him. Only time will tell, I suppose.
As soon as Kai leaves, each of us goes off to tend to our duties. I promise to return to her as soon as I’m done, so we may begin her training.
I am standing at the edge of the magical barrier, arms raised as I weave more spells into the illusion, when I hear something behind me.
I flick one ear back toward the sound and flare my nostrils. I recognize immediately that it is Ella, but what is she doing here?
When I finish, I turn to face her with a questioning look. “You should be back in the cottage, where it is safe. I promised I would come back as soon as I was finished.”
“It’s been hours,” she says. “I was worried about you.”
Her concern touches me deeply. “I appreciate your concern, but I am fine, Ella.”
She blinks up at me. “I’d like to stay out here with you.”
Her luminous blue eyes search mine. She is the most enchanting creature I have ever seen. How could I deny her
