was on the countdown. I started toward the door.
“We’ll wait here for you.” Lucy said.
I paused, throwing my head around to catch her gaze.
“No need to crowd Jos when he’s probably all discombobulated.”
I smirked. “Someone found a dictionary last night.”
Lucy’s expression morphed into a grimace. “Hanging around these old dudes is rubbing off on me in the worst possible way. Big words are for losers.”
Colton and Brace exchanged looks. The wolf-Walker crossed his arms, muscles in the biceps straining. “I have never, in my life, used the word ‘discombobulated’. And I’m not that old.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said, turning to give him a commiserating pat on the arm. “I’ll be back out in a minute, and then we can head to First World.”
“I thought we were going straight to Earth.” Lucy’s eyebrows rose to almost meet her blond-and-green streaked hair.
“I want to check in with the girls, make sure they’re okay. When we left, the battle was on the brink of starting. I just … I have to check them.”
No one said anything. They all understood the bond I shared with the girls. It was ancient and it was important. Moving quickly, I strode through the glass building, Brace right on my heels.
“Is he still in the basement?” I murmured, my words hasty.
Brace’s low tone was both soothing and spine-tingling. “Yes, Grantham will take your parents back to Angelisian as soon as you’ve seen Josian.”
Oh. “So they won’t go to the dark mountains?” Secretly, I was really happy about that.
“Not until Josian has recovered. He’s vulnerable right now, and we don’t want to give anyone a chance to take advantage of that.”
I would personally be drop-kicking anyone who tried to take advantage of my family again. Effing lalunas. Freaking Que. Stupid Seventine. All total asshats.
The journey through the ugliest-building-to-exist seemed to take far less time than earlier. I wasn’t as nervous. I knew what was going to jump out at me now. Taking the stairs two at a time, I was still amazed by how much more graceful I was now than before my Walker powers enlightened.
The starkness of the basement room was very obvious about halfway down. Brace had done a real number on it. It was probably all kinds of wrong, but I got a little turned on when he went crazy-powerful-Walker, and blew shit up. Working hard to conceal my current thoughts, I hoped the pink flush of arousal was fading from my warm cheeks.
My eyes remained locked on the small group. They were crouched around robo-Que’s tank. Josian was draped between Grantham and Lallielle. My eyes scanned him, searching for any injuries. He seemed smaller, despite the fact he topped out near seven foot. The fact that his power was weakened had impacted his aura. When I opened my energy up and searched hard, I could sometimes see auras. I was thankful that the beautiful pink and silver of my parents’ bond seemed to be intact. Lallielle might have been spitting mad at Josian before he disappeared, but no one could doubt the love and devotion which was always there under her anger.
“Baby girl!”
The moment I heard his voice I ran, my feet swift across the cold, dank space. I had to stop from throwing myself at him. He definitely looked worse for wear.
A grin split his features. Those bronze eyes still held some of the old twinkle in them. “Don’t you dare treat me like an invalid.” Massive arms opened and he held his own weight as Lallielle and Grantham stepped aside.
I ran into him, wrapping my arms tightly around his broad back. The scents of home, Walker, and princeps surrounded me. Technically Josian was no longer the princeps, but nothing official had stripped him of that title, and I could still feel the mantle of leadership on him. He was the true princeps and every Walker knew it. It was why the current stand-in princeps of Doreen was so pissed off and trying to throw his domination around. Like
“We’ll wait here for you.” Lucy said.
I paused, throwing my head around to catch her gaze.
“No need to crowd Jos when he’s probably all discombobulated.”
I smirked. “Someone found a dictionary last night.”
Lucy’s expression morphed into a grimace. “Hanging around these old dudes is rubbing off on me in the worst possible way. Big words are for losers.”
Colton and Brace exchanged looks. The wolf-Walker crossed his arms, muscles in the biceps straining. “I have never, in my life, used the word ‘discombobulated’. And I’m not that old.”
“Keep telling yourself that,” I said, turning to give him a commiserating pat on the arm. “I’ll be back out in a minute, and then we can head to First World.”
“I thought we were going straight to Earth.” Lucy’s eyebrows rose to almost meet her blond-and-green streaked hair.
“I want to check in with the girls, make sure they’re okay. When we left, the battle was on the brink of starting. I just … I have to check them.”
No one said anything. They all understood the bond I shared with the girls. It was ancient and it was important. Moving quickly, I strode through the glass building, Brace right on my heels.
“Is he still in the basement?” I murmured, my words hasty.
Brace’s low tone was both soothing and spine-tingling. “Yes, Grantham will take your parents back to Angelisian as soon as you’ve seen Josian.”
Oh. “So they won’t go to the dark mountains?” Secretly, I was really happy about that.
“Not until Josian has recovered. He’s vulnerable right now, and we don’t want to give anyone a chance to take advantage of that.”
I would personally be drop-kicking anyone who tried to take advantage of my family again. Effing lalunas. Freaking Que. Stupid Seventine. All total asshats.
The journey through the ugliest-building-to-exist seemed to take far less time than earlier. I wasn’t as nervous. I knew what was going to jump out at me now. Taking the stairs two at a time, I was still amazed by how much more graceful I was now than before my Walker powers enlightened.
The starkness of the basement room was very obvious about halfway down. Brace had done a real number on it. It was probably all kinds of wrong, but I got a little turned on when he went crazy-powerful-Walker, and blew shit up. Working hard to conceal my current thoughts, I hoped the pink flush of arousal was fading from my warm cheeks.
My eyes remained locked on the small group. They were crouched around robo-Que’s tank. Josian was draped between Grantham and Lallielle. My eyes scanned him, searching for any injuries. He seemed smaller, despite the fact he topped out near seven foot. The fact that his power was weakened had impacted his aura. When I opened my energy up and searched hard, I could sometimes see auras. I was thankful that the beautiful pink and silver of my parents’ bond seemed to be intact. Lallielle might have been spitting mad at Josian before he disappeared, but no one could doubt the love and devotion which was always there under her anger.
“Baby girl!”
The moment I heard his voice I ran, my feet swift across the cold, dank space. I had to stop from throwing myself at him. He definitely looked worse for wear.
A grin split his features. Those bronze eyes still held some of the old twinkle in them. “Don’t you dare treat me like an invalid.” Massive arms opened and he held his own weight as Lallielle and Grantham stepped aside.
I ran into him, wrapping my arms tightly around his broad back. The scents of home, Walker, and princeps surrounded me. Technically Josian was no longer the princeps, but nothing official had stripped him of that title, and I could still feel the mantle of leadership on him. He was the true princeps and every Walker knew it. It was why the current stand-in princeps of Doreen was so pissed off and trying to throw his domination around. Like
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