Page 8 of Fated for Dawn

As sleep escaped me, the memory of the dream clung to me. The fear from it lingered, but so did something else—an urgency, a pull.

Something had shifted inside me.

But first, there was something I couldn’t live without.

Alister.

We were getting him back.

I wasn’t going to accept a world without him in it. If Hecate had chosen me as her champion, she’d have to give me what I needed to win this—all of my guys.

I pushed off the covers and rose with purpose. Today was not a day for mourning; it was a day for action.

Rafe found me in the gym, his eyes softening. “I knew I’d find you here.”

We’d trained together in the gym before when I’d been learning to master my new powers. Now, it was time for me to unlock the power that could bring Alister back—the ability to access the Shadow Realm.

“Rafe, I’ll do whatever it takes to get Alister back. So teach me how to reach the Shadow Realm.”

We spent the day in grueling training, my mind stretching and straining to grasp the elusive branch of magic that could grant me access to the Shadow Realm. But it was like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands—always slipping just out of reach.

Frustration pressed at me as night fell, but Rafe’s gentle reassurances kept me grounded. “This won’t happen overnight. You’re making progress, even if you can’t see it yet.”

But we didn’t have the luxury of time. A year had already passed.

If the instability of magic had indeed staled Eris, now that it was back, she’d made up for lost time. I couldn’t afford to stay idle or wallow in self-pity.

It was time to ask the guys what they’d been up to and devise a plan.

* * *

That evening, Lucien, Chad, Ryker, Rafe, and I gathered around the dining table.

“So, tell me everything I’ve missed,” I requested. “What have you all been up to? What’s the latest on Eris, and do you have any plans to take her down?”

Lucien set his glass down carefully, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “Evelyn, are you sure you’re ready for this? There’s no rush—”

“I’ll be okay,” I interrupted, my voice steady. “I can’t just sit around anymore. I need to know what’s happening, and I need to take action. Please.”

The guys exchanged hesitant glances, their concern evident, but after a brief pause, Lucien began recounting the events. “The luminary coven was dismantled after Morgana’s defeat. Some members joined other covens, while some are on the run, including the elders who escaped with Lia. We don’t know where they’ve been hiding, but thanks to Ryker’s efforts, we’ve had reports of sightings.”

I looked at Ryker. “What does that mean?”

“I graduated last year. While you were gone, I’ve taken over my father’s enterprise. I’m trying to steer it differently, but many people have defected.”

Ryker had taken over his father’s criminal empire. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I was mostly worried about him. I knew Ryker could take care of himself, but spies had to be lingering in the shadows.

“Are you okay?” I asked softly. “I mean, I know you can handle yourself, but still…”

Ryker’s lips twitched into a faint smirk, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m fine. It’s a mess, but I’m not giving up on it. “I’ve got people I trust, but we’ll need help if we want to stop more from aligning with my father.”

“He also lets the big guy loose,” Chad said, his tone teasing, but his hand squeezed mine tightly under the table. He hadn’t let go since I sat down, and I wondered if I’d ever get it back.

Ryker’s lips tugged. “I don’t hide my dragon form anymore, even if I couldn’t sustain long with magic being unstable.” He added quickly, “But I make sure to never shift in front of other females.”

I reached out with my free hand and squeezed his arm gently. “I’m happy others can see how magnificent you are.”

“Yeah, and you should see how some of the guys almost shit themselves when he shifts.” Chad chuckled.

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