Page 83 of Between Imminent Fates

She surveyed every inch of visible real estate from her perch. Though Kaien had been scouting recently, it was an unfamiliar territory.

Celeste doubted they’d ever return to the clan lands that now lay abandoned. If Nina never awoke, Zeke would eventually raze the buildings and burn what was left. To him, the land had played a pivotal part in her downfall and the blood that’d been spilled there would never be washed away.

The territory Celeste had grown up in was no longer home.

She slowly made her way back toward Tzuriel’s home when families began to dot the walkways. With the lieutenants running the perimeter at all hours, they almost never needed a secondary scout.

Nodding at the members of the clan and their children out for early morning strolls, she took her time wandering back to her temporary dwelling. In fact, she was so far lost in thought that she didn’t notice the man in front of her until she nearly bumped into him.

Two hands gently gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

Remmus.

Meeting his seafoam-blue gaze, she managed to say, “Hey killer.”

“Hey Bubbles.”

After a brief embrace, they turned and began walking down the path together. He’d always been like an older brother to her. The Heat had messed with their dynamic. A tense few months had passed before they’d gone back to normal, but then Remmus had found a savior in his mate, Ava. In the past year, she had become a good friend, and someone Celeste truly trusted with Remmus’ heart.

“No change with Nina.”

Though expected, the words seared through her. Kaien had been attempting to heal the psychic damage. He’d worked late into the night for weeks, but nothing had changed.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Remmus nodded slowly. “He isn’t without hope, but the prognosis remains the same. Without some alteration in her psychic status, Nina won’t wake up.”

Celeste didn’t respond. The wound was still too raw. If she thought too long about it, she’d go insane. The same questions still warred within her: why had Nina felt like she had no other choice? Why had she and Isaiah told no one about their plans? Why hadn’t they asked forhelp?

“You keep glaring at the pavement that way and it’s going to melt.”

She met Remmus’ semi-amused gaze, and the first spark of sarcasm tugged at her lips. “I’m not the fire Elemental, manbun. I’m more likely to freeze it to death than melt it.”

His dimpled grin pulled at handsome features, but before he could respond, another voice interjected.

“Remmus. Celeste.”

Zeke stood before them. Weariness clung to him, present in the lethargic way he blinked and the slowness of his movements. His hair was twisted against his scalp as though he’d run his hands through it one too many times.

“Sovereign.”

“The twins tell me they much prefer your bedtime stories, Celeste,” he chuckled, but the sound was flat. “Apparently, I’m not much good at doing different voices.”

“You just have to be comfortable making yourself sound ridiculous.”

His half smile disappeared. “I’m not very good at that. Nina was.”

The defeat in his voice nearly moved Celeste to tears.

“We’re meeting in Paracel to discuss what happened three weeks ago.” Then, Zeke added, “I’d like you to come with, Celeste.”

“Of course.”

With a nod of warning, he teleported all three of them.

Everyone else that’d participated in the battle with theCitizenswas already in the Elemental town hall. Several chins dipped in their direction, only giving Celeste a passing glance before returning to her sovereign. What’d weighed on Celeste would be apparent to them—Zeke wasn’t himself.

She sat beside her sovereign, surveying the large gathering. Vampires and werewolves, Elementals and Raeths: all races were represented. A decade ago, a gathering of this nature would’ve seemed impossible. Now, it was commonplace.

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