Page 36 of Eight Embers

I hold out my arm with the blue orbs glowing under my skin, taking stock of the actual lumps now situated there. They’re firm and a little bit warmer than the surface around them. “What am I meant to do with these, then?”

“I'm so glad you asked. These are your embers. All eight of them. One for each of your mates that are currently visiting my home. If you want to free them, you’ve got to play the game. Easy as that.”

“And how do I play?”

“Unfortunately, you can't do anything until the marks from my sister on your other arm are satisfied. If you want to rescue your mates, you've got to make the ones with you right now yours first.”

“You do know we all have lives in our own world, right? You took the headmaster of an entire school. That's going to cause absolute chaos if we don't return immediately.”

She waves me off. “The second you stepped through that portal, time stopped over there. Not a second will pass while you’re over here. I did that so you can give all of your focus to what I need. Everything there will still be waiting when you get done.”

That’s surprisingly... helpful, actually. “So we’re here. We were sure that we had to travel all the way to the portal in order torescue my mates. Now you’re telling me it was all for nothing because you’re what, not ready for me to compete in your games? Am I the savior you chose for your realm, or am I not?”

She sighs, and for a moment I see past the façade that she’s wrought upon herself, the true face she hides. She looks defeated. “It’s simply not that easy. The magic in my realm won’t be able to take root until the magic from the other realm is satisfied. And if you’re thinking you’ll simply waltz out of here, back to your home, and rally up a force you think capable of defeating me, think again; the portal behind you is currently locked and will remain so until I am satisfied.”

There’s an oomph behind me and I turn to see Rush face down in a cloud, ass in the air, while he munches on the cloud he’s sitting on like it’s actual cotton candy. He’s got a dopey look on his face, and I just know this is the result of him taking me in the back of my dad’s car. Bit of a delayed reaction, but if this is all he’s going to do, I’ll consider myself lucky that at least one of my mates doesn’t go absolutely batshit when we have sex.

“You going to handle that?” The goddess asks, pointing to the demon.

I wave her off. “He’s fine. Of course we’re trapped here. What do you want me to do then? Have me and my mates stare into each other’s eyes until we feel something move within our chests? You can’t just force a bond to manifest. It takes time. It takes experiences. It takes…fuck. Rush, no!”

And there it is.

He’s shifted to his standard demon form with blue skin and slightly different features, has stripped, and is now bouncing from cloud to cloud, streaking and yelling, “Wheee!”

“Good luck with that. Come find me when you’re ready.”

The goddess poofs into thin air, leaving me with a group of people that I apparently need to find a way to fall for. Or at least get close enough to them to claim them with my magic.

“He’s headed for the village of elders,” Saladriel says with a hint of amusement. This quickly turns to concern though as he thinks about it. “It’s basically a retirement community. I’m a little concerned him running through their clouds so…naked, will cause some heart complications.”

Perfect. Exactly what I need right now. “Alright. Lead the way, unicorn expert. I have no idea how to navigate these clouds.”

Chapter Thirteen

Spencer

I must admit, it's a bit tricky to have a conversation with somebody you're really into while you're busy leaping across clouds. Maybe it makes me gross to think of it, but at least I get to watch Delaney bouncing around. The jiggle that woman has is unmatched.

We keep getting glimpses of Rush in the distance before he'll disappear somewhere, usually reemerging with a loud cacophony of shrieks. We get a flash of his blue ass as he cackles like the demon he is and then he's switching directions and disappearing again. It's a bit like chasing after a toddler, really.

“Think we could trap him with a bowl of mashed potatoes or something? This is way more work than I wanted to put into this endeavor,” Delaney wheezes.

I'm right there with her though. As much work as it is to play football, it's got nothing on the muscles it takes to cloud jump. My thighs are burning, and I don't know how much longer I'll be able to go. Saladriel has shifted to his unicorn-self which seems perfect for this sort of environment, which makes sense, but poor Wil is basically having one long asthma attack.

“Only sweet potatoes here,” Saladriel reminds us. Let me tell you, it's a bit jarring to hear a human voice come out of a Unicorn. Butdamnhe's pretty.

Eventually, it becomes too much for Wilford to handle. He collapses onto his knees then flops onto his back and waves us on. “You... continue... without me. Cull the weakling. I'm not worthy.”

“I'm guessing you didn't bring your inhaler?” I ask Wil, just to be sure.

We actually went to the same elementary school, so I've known him for a while. We've never really been friends, but I guess that's about to change.

He's really struggling. “Delaney, you might have to...you know. Are his lips turning blue, or is that just me?”

Delaney doesn't hesitate to throw herself down beside the suffocating goat shifter, leaning over him. There's real concern on her face and I’m happy that Wil’s found somebody that appreciates his uniqueness.

“Fuck. You don't look so good there, Willy-boy. You're freaking me out.”

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