Page 38 of Devastation
"I'd say that you've got this, but reallywe'vegot this," he soothes, reminding me that I need to be able to share the mental burden with them if I'm going to make it out of this with my life and sanity intact.
Well, my sanity might have never been intact to begin with, but it's a nice thought.
Allowing myself a moment to soak in his strength and love, I take a deep breath and focus on his warmth against my body. "How did I get so lucky to have you all not just in one life, but to also be granted a second chance with you all by my side?"
Before he has a chance to respond, the twins interrupt by bursting out onto the balcony with us and launching themselves at us, yelling, “Group hug!”
Zedd and I are engulfed by the two men, but under their arms, I spot Ash and Hale standing at the threshold off the balcony in the doorway, watching over us and the area around with intense scrutiny.
Our protectors.
We've so quickly fallen back into our natural rhythms within the group that it blows my mind.
Maybe things will be okay after all.
Maybe we’ll come out of this victorious and with a happily ever after ending.
I’ve always had a big imagination.
Chapter Fifteen
Lana
After being squished between three of my mates in our group hug, they finally relent when I crack a smile, and let me out of their embrace. Apparently they don't think I've been smiling enough and are on a mission to change that.
I love their ability to make our happiness a priority every step of the way despite the massive weight on our shoulders.
We head inside and say our goodbyes to Mar and her men, promising to return soon to finalize plans after we have spoken to the other queens.
Mar grips my forearm tightly when I pull out of our quick hug and levels me with a stern look, "Stop doubting yourself, Lana. It could be the downfall for us all if you are too busy second guessing everything to do what needs to be done. Believe in yourself, and if you can't do that, believe in everyone else who supports you."
She doesn't give me a chance to respond before she spins on her heel and orders her mates to gather her council to discuss strategies and training for the war. When she's completely out of sight, I turn back to my mates and ask, "Alright, where to next? Demon or shifter realm?"
"Shifters! Do they really have dragons?" Zedd adorably bubbles with excitement as his eyes widen in awe at just the idea. I quickly remember his love for dragon books and the fact that he never visited any other realms, even in our first life.
He's in for quite the surprise.
I close my eyes and picture the shifters' mountainous homes and whisper, "See for yourself."
Opening my eyes, I see the portal shimmering in front of us, and Zedd does an excited little shuffle with his feet like he is barely restraining himself from running straight into it.
He's normally my quiet and docile mate, so seeing such excitement in his eyes is heartwarming, to say the least. Gesturing toward the portal, I smirk and say, "After you, Zedd baby."
His smile transforms into a full grin and his eyes sparkle with intrigue as he holds his hand out to me. I eagerly place my hand in his and step through with him, hoping that this trip will go as smoothly as it did with Mar.
My last visit to this realm in my first life had been a quick diplomatic trip with my parents, and I couldn't recall much other than that the queen's name was Fiona and she had found it funny to scare me as a child with her hulking sapphire dragon form.
She'd spit small orbs of fire at me just close enough to get me to run around like a chicken with my head cut off. It's funny looking back on it now, but at the time I had screamed until my vocal cords felt like they were bleeding.
Upon reaching the other side of the portal, I see we're in a deserted cave entrance nestled into the mountain where the shifters lived when I last visited. It's eerily quiet, and all I hear are the footsteps of my mates as they join us here.
The wind bellows between the peaks and valleys of the mountain range and whips my hair around as I approach the edge of the cave to glance around. A piercing roar fills the air, startling me, and I stumble precariously close to falling over the edge of the cave, which has a steep drop to certain death.
My arms shoot out on instinct, and a small gust of air blows from them, propelling me back into the safety of the cave just as the mountain begins to shake. Small pieces of debris fall from the ceiling, coating us in a thin layer of dirt from the loosening rock.
"Where is everyone?" Hale asks quietly, on high alert as he walks up to my side and glances outside.
As I open my mouth to tell him I don't have the slightest idea, large black wings that easily span the length of a football field rise up directly in front of us, idly beating in the air to become eye level with us.
