Page 235 of The Bonds of Indigo

Kayn places his lips on my forehead and releases a heavy sigh. “Never a dull moment… fucking Beyond.”

Chapter 58

Walking through Zuhara’s Phantasm portal is far smoother, but I can’t blame Mister—he’s extremely young in comparison. Though now I understand why Xeraphine hates it; it’s left a tingling sensation across every inch of my skin.

“I’ve got no exponentially strong physical abilities,” the feline says as we step out onto an empty street. I’d given him the coordinates to the hotel we stayed at in Ambarka, and seeing the bright sign brings back memories that feel like a lifetime ago—Amarah drinking from Atlas’s coffee just to get under my skin, touching her for the first time and not understanding that was the moment I knew I’d never be able to go back. That she was mine, regardless of who she thought she was to me.

“Just stay outside,” Amarah says, pulling my gaze from the hotel. She steps a few paces ahead of us and stretches her arm outward.

I’ve never seen Thornwyn summoned, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but him simply appearing out of thin air wouldn’t make sense. Instead, branches snap and dirt crunches in the quiet, late-night air. A small patch of grass—clearly only meant for aesthetics or a dog’s piss break—sinks inward. As though time has been sped up for a sprout to grow into a tree, the warrior of Vendra peels himself out of the ground.

It takes a moment for him to stand at full height, but once he does, he growls at me and Lucifer before stepping toward Amarah.

“I do not like this.”

“You don’t like anything that puts me in harm’s way,” she says, rolling her eyes but giving a half smile to the creature. “I appreciate your concern, as always.”

He nods and reaches through his body—his wooden form parting to allow it—and pulls out a matte black object. Its oval top tapers into a sharpened point, menacing in appearance for something that’s supposed to be a simple mirror.

He stretches it out to her, and I note that the reflective side is angled down toward the ground. When she hesitates, I listen to her heartbeat. She’s struggling to keep it steady.

“I’ve not touched it since that night,” she whispers.

“If you will allow me, I will hand it to the filth that has taken your friend.”

Although Thornwyn has a thorn stuck up his ass about me, I truly appreciate that he wants to protect my girl.

Amarah shakes her head. “No, and you know why.”

“Why is that, exactly?” Lucifer asks, his hands tucked into his jeans as he stares up at the creature. “Matter of fact, where were you that night? You sure as Beyond had no problem attacking me, but you couldn’t help her with what happened?”

Thornwyn takes an aggressive step toward Luce, and I instinctively move between them.

“Stop,” Amarah says softly. “Creatures of Vendra cannot attack any Witch. It would be seen as… wrong to choose one of us over the other. Vendra sees Hexborn and Yldarwrights as her disciples, so imagine your God loving another more or less than yourself.”

“So even if they were to attack you, Thornwyn and Vendra still couldn’t interfere?” Mister asks. “Excuse my ignorance of your kind, Amarah—I require some education.”

She smiles down at the cat, who is sniffing the tree-creature with intrigue. I hope he pees on him. “Correct.”

“But you can use your magic, granted by Vendra, to do so?” he asks.

She nods. “Yes, just like other species can.”

“But their gifts aren’t granted by their God.”

“But they’re granted the knowledge on how to create and use them. All given by their creator. It’s the same concept, just less direct.”

The feline purrs and drags his back across Thornwyn’s leg. “Suppose that makes sense… You make a good back scratcher.”

I look up at Amarah, who finally takes the mirror and rests it against her stomach. She takes a deep breath and turns away from us.

The night feels heavy, and there’s absolutely no one out here. Not even a car has driven past the hotel. Although several are parked in the lot, there isn’t a soul in sight.

“I’m guessing it’s that building,” she says, pointing across a row of short hedges separating one lot from another. “There’s a spell cast over it, but I don’t know why.”

“A masking spell that isn’t masking the space it’s around.”

Moving up to her side, I place myself between her and Thornwyn and stroke the small of her back.