Page 20 of A Bond So Deadly

The general doesn’t flinch as he holds her gaze, and I wonder what Ambrose has seen for him to remain unshaken by her stare.

Chapter Seven

~ Shade ~

It feels like it takes an excruciatingly long time before Ambrose and Germain get the hint and leave the dining room. The moment they’re gone, the tension in the room lifts.

Blake finishes her wine and stands. “If we’re done, I’d like to have a word alone with my best friend.”

My mates look like they want to protest, but Nate speaks up first. “Wouldn’t fight it if I were you,” he says as he lounges in his chair, stretching in a way that’s entirely feline. “None of us will get any rest until this happens. Trust me.”

When my mates peer at me, I grin. Nate is absolutely right, and I’m just as eager to chat as Blake is.

With a nod, Thane rises to his feet. “You’ll find a quiet spot in the academy forest.” He waves his hand and shadows gather beside the dining table, creating a pathway. “I’ll escort you.”

I’m barely on my feet before Blake is at my side and ushering me toward the portal. I ask Knox to take care of my creature’s egg, and Blake gives Thane a small smile. “Thanks, but we’ve got this. We won’t be long.”

Before he can argue, we’re walking into the shadow pathway, and soon we’re stepping out into the academy forest. Blake leads me from the pathway, and we move through misty fog, walking between the massive ancient trees. After a short time, my friend stops and crushes me in a hug.

“The shadow palace was that bad, huh?” I joke.

“Nope. Just checking you’re still alive,” she says as she reluctantly pulls back.

I grin. “For now.”

That makes her narrow her eyes, but she turns, taking in our surroundings. “I like this place. It’s very…”

“Enchanting?”

“I was going to say mysterious,” she replies then shifts her gaze back to me. “Just like those mates of yours. They’re a little arrogant, but they’ve kept you alive until now, so I’ll give them points for that.”

I smile and decide not to tell her about the number of times I’ve nearly died while at Shadowbone.

Her gaze strays to the darkness around us, and she scans the ghostly forest before bringing her attention back to me again. “Sorry, I had to get us out of there. There’s only so much dick swinging I can handle.”

I frown. “Hold on, I missed swinging dicks?”

Her broad grin lights up her face, and I laugh, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Girl, I missed you,” I say, my smile falling a little.

“I hear you,” she replies. “Just wish you’d called me sooner.”

A sigh falls out of me, and I wonder what our mates are talking about while we’re away.

“You’re different now, you know,” she says, studying me. “And I don’t just mean,” she waves her hand in the air, indicating to me, “this.”

“This?”

“Your body. Your powers. It’s like…” She taps her chin. “I don’t know. But you’re stronger now.”

“Yeah, I don’t feel any stronger,” I admit. For a moment there I had, but then Germain’s sword was poised at my neck… I push the thought away, just as my shoe lands on a pebble and rolls. I almost lose my balance and topple, but my shadows shoot out, and they keep me upright. Ha! My shadows are like an anti-tripping device! I pull myself up straighter. “Okay, so maybe I am a little stronger.”

Blake grins, shaking her head at me. Neither of us speaks for a while as we stroll through the darkened trees, and she peers around us like she’s taking it all in. We come to the pile of snacks I’d left for my animali before the games. The offering is even more decimated now, and when Blake gives me a quizzical look, I shrug. “Don’t ask.”

We move past it, slipping deeper into the forest.

Blake’s voice is softer when she finally speaks again. “Shade, we were really worried.”