Shadow Kissed (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 4)
Shadow Kissed: Chapter 16

Savannah

My stomach lurched. I’d thought we found an ally to face down the Dark God, but we were on our own. “You won’t come with us?”

A shimmer of sadness danced across her face, and the room suddenly felt as if it were drowning in a sense of deep longing.

“I cannot enter the Dreamlands anymore. To bind him there, I had to bind myself to this realm.” Her mouth formed a distant and wistful smile. “I haven’t dreamt in a very long time.”

For a second, we were all silent, then Sam spoke. “I don’t get it. Anyone else get it?”

The Moon’s expression sharpened. “I’m like a counterweight—” She stopped abruptly and eyed us. “Actually, I don’t like that analogy at all. I order you to forget it.”

We nodded, and she waved her hand impatiently. “Think of the Dark God as a thief prowling in your bedroom. I slammed the door shut and locked it, with him on the inside, and me out in the hall. For me to return to the Dreamlands, I’d have to unlock the door between the realms, and that would let him come barreling through.”

“Shit,” Sam said.

She spoke for all of us.

I pulled my fingers through my hair. “So what can we do? How do we restore the pylons? Do we use our magic?”

The Moon looked shocked, and she put a hand to her chest. “Your magic? Don’t be silly. That would be like holding the door shut with Scotch tape. It will take my magic, and it will take a lot.”

For a second, shame overcame me, and I felt wretched and unworthy—as if the goddess had picked me out for humiliation.

But then I saw the flicker of sorrow in her eyes.

She wasn’t being mean. She was speaking the truth, and she was preparing to give up more, perhaps, than I could possibly imagine.

I felt it in the air, and I could smell her emotions. Despair. Loss. Resignation.

When I’d first learned about my magic—which felt like years ago—my aunt warned me that when sorcerers and sorceresses enchanted something, they gave up a little of their soul. It’s why they did it rarely. It’s why my Fury, filled with spells woven by my father, meant so much more to me now, even than it had before.

It was his soul.

Was it the same for gods and goddesses? If so, how much had she given up to trap the Dark God? How long had it been since she could even dream?

She nodded as a grim determination shaped her features. “I will open the way for you and entrust you with my power. But you must go now, before the pylons weaken further.”

The Moon explained the way we would take and what we had to do, and when she was certain we were clear on the instructions, she prepared to summon her power.

She held her hands up but paused. “I would stand back if you don’t want one hell of a moonburn.”

We quickly retreated to the edges of the columned entrance.

For a second, I heard her speak, and then a blinding light ripped through the space. The temple shook, and it felt like someone had hurled me out of a plane.

Power and magic rushed over me, and then, with a thunderous clap, it was gone.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The Moon stood unsteadily in the center of the sanctuary. Her shoulders drooped, and every motion she made spoke of deep and complete exhaustion.

Three glowing stones spun in the air before her, each the size of a golf ball. She held out her hand, and they gently landed in her palm. Her eyes brightened as she touched them, and she gave a faint smile, but she didn’t seem to have the strength to keep it there.

She approached. “These are my moonstones. Take them, and guard them jealously. They contain my power and must only be used to repair the pylons. I hope it is enough.”

A faint worry built within me.

“If the Dark God discovers we have these, will he come for them?” I asked.

She gave a halfhearted laugh and held out the stones. “He wouldn’t be so foolish. Just touching one would scar him in ways that even he couldn’t heal.”

Swallowing hard, I held out my hands.

Hesitantly, as if parting with a precious keepsake forever, she placed a glowing sphere in my palm.

I gasped as warmth and light poured through me, extinguishing the aches and fatigue in my muscles. The world turned bright, and the temple glowed with a vividness I’d never imagined possible. Everything was pure.

“You each should carry one,” she said softly. “The power of all three together will be too much.”

She handed two identical moonstones to Sam and Jaxson. “Be careful with these. I would not pass them over unless the need was dire.”

“We will” I whispered as I slipped the stone into my pocket. “You can trust us.”

She gave me a hard, appraising look. “I’m no fool. I’m a goddess, and that gives me the power to see glimpses of the bonds of fate. All three of you are tied up in this deeper than you know.”

Her tone sent a shiver down my spine, and she gave a weak smile as she looked from me to Jaxson to Sam. “I just hope that you are strong enough to follow the path laid out for you.”

We all nodded, but it was not without apprehension.

The Moon turned and waved her hand. A blast of energy swept through the room as a shimmering portal tore through the air. It pulsed and undulated, with silver magic burning at its edge.

“This is your path into the Dreamlands. The orbs will recognize my magic as soon as you arrive. Follow the telltale glow, which will serve as a beacon. If you get lost, the moonstones will guide you to my power.”

We nodded.

The goddess reached into her pocket and retrieved an ornate silver crescent made of filigree wire. “When you have repaired the pylons, use this talisman to return.”

Once we’d memorized the spell to activate the talisman, we gathered at the edge of the open portal. A wild, windswept landscape flickered beyond, and cold air rushed toward us.

I became keenly aware that I was only wearing socks on my feet. Of course, I could travel as a wolf, but how would I carry the moonstone? I glanced between my precious black boots and the goddess. “If you didn’t like my offering, could I maybe take it back?”

She gave me a pained expression and waved her hand. “Please. Remove them from my temple and burn them. They profane this space.”

I rushed over, slipped them on, and quickly laced them up, then rejoined the others.

While I did so, Jaxson took the loremaster’s arm. “Stay here. Wait for us.”

She glared at him. “Absolutely not. This will make too good of a story.”

He shook his head. “You’re staying, and that’s an order. If we fail, someone needs to know what’s happening. Warn them.”

The loremaster gritted her teeth. “Fine. But don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. Leaving the dead weight behind.”

Jaxson smiled softly. “This is the way it must be. Call Regina and let her know what’s going on, and make a plan to move forward without us. Anyway, I’m sure the Moon has many stories that will befit the pack. This could be a good chance to get some juicy details.”

He turned and headed over to join Sam and me at the portal.

The loremaster waved dismissively. “Fine, fine, fine. But you’re coming back. Otherwise, we’re all screwed anyway.”

The Moon gestured to the shimmering portal and the wild landscape beyond. “Go quickly. Sweet dreams, and good luck.”

I reached out and grasped Jaxson’s hand, and we stepped through.