Page 146 of Shadow's Raven
I wiped my cheek on my shoulder, erasing the few tears that managed to escape.
"I sat there with her, feeling my soul wither, praying to the Triple Goddess for a chance to avenge my mate before I died. She answered my invocation."
Henderson took my hand and squeezed it. "She answered in the most unexpected way. A child, half Dianic witch, half Seelie fae of all things, did the impossible, and severed the cord dragging me into Death's embrace."
I returned the squeeze.
"Now I have the opportunity to act. The Fates must have arranged for us to cross paths at this time. I'll help find the youngling, then I'll meet with Brokk Ulrik and see if we can come to some sort of agreement. At the very least I owe Raven enough to assist with locating Kol."
The kind male looked down at me. "Are you ready?"
I nodded.
"Then let us be gone."
"Do try to keep them both alive, dear Henderson."
"Of course, Vera," he bowed.
Casimir slammed into the wall of the spell again. I cast a worried glance over my shoulder.
"Raven!Look at me, godsdamnit!"
"Darling, you're only wearing yourself out," Vera purred.
He cursed again, turning his vitriol onto his former lover. "How can you be so fucking cavalier about this?" he demanded vehemently.
She smirked. "Please, I'm almost a thousand years old. There's no other way to be at this point."
The ward down the hall buzzed in warning. Someone was coming.
"Better hurry, dears."
"Thank you, Vera. You'll be alright?"
Her tinkling laugh didn't bother me for once. Instead, it bolstered me ahead.
The crafty witch would be fine. Casimir would be ... well, he'd be safe. If I found myself in mortal peril, I'd cut our connection, just in case.
Casimir was bellowing as Henderson grabbed onto both Nik and I, jumping us far away from Embour. I swore I could still hear my mate’s shouts when we landed in the Faelands.
Chapter 30
Raven
"One would think the goddesses above would throw us a bone. A dry one, I hope," Henderson quipped as we trekked through the wet, lush forest of the Borderlands.
My boot squished into the mud of a shallow puddle. "Yes, dry sounds good right about now."
We'd been on foot in the woods for just over a day, entering where Nik believed Kol had last been seen by Father.
It was an area of lawlessness and danger, not just from Others, but from the plants and animals roaming within the shadows created by the thick canopy above. If one wanted to hide, this was where you went.
Most Others were too afraid to spend much time in the Borderlands. Over time, its lore had grown into great exaggerations, but it was by no means safe. Luckily, I was well-versed in the hazards here.
Nik had gone ahead, scouting and hoping to pick up a trace of my brother's scent. The rain wasn't helping. It covered tracks and diluted odors. We wouldn't be able to keep wandering much longer.
Nik's ability to guide us and navigate the terrain was a blessing. But no matter how skilled and knowledgeable he was, if Kol wasn't here, his efforts would be wasted. All of our efforts.