“It’s me, cousin,” I said. “It’s me.”

Skalla got off of me, pulling me up with him. We both turned around to find the bed now empty, Suvi having no doubt fled inside.

“I’m sorry I scared her,” I said. “It was not my intention.”

“What is your intention, Wylfrael? Why are you here?”

“I am here because my own human mate demands that I make sure her friend is alive,” I said. My relief at finding him sane, and his mate alive, was rapidly being replaced with anger. “You are one to speak of my intentions,” I hissed, “When you yourself crashed into Sionnach and almost destroyed everything. You almost killed me twice.”

His thick, scaly tail swept over the stone, his snout tightening.

“I barely remember that. I remember when the madness started, and with my last bits of reason, I went to Sionnach, because I trusted that you would do whatever it took to keep others safe from me.”

“I tried,” I said. “We fought over many worlds. I nearly died, and spent eons recuperating in some foreign desert, under red mountains. Then, you crashed into that world, too. I took you to Heofonraed, but they would not help me.”

“They would not help you either?” he asked, sounding surprised. “Not long after I found Suvi and rationality returned to me, I went to them. Suvi wanted to find out what happened to the other women. But they would not open their gates or hear my petition for information.”

“There is much that I must tell you,” I said darkly. I filled him in on my recent trip to Heofonraed with Torrance. Unlike the censored version that Torrance had told her friends, I gave him all the details on how they’d fooled me into killing her and how I’d gone to Sceadulyr after.

“Ill tidings,” Skalla said, turning his head to look at the house that his mate had retreated into. If not for the mangled eye, he looked almost exactly as he once had. His hair no longer wild and tangled, but oiled and smooth, tied into a long braid. The beautiful Bohnebregg prince I’d always loved.

“Clearly, the council thought you’d die. It’s an easy way to kill a stone sky god, to target his mortal mate that way. Cowardly,” his voice hardened, fangs flashing. “Pathetic. What is their purpose?”

“I don’t know. But I’ve warned every stone sky god Sceadulyr and I have come across in our travels, told them not to take their mates there or try to join.”

Skalla ran his hand down his braid and hissed a sigh.

“This can mean nothing good. This is something we will have to address, and soon. His gaze softened, turned far away. “Right now, I have little room in my head or heart for anything but her and the babe.”

“I understand,” I muttered, already wanting to return to Torrance’s side and forget everything that was going on with the council. “Congratulations, by the way. I couldn’t help but notice.”

Skalla grunted.

“I am going to ignore the fact that you saw so much of my mate’s body just now. Otherwise, I’d have to kill you.”

“You already almost did. Twice.”

Skalla fully faced me.

“I am sorry for that, Wylfrael,” he said, and I could hear the honest regret and pain in his words. “I am endlessly thankful that I was not successful. I would have come to Sionnach, to see what became of you, but I have not been able to tear myself away from Suvi, especially now that she carries my babe in her belly.”

“I am just glad you and I are both alive. And Suvi, too. I admit, I feared I’d find something very different here today. Torrance will be glad to hear the news. All the women will be. They are all together, safe on Sionnach.”

Skalla smiled, stretching his snout.

“And that news will make Suvi happy. I would take her for a visit to Sionnach, but I find myself concerned about bringing her through a sky door while pregnant.”

“Perhaps I could bring some of the other women here to see her?” I suggested. Skalla’s grin widened.

“Yes. Bring them any time. Suvi is healthy, but even with me here, I fear that she grows lonely. Being around her own kind, especially as the birth nears, would do her good.”

“Then it is done,” I promised. “I will bring them as soon as they wish to visit.” I doubted that would be long. As soon as I told them of their friend, I was certain they’d all be clamoring to come see her, Torrance at the front of the line.

“We will look forward to it,” Skalla rumbled. “Will you stay and take a meal with us, or will you return to Sionnach now?”

“I will go now,” I said. “I want to get back to Torrance.”

Skalla was already heading towards the palace, no doubt feeling the exact same way.

“It is good to see you, Wylfrael,” he called as he stepped into the shade of the pavilion. “Until we meet again.”

I took off into the air. But when I opened a sky door, it was not to Sionnach.

I had one more world to visit before I could finally go home.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR Torrance

Wylfrael was gone so long I started to panic. I tried not to show it, and threw myself into readying bedrooms for my human friends with Aiko. But soon enough, all that work was done. The sun had set hours ago, my friends were tired, and they collapsed into their new cushy beds in various rooms in the castle.

I wanted to stay with them. It had been so long since I’d seen any of them, and I knew we had so much more to talk about. But every minute that passed without Wylfrael made me feel like crawling out of my own skin. With a weakly uttered, “Goodnight,” I headed back for the room I shared with Wylf in the Eve Tower, hoping that I’d maybe find him there.

I didn’t.

I paced the room, digging my fingernails into my palms, trying not to imagine what might have happened to him. Skalla had nearly killed him twice before. Why had I let him go? What if Suvi was gone, and now Wylf was, too? What if I’d sent him into a deathtrap, and I’d never see him again?

Would I even know? Would I feel something, if he died? Or would I be forever left wondering if he was out there, somewhere, hurt, bleeding? Dead, with no one to mourn him but me?

I was on the verge of full-blown hysteria when the door to the room opened. I jumped like a frightened cat, my heart skittering and making my chest ache the way it still often did.

“Wylf!”

If my husband hadn’t been a stone sky god with a body akin to a brick wall, I would have toppled him. I leaped onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck, and kissed him all over his face, planting my lips messily in between shaky breaths.

“Hello, beloved,” he murmured. The next time my mouth passed near his, he captured it, sliding his tongue inside until I moaned. I tugged at his vest, his hair, desperately drawing him closer, reminding myself that he was here, strong, safe, alive.

But was Suvi?

I drew back from the kiss.

“What happened? What did you find?”

Wylfrael placed one more soft kiss on my mouth before answering.

“She is well. She is healthy and with child. Skalla’s child.”

My brows shot upward.

“Holy shit. So he’s...”

“He is sane. His mate-madness has abated. She is being well taken care of, and you or any of the other women can visit her whenever you like.”

“Can we go tomorrow?” I stammered, elation coursing through me. This was the best fucking news I could have ever gotten. She was safe. And pregnant! Oh, my God!

Wylfrael chuckled, and the sound went straight to my groin.

“I thought you might say that. As long as you’re feeling strong enough, I’ll take you tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I murmured, kissing him again. “I’m so glad you’re alright. You were gone so long, and I got worried.”