Kissed by Krista Street
Chapter 21
~ AVERY ~
A relieved smile curved my lips as a fierce glow lit Wyatt’s eyes. Mate. He was my mate. How could I have ever doubted that?
“Thank you,” I whispered. I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a soft, quick kiss to his lips. His oak and pine scent clouded around me. More than anything, I wished I remembered him from before, but I didn’t. That was the price I had to pay for fulfilling the prophecy that Verasellee had birthed two thousand years ago.
But even though I may never remember the shared history that Wyatt and I had, what I’d come to learn in the short time I’d known him, was that he was willing to compromise. He would meet me halfway and treat me as an equal, even if his instincts demanded that he shield me.
And I loved that about him.
A sharp pang of lust, wanting, and need shot through me. Gods, this man. I would give anything to fight for what we had.
“Just tell us what you need, and I’ll make it happen,” Wyatt repeated softly. “I’m the senior officer here. Nick and Reese are under my command. They’ll do as I order.”
Nick and Reese shuffled their feet behind me, clearly uneasy.
I kissed Wyatt again, my fingers entwining through the hair resting on the nape of his neck. A low growl rumbled in his chest. His tongue danced with mine, his mouth opening as his arms crushed me to him.
I didn’t know what was to come of me when I confronted the elf lord. Even though I carried the power of a goddess inside me, the elf lord wasn’t without resources.
It was possible that this was the last moment I would ever be able to feel or touch Wyatt. I wanted to savor it even though I knew time was running out.
“I love you,” I whispered.
His grip tightened. “I love you, too, more than you could ever know, and I meant what I said last night. I won’t force you anymore. You can trust me, as I trust you. I’ve got your back, Little Flower.”
My heart snagged in my chest, my throat tightening. How was it possible to love somebody this much? “Thank you.”
I clung to him. I had no idea what lay ahead for me, but I knew on some deep, instinctual level that the goddess was right. If we waited for the remaining squads to arrive, if we didn’t act now, this would end disastrously.
I knew I could tell this to Wyatt, explain that we didn’t have time to wait, but then I remembered the battle at the mountain. Three SF members had died. Three. And Wyatt had almost died too. And that was when we’d only been battling the lord and a small group of warlocks. Now, Lord Godasara potentially had an army.
Squad Three would most likely all die if I took them with me. My friends. My mate. Their lives would be sacrificed if I let them join me.
I wouldn’t do that.
Verasellee’s command rang through my mind. Do not doubt yourself. You have my power. You have a soul of steel. You are strong. You can defeat him.
With the goddess’s power, I could freeze time. But that power only extended to me. I couldn’t freeze time for Squad Three.
Using Verasellee’s power, I could keep myself safe, but I couldn’t shield my friends and Wyatt from the elf lord, so I had to go alone.
I wouldn’t let Verasellee down, and I wouldn’t let Lord Godasara capture this realm—even if something happened to me in the process.
I released Wyatt, and his eyes glittered like fiery emeralds. Thick tension strummed from him in steady waves, and his fingers dug into my waist.
I knew he didn’t want to let me go. I knew he was battling his instincts at this very second.
And I fiercely loved him for it.
With a final squeeze, I twirled around to face the two powerful sorcerers. “We don’t have much time, so you need to listen.”
∞ ∞ ∞
The goddess hovered on the stretcher in the center of the room, Nick on one side, Reese on the other. Wyatt and I stayed back near the closed door, as I anxiously watched on.
“Are you sure?” Nick asked, glancing over his shoulder. “We still haven’t received permission from the king and queen to conduct the ritual. Are you absolutely certain you want us to continue?”
“Yes,” Wyatt replied with a brusque nod. “Unlink Verasellee and Lord Godasara only. Do not touch the bond that she and Avery share.”
“All right,” Reese said reluctantly. “But you do also realize that leaves Avery vulnerable. If she’s still linked to the goddess, and the goddess wakes up and wants her power back, Avery could die. Given the debrief I got, it sounds like the goddess’s life and power are what’s fueling Avery, because Avery died. I just want to make sure you understand what you’re asking us to do. I can’t guarantee Avery’s safety if we do this.”
My heart tripped. I knew the risk was there. I had no idea what would happen to me when Verasellee wanted her power back, but it was hers, not mine. All I could do was hope that I didn’t die in the process and that some sliver of myself remained inside of me, so I didn’t die again.
The muscle in the corner of Wyatt’s jaw ticked. He balled his hands into fists, the skin stretched taut across his knuckles. He cast a pained look my way.
“Please,” I whispered, my heart breaking at what I was asking of him, but it was the only way.
Wyatt closed his eyes, his breath shuddering out of him. When he opened them, liquid pools of gold swirled in his irises, but he nodded curtly.
He addressed Reese again. “Do as my mate wants. Unlink the goddess and elf lord. Now. I’ll deal with the repercussions from the king and queen.”
Reese gave a final reluctant nod, then turned back to Nick. Their gazes locked.
“Begin,” Reese said quietly.
In perfect synchronicity, the sorcerers’ hands rose, their fingers slipping through the air as their arms dipped and swirled in a magical dance. Their movements perfectly mirrored one another’s as each began to whisper in low tones.
A burst of power swept through the room, like a north wind had blasted through the walls as a chill that promised snow bit into my cheeks.
The candlelit sconces flamed out, smoke rising from the wicks.
Outside, daylight dimmed as if the sun had fallen into shadows.
The sheet over the goddess fluttered.
My eyes widened as an ancient magical force awakened around us.
Wyatt stepped closer to my side, as day turned to night outside. The sun completely disappeared behind thick clouds, and the hum of the city that had drifted through the open windows fell to a hush.
The hairs on my arms stood on end, as my heart picked up a rapid staccato beat.
All the while, the two sorcerers never faltered. Their bodies stayed rigid, yet their arms became as fluid as snakes, dancing as one as they swirled immense magic between them.
A blue cloud formed over the goddess, sparks skating along its surface. The goddess’s body lifted from the stretcher, hovering in mid-air as the power inside me rattled.
I clutched my abdomen, as Verasellee’s power responded to the ancient force. It crackled and flowed, demanding that it be returned to its rightful owner.
More than anything, it wanted out. It wanted to go to Verasellee, but I needed to stay bound with her. This ritual wouldn’t wake her from the dormant sleep. Until the elf lord was killed, that spell would stay in effect, so I needed to keep her power inside me in order to kill him once and for all.
I shoved the crackling power down, but it still vibrated to my toes, the power of an army rippling through my veins.
Nick and Reese continued with the ritual, their voices growing louder, deeper, as they became lost to the immense magic.
Startled cries rose from the city below. I had no doubt that the fairies enjoying their day had come to a sudden stop. The sun was completely gone now, as if an unknown eclipse had descended on the land.
Rapid footsteps came from the hallway. The king and queen must have been alerted to the magical force being wielded in their palace. Shouts came next, then the clang of swords being unsheathed.
“Hurry,” I whispered. “Hurry, we can’t let them stop us.”
Wyatt stayed at my side, his jaw muscles ticking as he fought to stay true to his promise. I knew how hard this was for him. I’d known how much I’d asked of him, especially since we still hadn’t heard back from the king and queen about conducting this ritual. No wonder the guards were mobilizing.
I threaded my fingers through Wyatt’s, forcing his fist to loosen.
He squeezed, his large palm engulfing mine, as Nick and Reese continued to chant and wield their spell.
Their chanting grew louder, stronger, and even more in-tune with one another, until it sounded as if only one sharp voice rose between the two of them.
The magic whirled and spun around the goddess, growing and growing until it felt as though gusts of wind high in the atmosphere were pummeling us.
A bang came from outside the room as one of the guards tried to barrel his way through the door. “Open this now! By order of the king!”
My gaze shot to Wyatt’s. “We can’t let them inside!”
Reese and Nick continued their chanting, oblivious to the threat at the door, their magic tied together as they cast the ancient spell over the goddess’s form.
In a flash, Wyatt was at the door, shouldering himself against it. I joined him, placing my hands against the solid wood surface as more shouts and bangs came from behind the door.
The power continued to build in the room behind us, ripping around the goddess like a tornado. The violent winds threatened to pick me up, but I used the goddess’s power to give me strength and stay grounded.
Energy crackled around me. Purple sparks rose from my skin. I extended her magic to Wyatt, locking him into place as another giant heave came from the door.
Wyatt groaned, straining and flexing against the onslaught of magic and solar-force winds that rushed around us.
“They’re almost done. Hold the door!” I cried.
Another bang came from the other side, and then the sound of an ax. A jolt ran through me when the ax struck again, a heavy thud reverberating through the solid door.
Holy shit, they’re going to hack the door down!
Reese’s and Nick’s voices rose higher, chanting faster and faster as the winds turned into a hurricane.
The goddess spun in the center of the room, a void of time and power swirling around her as the ritual flowed from the sorcerers’ lips.
The door under our palms heaved, then opened an inch.
“By order of the king, open this door!” the guard bellowed again. Another sharp jolt. A sliver of an ax splintered the wood.
“Hurry!” I yelled to the sorcerers.
The power in the room exploded as the goddess spun so fast she turned into a blur.
Pain cleaved my insides, threatening to split me in two, but I held on to her power with everything I had, knowing that if I lost my connection to her, she would never wake.
Another heave came from the door, and then the ax burst through it just as a colossal rush of wind slammed around the room.
Wyatt and I were knocked off our feet. My head cracked against the wall. A large grunt spilled from his lips. The door ripped open, guards at the threshold.
But the next thing I knew, all was quiet.
The goddess lay on the floor in the center of the room between Reese and Nick. Her eyes were still closed and her body immobile, but a small smile curved her lips.
Each sorcerer panted, as if they’d just run a hundred miles. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, their expressions weary.
I frantically felt inside me for the goddess’s power just as a dozen guards flowed in through the open door like water through a destroyed dam.
Verasellee’s power crackled and sizzled in my chest. Still there. Still intact. Our link was not broken.
The guards encircled us, their swords drawn, wrathful expressions on their faces, but they were too late.
The sun returned to shining outside. The solar-force winds had disappeared.
The ritual was complete.
I turned to Wyatt, rushing toward him until I grasped his hands in mine. He pulled me to him and snarled menacingly at one of the guards when a sword was pointed at me.
I looked at my mate imploringly. “I’m sorry, but I have to do this. If I don’t kill Lord Godasara before he creates his army in the Derian Forest, this entire realm will fall.”
Stark terror entered Wyatt’s eyes and his mouth opened, but before he could speak, I whispered, “Trust me. Please trust me. I love you.” I slammed my lips into his, in one desperate last kiss.
And when I pulled back, as his bewildered, fearful eyes met mine, I called upon the goddess’s power until it sparkled and electrified inside me like lightning ready to strike.
And then I froze time.
