Chapter 380

Jesse just stares at the girl standing before him, wondering if this is some sort of game, some ruse she’s playing to trick him into feeling sorry for her. Because he’s got a tender heart – he knows that, as much as he tries to hide it from everyone else. Could this girl have figured that out and is now using those big brown eyes, that sad question, to trick him? But even as he thinks it his wolf nips him, hard.

Can’t you see it? His wolf hisses, livid with Jesse. This girl is neglected and all alone. The God of Darkness has ruined her wolf – and he’s been using her to spy on you. She has nothing, and you cannot even be kind to her?

Jesse’s wolf nips him again, hard, ashamed.

And Jesse flinches and blinks again, staring with pity down into Midnight’s sweet, broken little face. Because even if it sounds absurd, when Jesse looks into Midnight’s dark eyes he knows…that it’s absolutely true. That she is some kind of…bizarre orphan of Darkness, raised here alone, with the sole purpose of spying on him and his family.

Or perhaps as…punishment? For him, for his family, for the Goddess? God, but Jesse doesn’t know – he doesn’t understand anything at all.

And as he realizes it, Jesse’s heart reaches for this strange lost girl. For his fated mate, the girl the Goddess picked for him.

“Of course I like you, Midnight,” Jesse says, quiet and gentle, taking a step closer but not taking her hand, still wary of the corruption in her soul. “Go ahead. Show me your house.”

Midnight’s face breaks into that dazzling smile, the truly happy one, not the fake one, and she laughs as she spins and begins to dash away across the packed dirt of the wasteland before them. “Come on!” she says, cheerful. “It’s just over this hill!”

Jesse sighs, hangs his head, and with absolutely nothing else to do and no idea where his life will take him next, follows. With each and every footstep, Daphne’s name echoes in his heart.

I don’t have long to kneel at Daphne’s devastated side, doing my best to comfort her as she adjusts to the impossible news that the man she’s in love with – who she was so sure was her mate – isn’t. And that he’s been swept away to another world by a dark magical person who actually is his fated mate, confirmed by the Goddess herself.

The Goddess left, finally, to get more information about Jesse and to leave us to our grief as we fall apart. In the few quiet minutes after her departure my dad leaves me with my friend to hold her while she cries. But it’s too short a time before he comes and presses a soft hand to my shoulder. I look up at my dad, at the grief and worry on his face and nod once, understanding. There’s just…too much to do.

I murmur a few words to Daphne, explaining, and help her get to her feet. Honestly, I’m not even sure if she hears anything, she’s just too lost to her grief. Ben – sweet Benny – is waiting with open arms and I pass Daphne over to him. He gives me a steady nod as he wraps his arms around Daphne and pulls her in for a hug.

I take a moment to nod back to Ben, and to shift my eyes to Daphne, watching as she cries into his chest, Jesse’s little shadow cat curled mournfully on her shoulder. But that’s all I have time for as Jackson slips a hand around my waist and gives me a little tug, pulling me along to the small group on the other side of the tent that needs my attention now.

Because, of course, I have a thousand roles to play today. Not just friend, but worried sister, and nation’s princess. And the magical source that has the power to make a change in this battle that is so clearly ramping up.

That is, of course, if I can access my magic.

I grit my teeth, looking up at Jackson as we cross the tent. His eyes are already peering down at me, his mouth set in a determined line. But he simply nods and sends a very intense swell of love and support down our bond that does wonders for my poor wounded heart. I step closer to him, pressing myself to his warm side as we join Rafe, our parents, and my aunt and uncle in the corner.

Mom can’t help the little tears that swell in her eyes as Jackson and I step close. Her gaze sweeps between us and a little trembling smile takes her lips – because she likes us together, I know. Likes his kindness and his steady presence and the way I am the center of his whole world. And she was worried for us after Luca marked me - but now here we are with our arms around each other.

It does her good, I know, to see her daughter so loved when she’s not around to do it.

My dad inhales sharply through his nose when we step close and I shift my gaze to him.

“Things are complicated, Ariel, but we need to –“

He gasps mid-sentence – we all do – as a huge sound breaks through the air, something loud and horrible soaring through the air over our heads. I gasp and clutch Jackson’s shirt in my hands, and he wraps his arm more firmly around me, one hand tucked behind my head. We all turn towards the sound as it passes us and then wait a beat before –

BOOM.

A huge explosion sounds somewhere in the distance, but obviously on our side. Clearly, the attack has begun.

I snap my head to my father to see him pale, his jaw set. “Roger,” he snarls, a command.

“On it,” Roger says, striding away, tugging Cora with him as he goes, unwilling to be away from her any more than he has to.

“Ariel,” dad snaps, drawing my eyes back to him. Mom and Rafe step closer, closing our circle. “Something – something is happening. We’re still scrambling to figure out all the details. We don’t know if it was coincidence, or designed to align with the funeral for the two Cadets since they knew I was away from the battlefield, but soon after Juniper was taken the Atalaxians started this assault. It is…a big one.”

Dad sighs, dipping his face into his hand, clearly trying to hold it all together – his role as King, and as father whose youngest daughter is missing, who is about to ask his eldest daughter to risk her life.

“Whatever you need, dad,” I say, taking as much of a step forward as I can, wrapped in Jackson’s arms as I am. Jackson moves forward with me, understanding the gesture. “I’ll do whatever you need.” Mom raises her hand to dad’s shoulder, her whole heart in her eyes as she looks up into her mate’s face.

“We’re running low on resources, Ari,” dad murmurs, dropping his hand and looking me in the eyes. “It’s – it’s dire. Moon Valley has incredible technology but…we’re just so much smaller than Atalaxia. They just have more – more weapons, more people. You may be the only thing left in our arsenal that can tilt this battle – this war – in our favor. Especially if they decide to throw everything they have at us.”

I nod, swallowing as I do, understanding.

“You know I’d never ask,” dad says, shaking his head at me, his throat tightening and strangling his voice in a way I’ve never heard before. “I know what you’ve been through these past weeks – and I know you’re still hurt, and healing – but Ariel –“

“Dad,” I say softly, shaking my head, breaking from Jackson’s arms as I step forward towards him and place a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to ask, okay? I’m here. I want to be here.” I nod, looking up at him, my whole heart in my own eyes now. “This is my nation too, right? My people as much as yours. I’m ready. Or at least – I’ll do whatever I can.”

Tears well in dad’s eyes as he reaches for me, pulling me into his chest and wrapping me in a tight hug. “I don’t know what this world did to deserve you, Ariel,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair. “But I’m so incredibly grateful that I get to be your dad.”

I tuck my face close against his chest, fighting tears – tears of love for him, and fear about what’s to come, and worry about…about whether or not I can do this. Whether or not what magic I have with my bond to Luca broken will be enough.

“Dominic,” Roger barks, he and Cora stepping close.

Dad loosens his grip on me, looking over at my uncle.

“It’s bad,” Roger says, nodding around at all of us. “It’s what we feared – the full assault. We have to move.”

Silence reigns as everyone in the circle turns their eyes to me.

I loose a long breath and stepping away from my father, stepping back until I feel Jackson’s warm chest behind me. His hands rest light on my hips as he senses that I want him near but don’t want to be held right now. That I need to stand on my own two feet.

“Okay,” I say, lifting my chin and looking at mom and Cora. “Let’s do this. Is there somewhere we can go? I need to…figure out what’s up with my magic.”

Mom swallows hard and then nods to me, taking Rafe’s hand, clearly wanting him along. “Yes,” she says, quiet and worried. “Come on, out back. We’ll see what you can do.”