Because I was messed up, his words had me purring like a damn kitten. Shadow had always been possessive, but it used to be in the way of an object he didn’t want others to play with. Now it was the possessiveness of a shifter with his true mate. The sort that spoke of a deep-seated need to protect his heart and soul to the bitter end, destroying any who got in the way.

I was into it, no lie, but now wasn’t the time. We had bigger enemies to fry.

“Guys, we really don’t have time for another clash of the immortals,” I said, looking between them. “Figure out how to divide me up later.”

I understood their stance—I’d literally kill any who tried to remove our bonds. But our best chance at defeating Dannie before she destroyed the world was to be united. “We have one chance to take Dannie out before she realizes what we’re doing,” I reminded them. “There’s no time for any other battles.”

Angel and Shadow exchanged a long, power-filled stare-off, and I could tell that there were “words” being spoken, just not out loud. The tension that filled the space was thick and heavy, and as much as I wanted to interfere again, I allowed them this moment to mentally duke it out.

“It is done,” Angel finally said, her voice deeper but still musical in nature.

“Let’s return to the library,” Shadow said in reply to her obscure statement. “We have a battle to plan.”

And just like that, it was done. Apparently.

34

No one spoke as we climbed through the layers of Angel’s world to the surface. When we reached the top level, where the beautiful golden fields remained unchanged, Angel took a few minutes to ensure all of her securities were in place.

“Is there any danger to your family land with the loss of power?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “Not at all. I’ve taken a mere fraction of what I hold here. It’s too much power, really; power that should have been spread across many family members. But with all of them gone, the responsibility falls to me.” She patted the ground, sealing up the final cuts in its essence. “I can pull more from here if needed, even at a distance. It’s slower and not as effective as taking it in the manner I just did, but if we need it, there’s more power.”

That was good to know, even if I was praying we’d never need it.