Reece’s energy swirled around me, a dusty dry wind that I sensed could turn into a force of nature if needed. “You’re not alone, Mera Callahan,” he said in his rumbly voice that reminded me of Shadow, while still being unique to the desert god. “We don’t have packs in the desert lands, but we do have dynasties. Family units. Shadow is my family, and now… so are you. We will fight with you today, and if we die, there are no regrets.”

“Dammit,” I choked out. “You’re not supposed to make me cry before we go into a life-and-death battle.”

His chuckle was strained, as it was his turn to weave a strand of power. Reece reminded me so much of Shadow, and I wondered briefly if the desert lands had their own version of a true mate bond. If so, I’d bet ten to one that if Reece found his “mate,” he’d be as possessive as Shadow.

There was a reason I called him Shadow the Second, after all.

If we survived this, maybe I’d get a chance to find out.

44

Their fortress of binding power was half done by the time we reached the castle. Dannie’s power was the strongest here, a veritable itch under our skin we couldn’t scratch. Unlike with Ixana, though, who had rushed into creating the final parts of her Nexus through a mass sacrifice of creatures, Dannie appeared to be doing it the old-fashioned way. A slow build of energy.

Had she started her Nexus the moment she’d messed with our memories and expelled us from the realm? Maybe that had been her plan all along, and she’d simply pretended it had been about the balance. If that was the truth, letting her go would be far easier… She was already lost.

When we rounded the largest side of the castle, heading toward the entrance that led into the lower chambers, I was hit with all the memories. Within those chambers, with its deep pool of lava from the chasm, was where I’d lost my creatures.

“Is she in the lower chamber?” I whispered, hoping I wasn’t about to alert an angry Nexus goddess to our presence.

“I don’t think so,” Shadow rasped, sounding more strained than he had the last time he’d spoken. It was definitely clear that the larger the fortress grew, the harder it was to control the energy. “Her power essence is closer to the main chasm.”

“Her energy is strong,” Lucien said, forcing the words out. “She’s taking on the full power of the leicher mists as she weaves herself into a power source with no equal.”