Adamant Spirits, page 33
I didn’t want to leave him. I didn’t want to leave the Arc, because we were more than two bodies finding comfort in each other.
We were two hearts entwined.
I was in love with him. Bone aching, soul-shattering love and the thought of walking away was like a punch to the gut every time.
“What are you thinking?” Aeon asked.
We were on the bridge on Aeon’s chair, surrounded by space. I sat on his lap with my arm around his neck, head tipped up to watch the stars go by. This was no hologram; this was real. The Arc was able to turn the bridge transparent so we could see our path as we forged it.
Aeon gently squeezed my waist. “Are you nervous?”
I shook my head. “Excited to see it.”
We were about to make a jump. The first and only jump I’d ever see and space would blur about us in a kaleidoscope of colors. So here we were, waiting for the moment.
“We’ll be able to see Jurak, one of the oldest stars in the known universes, but we’ll jump before we get too close,” he said.
I was still wrapping my head around the fact that there was more than one universe. He called it the multiverse.
“It’s on the verge of going supernova,” he continued. “The Arc’s shields aren’t at maximum capacity since our system malfunctions. I’ll be upgrading them once the cargo has been dispatched.”
Cargo. He meant humans. He meant me.
I pressed my forehead to his temple. “Aeon…” I needed to say it. I needed him to know. “Aeon, I—”
“Don’t say it, Hope. It’ll just make everything harder.”
My eyes pricked, and I squeezed them shut and took a shuddering breath. “How long till the jump now?”
But Aeon had gone very still. I pulled back and looked at his eyes, blank and staring. He was in communication with Arc, and from the way his hands curled into fists, whatever the ship was saying wasn’t good.
“Aeon? Aeon, what’s happening? What’s Arc saying?”
He blinked sharply and then focused on me. “The propulsion drive is jammed, and Jurak is about to go supernova.”
“Wait, what?”
“We can’t make a jump for another twelve minutes, which, even if we slow the ship down, will put us in the radius of the blast. Extremely high radiation that will penetrate the hull and kill the humans and heat that will damage the outer shell of the ship.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“It means I have to upgrade the shields now.”
I’d been working with him for months, and he’d set the ship controls to English just for me. I’d found I had a natural aptitude for technology and how it worked.
I climbed off his lap. “I can help. It’s a general upgrade protocol, right, like the one we did on the cryostasis system two weeks ago?”
There was a spark of pride in his eyes. “Yes, Hope, exactly like that. But you can’t come with me for this one. The panels I need to access are outside.”
He’d have to go outside, into space? My heart pounded fast in my chest, and I scanned my memory for the schematics of the ship. “The southeast hull, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll come with you. I saw suits in the cargo bay.”
“No.” He said it quickly, sharply. He was hiding something.
“Aeon, what is it?”
His jaw ticked with indecision, and then he looked me straight in the eye. “I may not make it inside before we hit the blast radius.”
I stared at him in horror. “Wait. You said your body could withstand anything…” Anything but the heat of a supernova. “No…”
He lifted me off his lap and stood. “I won’t survive this.” He said it calmly, as if he’d already accepted the idea.
“No. No, you can’t do this. The Arc needs you. I need you.”
“The course is set. Arc will bring you to your new home.” His smile was sad, soft. “You’ll be safe, Hope.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips. Soft and tentative, it was a goodbye.
He was about to go to his death to save his cargo. To save humanity. He’d given up his life to protect the existence of life, and he’d given me a new lease on life. He’d given me happiness and a love I could never have hoped for.
I couldn’t let him do this.
I wouldn’t.
I smiled up at him. “Aeon, I love you.”
His face crumpled. “Hope.”
I shoved him with every ounce of strength in my human body, catching him off guard, so he slammed into the seat behind him and fell back. I ran for the exit, and hit the lock button, flipped open the panel, and smashed the micropanel inside with my elbow, over and over again until a hiss filled the air.
Arc could heal, but it would take time.
Time enough for me to do what needed to be done.
AEON.
* * *
The doors slide shut behind Hope and for a moment I’m stunned, then I rush toward them, hitting the release button to no avail.
She’s gone. She’s gone, and I know what she’s about to do, and panic is a desperate clawing beast inside me.
I connect to Arc.
Open the bridge doors.
“Repairs in process, Aeon, estimated time three minutes fifteen seconds.”
That’s too long. Hope’s trying to get outside. We need to stop her.
“Blast doors have been accessed. Panel damaged, it will take three minutes and—”
Dammit, Arc, we need to stop her.
There’s a moment of silence. “Hope is attempting to upgrade the shields, is that correct?”
Yes.
“To protect the cargo.”
Yes, but she’ll die out there. Jurak is about to go supernova.
“Yes, Aeon. That is correct. Hope will die, and humanity will be saved.”
In that moment, I know that Arc won’t stop Hope. Its objective is the greater good, the preservation of life in general, and one human to save the many is a sacrifice Arc is willing to make.
I slam my fists against the doors, feeling the tears I no longer possess burn my eyes. I’m trapped, impotent, and useless.
I love her… Arc, I love her.
“I know.”
Space was terrifying. So vast it was like stepping into an abyss. My insides shook as I walked across the hull, tethered and locked down with the special boots that came with the suit.
Get it done and get back.
Maybe there would be time? Maybe…
I located the panel, flipped it open, and set to work. Almost there. Just a few more seconds.
“Hope…”
Aeon’s voice was in my ear, and my heart lifted. “Aeon, I’ve done it. It’s working. Just ten more seconds for final checks, and I can hit execute.”
“Hope, Jurak just went supernova. The blast will hit us in twelve seconds.”
My heart sank. I wasn’t making it back.
Not unless I left now, but if I did that, the shield wouldn’t upgrade, my species would be wiped out, and I’d die from radiation anyway. I was dead either way, but if I stayed out here, my species would make it.
There was no going back. This was it for me. Maybe this was why I’d been saved. I’d lived so I could save Aeon and what was left of my people. Yeah, that felt good. It felt right, but it didn’t stop the terror that spawned ice in my blood.
Five seconds. “Aeon, talk to me. Tell me about your world.”
Aeon made a strangled sound. “Hope…”
Three seconds. “Please, Aeon. Take me somewhere else.”
“My world is lush green forest.” His voice shook. “Fragrant earth and sweet air.”
Two seconds.
“There are cool deep rivers and wide lakes, mountains and valleys to explore. We run free, at one with nature.”
I hit the execute button, shut the panel, and fixed my eyes on the dying star in the distance.
“Hope…”
“More, tell me more.”
He made a sound, a sob maybe. “You would have been at home there. I’d have carried you wherever you wanted to go, and at night we would have curled up by a fire together.”
Heat kissed my skin. “Yes. Yes, Aeon, I would have—”
The world burned bright.
“Systems online. Hope, Hope, can you hear me?”
It’s dark, and there’s a strange voice in my head. Female, soothing. Who are you?
“I’m Arc, and it’s time for you to wake up, Hope.”
Hope…
I recognize this voice. Aeon? Aeon, where am I?
“It will take a moment to acclimatize,” Arc says. “Your new body is making neural connections and building pathways. You can move your hand.”
The world is still dark, but I can feel my limbs. My fingers and hands.
“Good, assimilation is complete.”
Memory comes rushing back. The supernova…I died in the supernova.
“Your body perished, yes, but the powers that be retrieved your consciousness, and now you have a choice. You may bind to me, as Aeon has, or you may leave me.”
I’m dead but not dead. I have a new body, like Aeon. I can be with Aeon.
There is no choice. Not really. I want to stay.
I feel Aeon as if he’s beside me, touching me, his breath warm on my face. “Aeon?” My voice is loud in the silence.
“I’m here, Hope. Open your eyes.”
Wolfish Initiation
Heat Level: ☕︎☕︎
G.K. DeRosa
USA Today bestselling author G.K. De Rosa has always had a passion for all things fantasy and romance. When she’s not reading, writing or watching way too many TV shows, she’s traveling and eating around the world with her family. G.K. DeRosa currently lives in South Florida with her real life Prince Charming and their two little royals.
* * *
Wolfish: Initiation is a prequel novelette to the Wolfish Series and takes place in the fantasy world of Azar. Her last six series all exist in this same world where supernaturals run rampant and epic romance reigns.
* * *
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One
Four Years Before the Events of Wolfish: Moonborne…
A pair of deep emerald eyes bored into me. I cursed myself for choosing a seat in the second row. As warmth spread over my cheeks, I tore my gaze from the ridiculously good-looking guy glaring down at me. If I hadn’t been late for the new student initiation assembly, I wouldn’t have been stuck front and center under the heavy gaze of the most powerful supernaturals in all of Azar. I squirmed in the stately wooden chair, fidgeting with the crisp oxford blouse and crossed my legs. The uniform plaid skirt rose, showcasing half of my thighs and the warlock next to me sucked in a sharp breath.
I skewered him with a sidelong glance and turned my attention back to the stage. Mistake. Big mistake. Those piercing green eyes found mine once again, and blazing heat seeped up my neck, billowing across my face. A shock of dark hair tumbled over Dark and Broody’s eyes, releasing me from their mesmerizing hold.
Mercifully, a scuffle at the end of the row diverted my attention, and I turned toward the blonde fumbling toward the empty seat beside me.
“Excuse me, pardon me. Sorry!”
Damn, and I thought I’d been late.
She slid into the chair next to me, dropped her backpack on the floor and let out a sigh. “Phew. I didn’t miss anything good, did I?” she whispered.
“Nope.” The headmaster stood at the pulpit, his smoky gray eyes leveled in our direction. “But I think Balderrin is about to start the assembly,” I murmured.
“Right.” She straightened and her chair let out a squeal as the wooden legs scraped the stone. All eyes turned to her, and she mouthed, “Sorry,” again.
“Now that we’re all here,” the headmaster’s voice boomed across the vast hall, bouncing off the soaring rafters, “we can finally begin.” He motioned toward the eleven others seated on the platform and inclined his head. “I hope you new students realize how fortunate you are. To be in the presence of such greatness is rare, even for the high witches and warlocks of Maginaria. The Academy of the Arcane has long been one of the most prestigious institutions in the realm, nay, all of Azar. And as tradition calls for, today we have each member of the Etrian Assembly joining us for your initiation.”
The Etrian Assembly was the governing body of the supernatural world, made up of each of the houses of Azar. I’d only just started to understand the way of this new realm I’d been tossed into. Until a week ago, I’d resided in the human world, spent my last sixteen years growing up as a human. Even though I knew my mom was a tiny part witch, I never thought I’d be forced to leave home and attend this supernatural academy. Especially since I had zero magical abilities.
But that didn’t matter, apparently. According to the Half-Blood Doctrine, any human of mixed blood was required to relocate to Azar until they’d finished school, mastered their powers and been evaluated to determine them fit to return to the human realm.
So here I was, my first day at the Academy of the Arcane. Not exactly how I’d planned to spend my sixteenth birthday.
Balderrin’s voice blurred in the background as he spoke of the houses of Azar and their importance. I was still learning but at least I’d gotten the names down:
Coven Council
Brotherhood of Dragons
Royal Vampires
Ocean Realm
Sons of Heaven
Shifter Pack
Fae Court
Underworld
As part witch, I was now a lowly member of the Coven Council within the realm of Maginaria. The head of my new territory stood on the stage, past Dark and Broody, all the way to the right in a deep purple suit with a popped collar and gleaming silver shoes. I’d already heard stories of the high warlock, Garrix, who was so powerful people spoke his name in hushed whispers. A swath of brilliant white hair bisected his platinum blonde locks, and the glimmer of his azure irises was potent, more profound than the deepest oceans in the human realm. The man’s skin was like porcelain, his face ageless.
“He’s impressive, right?” The blonde girl beside me leaned in to whisper in my ear.
“Huh?”
“Garrix, the High Warlock.”
Awkward. I must’ve been staring like a weirdo. The guy was ancient, and now this girl probably thought I was crushing on the attractive old warlock. “This is all new to me,” I muttered back. “I’m just trying to figure everyone out.”
“Ohhh, you’re the new half-blood.” She gave me a warm smile instead of the condescension I’d encountered from the other students. “I’m Cassandra Willows, but you can call me Cass.”
I returned the smile and said, “Sierra Wildstone. I can’t believe you’ve heard about me already. That’s embarrassing.” When I turned back, my gaze accidentally caught Dark and Broody’s again. He shot me a withering glare and whispered something to the older male beside him. What is up with this guy?
“The Coven’s pretty cliquey,” she continued, “and they’re not exactly super welcoming to outsiders so news of your admittance traveled pretty quick.”
“You don’t say.” Since my arrival the night before, I’d received my fair share of glares, stares and muttered whispers. Starting any new school was tough, but in a whole new magical realm, now that was social suicide. “Maybe you can be my in,” I whispered, half-joking.
“Sierra Wildstone, you’ve got a lot to learn about wicca society in Maginaria. I’m a lowly caster with no natural born magic, and my coven is about as far down on the social ladder as it can go. I was lucky to get into the academy at all.” She waved a nonchalant hand. “I’ll tell you more about it later.” Her lively eyes flickered up to the headmaster who was motioning toward the first speaker. “We don’t want to get on Balderrin’s shit list on the first day. Plus, the dragon Alpha is super-hot for an older dude, and I want to see what he has to say.”
I glanced up at the stage to the towering male now standing behind the podium. Strands of silver speckled his raven hair, and a warm smile lit up his golden irises. Beside him stood a younger female, probably in her early thirties. They shared the same fine lips and high cheekbones, but golden blonde hair tumbled down her slim shoulders as opposed to his dark brown.
“You know who that is, right?” Cass whispered.
“Dragon alpha?” She’d just told me.
“Fenix Skyraider and that’s his daughter, Rose. She’s his beta, the first female ever, and he’s already prepping her to take over one day.” She paused and let her words linger in the air. I already liked the dragons more than the witches. It seemed like their leader was a good man. “Didn’t you ever watch the reruns of Hitched?”
“That old reality TV show?”
She nodded. “He was the bachelor chosen by Kimmie Jayne when the supernatural world was revealed to the human one.”
“Oh…” I’d heard stories about it of course, but I’d never watched the groundbreaking television series that outted supes to the humans. It was years before I was born.
Fenix began to speak and Cass went silent, her sparkling eyes intent on the dragon Alpha. I zoned out as he detailed the state of affairs in Draeko, the dragon territory, and the importance of the continued alliance between all the realms. He kept it brief, and before long, the next leader rose. And the next, and the next.
Cillian, the archangel of Celestia, Carmen Rosa, the vampire queen, King Drake of the Spring Court, Elijah, the prince of the Ocean Realm…
I tried to pay attention, but I couldn’t focus on the politics of a world I knew nothing about, not when my mind was racing. How would I live among these people for four whole years? It all seemed so surreal. Despite the human and supernatural realms having coexisted for decades now, we didn’t mix much. There were hardly any full-blooded humans living in Azar, and only a small percentage of supes in human lands. We were together but separate. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, my interaction with the supes had been minimal. Now here I was, one of them. Kind of.
