Pearl sat forward, gazing out the cracked windshield. “Just drive through it. It should be spelled to allow any Mystical entrance.”

We were driving on a gravel road, the one that had veered off from the main paved beachfront lane, which had run parallel by only fifty yards to the curved golden barrier. This road headed straight to our destination. I couldn’t imagine what a Com saw peering at this. It could have been the ocean, or trees, or they may have seen nothing at all if the prickling of the spell meant to dissuade them from glancing in this direction. Either way, we were steady on our target to enter a heavily forested area behind the golden dome, the gravel road acting as the access point to the transparent, rounded wall surrounding the area, the edge of which disappeared out into the Sound.

“Okay,” I whispered, gripping Ezra’s hand tighter. Holding my breath, I pressed on the gas more heavily, thinking it would probably be best to go at it quickly. So I didn’t chicken out. “You don’t think the Com blood all over the front of the hood will affect it?”

“Um,” Pearl murmured, sounding unsure. “I…”

Too late. My Hummer plowed right into the dome.

I gasped.

So did my best friends.

A zap like an electrical current jolted through my body. And also theirs by their flinches.

It felt primarily of spells and time — Mage magic — as we crossed the barrier.

Ezra shook his head hard, rumbling, “Keep going until we see the Elder.”

Shuddering at the uncomfortable impact of the immense protection that had zinged through my system, I nodded jerkily, but slowed our pace to scrutinize the darkness beyond the thick trunks of the trees. Gravel crunched under the tires, and two hundred yards inside the deep forest, I started braking and turned on my brights.

After stopping our progress, I stared in stunned amazement. “Is that Richard?”

Ezra’s attention was already turned in the elderly Mage’s direction, probably having heard his heartbeat. “Yes.” His lips pursed. “I didn’t realize he was an Elder.”

Jack snorted, eyeing the Mage. “We’re all dumbasses. He has enough power to light up the entire continent. We should have known.”

“Were we ever told his last name?” Pearl asked, staring hard.

Richard hobbled toward our stopped vehicle, a merry smile on his wrinkled face.

We shook our heads in unison to Pearl’s question.

This past year, all Richard had been to us was the kind, gentle ancient Mage who had allowed us to use his private beach for our entertainment. We seemed to have issues following rules when it came to sand and water, and Coms, the combination not mixing well for us when we had been attacked by Coms, resulting in us killing the lot even after the Kings had expressly stated we were not to fight. We had been ‘grounded’ and had been allowed only on Richard’s property. Once the Kings had let up on their original punishment.

We stared at Richard, dumbstruck, not believing our own stupidity.

My red brows lifted. “I wonder if he watched over us from his window.”

Ezra grunted. “Hell, he probably sat on the beach next to us without us knowing.”

Richard halted next to the front passenger door, his hands folded in front of him and his expression peaceful and patient as he waited.

I squeezed Ezra’s hand. “Roll the window down.”

Ezra continued eyeing the Mage, evaluating, before he finally did as asked. The action permitted the showy drone of crickets weighing the night air to filter through the silence.

Richard merely asked, “Would you mind giving me a ride?”

I jerked my head toward the back seat, my eyes still wide. “Hop in.”

Pearl opened the back passenger door, and then scooted over.

Our eyes were glued to our new passenger as he climbed inside.

Richard chuckled softly while he shut the door, and instantly put on his seatbelt. He pointed toward the road. “If you drive straight, I’ll give you my name.”

Pearl hurriedly thumped my shoulder. Her attention was avid on the Mage. It was probably killing her she hadn’t known he was an Elder, and she obviously wanted to know exactly who he was.

Nodding, I stepped on the gas again, rolling forward.

“There will be a sharp right ahead, so go slowly.” Richard rested comfortably on the seat, and after I made the turn carefully as he had instructed, he stated, “Even though I would much prefer Richard, in light of current events it would be best if you addressed me by my title, which is Elder Richard Harcourt. Or rather, Elder Harcourt.”

Pearl gasped, her jaw dropping.

Ezra’s hand twitched in mine before he relaxed his hold.

Jack jumped enough I felt his knees bump the back of my seat.

I, on the other hand, still had no clue who he was.

Pinching my lips, I kept quiet so my Mystical ignorance didn’t show.

Elder Harcourt chortled, but I could feel his gaze on me. “I’m one of the Elders who fought to bring our factions together when they were living alone and frightened a very long time ago.”

Pearl snorted. “We know who you are.” Not all of us. “Why didn’t you tell us before?”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Elder Harcourt shrug. “Anonymity’s a priceless gift.”

Ezra hummed, his eyes forward and analyzing the area with his keen gaze. “You prefer to be nameless.” It both was and wasn’t a question, his tone one of implied curiosity.

“Yes.”

“Why is that?”

I blinked, hearing a bit of Elder Cahal Zeller in Ezra’s tone. Ezra had said he had learned plenty from his father. I wondered just how much my bestie was like his daddy-o, except with his own personal brand, unique to him, of ferreting information. I glanced in Ezra’s direction. He appeared serene, but his eyes were still darting across the landscape, not missing any detail of the lushly wooded area.

Elder Harcourt sounded as if he were smiling when he countered, “Mr Zeller, I believe I will let you make your own assumptions.” He waggled a wrinkled, creaky finger between the front seats. “Please slow down, Ms Ruckler. The road dips here.”

Instantly, I reduced our speed.

The shadowy gravel road was precarious on the down slope, which was most definitely heading toward the beach, the thud of crashing waves steadily approaching.

Pearl made a choking noise. Began fidgeting. Gasping, she blurted, “May I ask a few—”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t, Ms Cooper,” Elder Harcourt interrupted. There was steel in his tone.

Pearl huffed quietly, but stayed mute, respecting his wishes.

We exited the tree line.

The Sound could be seen in the light of my headlights. Gravel gave way to grass, with periodic splotches of sand, and the ground appeared to sharply drop off some thirty yards ahead.

Elder Harcourt murmured, “Turn right if you want a good parking place.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, accepting his guidance and turning right along the tree line, driving onto the tall grass. My Hummer had no issue with the off-roading. When the side of a rounded pitch-black cave came into view, rising fifteen yards out of the grass and spreading back from the beach into the forest, I asked, “Park with the headlights toward the Sound?”

“That would be best,” Elder Harcourt affirmed.

On the verge of the glossy black cave’s roof, I turned the wheel and drove until we were almost at the edge of the embankment. The ground was now mixed heavily with sand. Between the small dunes stretching the ridge, a set of weatherworn stairs could be seen leading down to the beach. Where the cave’s entrance had to be.

Once parked, I grabbed my gun and exited my Hummer with my friends and Elder Harcourt.

The parade of vehicles behind us began following suit.

The four of us trailed Elder Harcourt down the stairs to the cool, dry sand. He led us to the massive opening of the cave’s entrance, while the tattered Mysticals gradually shadowed us, their expressions curious as they did not understand where we were. They weren’t fearful though, the protection clear.

Our group stopped there.

Once again placing my gun under my shirt in the waistband of my pants, I stared at a cluster of ten Mages down the beach, who were glowing brightly with their hands high in the air as they chanted, their low murmurs only an undertone on the increasing breeze.

“What are they doing?” Jack questioned.

“They’re sending a message to all Mysticals to seek shelter,” Elder Harcourt answered, and my gaze found his. He nodded, his lips pursed. “Attacks have occurred at Awakenings, businesses, or homes, worldwide.” He perused the injured behind us. “There will be many more arriving from the call. But if they can’t travel here safely, I do hope they take sanctuary in other places closer to their homes.”

Rolling my shoulders, I felt a weight I had only barely held off rigidly settle.

It was one thing to assume the attacks weren’t contained to the general area, but to hear it spoken as truth — he was speaking truth, since I had scented his words — was another condition entirely.

We were the Prodigies.

The soon-to-be Kings and Queens of our people.

By all accounts, we were heading into war.

Elder Harcourt smiled compassionately, and for the first time his eyes darted to Pearl’s and Jack’s foreheads before glancing toward Ezra and me. “Why don’t you four go rest.” His words were quiet. “You’ve had a very trying day thus far, and I believe you’re due your quiet.” His hand slipped into his pant pocket. “You saved these people today, but I can handle it from here.”

From the depths of his pocket, he extracted four large skeleton keys with black ribbons tied at the end of each one. “The keys will guide you to your rooms, which Elder Farrar specifically handled himself.” His golden brows furrowed. “He told me to tell you, the first step’s a doozy.”

Pearl and Jack each instantly seized a key, obviously ready to hand the reins over to the Elder, and swiftly began their trek across the sand to the wide mouth of the cave.

Ezra and I took our keys more slowly.

Elder Harcourt’s golden eyes were kind, his words soft. “Go. They will need you.”

My chin quivered, but I clenched my jaw, hardening it.

Studying his skeleton key, Ezra’s gaze was lowered, but then his eyes rose. Met mine.

Our chests heaved.

We moved forward together.

Toward Jack and Pearl, where they were waving for us to hurry. They stood just beyond the fully-armed Elemental and Shifter guards who, on either side of the entrance, were oblivious to our trepidation. Our best friends’ impatience would soon be exchanged for unconditional suffering.

King Cave was pure black. From the floor to the arched walls, which curved to the tall ceiling, the hue was magnificent. The only illuminations were the enchanted golden sparks glowing on the walls that were suspended in midair and placed periodically, creating a stunning ethereal luminosity the further we traveled on level ground.

A hundred and fifty yards inside, we came to a stop.

Gawked.

“Whoa,” Jack murmured, his brown eyes darting.

As I recalled Antonio’s bedtime stories, my own gaze was dancing. “It’s the living quarters.”

Ezra nodded, pointing to various locations. “There should be pools, entertainment rooms, and conference rooms, through those openings.”

“It’s beautiful,” Pearl whispered, staring straight up.

Yes, it was. Even if it was a cave. No Shifter would have a problem living here, especially with the woods outside to run and hunt in. The founding Elders had outdone themselves.

I gaped at what at first appeared to be a vast hole, which extended far into the depths of the earth. Around the edge of the enormous circular drop-off was a wide, continual walkway, with a slight slope, coiling against the wall. Suitably, a black railing was in place so you could travel safely.

Golden doors stood flush against the shimmering black walls along the black circular walkway, flowing down to the very complexities of the cave. Decorated above those doors and appearing oriental in nature were red tiled overhangs, giving each door a more personal, colorful touch. The places Ezra had been referring to were ones with gold tiled overhangs and without golden doors. Instead, they were oversized openings leading to other chambers of the cave. Sparks of golden Mage magic brightened the cave’s wall all the way down, shimmering on the reds and golds and making the area festive and enchanted.

Then there was the ceiling.

The enormous arched expanse was spelled to reflect the sky as it literally was, creating indoors an illusion of the outside. It currently showed the moon and stars twinkling down on us, with a spattering of lingering white-gray clouds. The picturesque night sky appeared so real that I wanted to touch it just to verify the Elders hadn’t stolen a piece of heaven.

Jack mumbled, “I can’t wait to see my room.”

Oh yes, you could.

Jack had no clue, nor Pearl, what they were about to experience.

They turned left, strolling down the walkway where my own key was leading me.

If we were to turn right on the footpath, we would enter a pronounced open space across the abyss of the cave where tables were set up. Mysticals could sit and converse comfortably while watching others move below. The walkway ended there, the real activity below ground.

Glancing once at Ezra, I saw his lips were pinched. Same as mine.

He and I shoved our feet into motion to follow our other besties, our awe fading from the splendor as we listened to Pearl and Jack ramble about the majesty of King Cave, including the different tales they had heard. The place had been specifically used during the war. Ezra and I walked close enough that our arms rubbed back and forth against each other’s; the contact was a must right now as it was our only way of consoling each other.

My brows furrowed as I absently detected that Jack’s and Pearl’s voices didn’t echo as I thought they might, even though we seemingly had the enormity of King Cave to ourselves for our first viewing. More than likely, it was another spell to keep the noise level down.

After hiking downward and circling the large expanse five times, but still very much toward the top of the cave, we all stopped beneath one of the gold overhangs. The cave opening was gigantic where we now gazed, the branching sector merrily lit.

My key was tugging me in that direction, but confusion held me immobile. I knew all of those golden doors were the living quarters. The offshoots were meant for other needs. Brows still creased, I turned and began strolling down the walkway again, sure this wasn’t accurate.

My left arm jerked back abruptly, my key fisted in that hand.

I grunted quietly. That hadn’t been subtle. It had hurt a wee bit too, my shoulder muscles stretching awkwardly. I glared at the key in my hand as I rubbed my aching limb.

Ezra’s arched, black eyebrow rose. “Guess Elder Farrar didn’t tell you everything.”

“Huh?” I gave in to my key’s direction, strolling to stand next to them again.

Ezra tilted his head to the sweeping entrance. “Royalty have different living quarters to the general populace.”

My lips pinched. Yeah, Antonio had never mentioned that.

Ezra’s lips curved arrogantly, and he took my free hand, pulling me forward. “No worries, sweetheart. You kicked ass today, so there’s nothing too bad about being wrong on one issue.”

I snorted. “Shut it.” He was enjoying this.

He simply continued to smirk, which appeared half forced and half genuine.

Jack and Pearl chuckled quietly, unaware, following us.

We turned a corner down the wide black hallway set alight with golden sparks. Two more twisting corners later, bypassing four other immense openings and six golden doors, we came to four different golden doors. They were positioned on the right side of the wall and directly before a dead end. A single golden spark illuminated the area softly.

Jack stopped at the first door.

Pearl the second.

I halted at the third.

Ezra the last.

Glancing at one another, we each slid our skeleton keys into the locks carefully.

Our doors swung open. Each of us stared inside our own rooms.

Mine was exactly like my room at King Kincaid’s mansion. Including the windows.

“Huh,” I murmured. “It’s just like home.”

Ezra and Pearl nodded and leaned forward for a better examination of theirs.

Jack snorted quietly. “Elder Farrar even got my pile of laundry right.”

Ezra’s eyebrows came together. “What does the ‘the first step’s a doozy’ mean?”

None of us knew the answer, shaking our heads and shrugging.

Honestly, the flooring inside my room appeared normal.

Pearl grinned. “Guess there’s only one way to find out. Shall we do it together?”

“Why not?” Jack murmured absently, still eyeing his floor. “On the count of three.” He ticked the numbers with flicking fingers. “One. Two.” All four of us raised a foot. “Three.”

We stepped forward into our own rooms.

I squeaked as my bare foot passed the entrance and a whirlwind of energy seized my entire body, sucking me inside. My arms windmilled as they tried to stop my forward motion. Instead of free air, I smacked two warm bodies straight against their backs.

A feminine and masculine grunt accompanied the hit.

Startled, I screamed, leaping straight into the air.

No one had been inside my room.

Solid, warm arms caught me as I fell; apparently I had used a bit of my Shifter strength in the jump. Enveloped in a familiar scent, I blinked up into amused green eyes.

Ezra’s red lips quirked, and he drawled, “See a mouse?”

Panting, I ignored his ribbing. “How…” I saw we weren’t in my room at all, where I had most definitely stepped into. “What in the world?”

“Look,” Pearl pointed while rubbing her back with her other hand where I had smacked her, “there’s only one door.” She reached and pulled a key from the lone door where four golden doors should have been. Another key appeared in its place. Pearl repeated this three more times, and held all four of our keys before she shut and locked the door.

Still clinging to Ezra as my heartbeat gradually slowed, I surveyed our surroundings, trying to understand. There was only one door, but all four of us were in the same room. One room. Tilting my head, I rested it against Ezra’s hard chest as my eyes darted. Realization gradually dawning, I murmured, “Antonio gave us one room. For all of us. Spelled on the outside to appear like four separate rooms.”

Jack rubbed his chin. “And one bed.”

Ezra’s body began vibrating against mine as he chuckled softly. “A fucking giant bed.” His laughter deepened. “Unbelievable.”

“Huh,” I mumbled. That was pretty much all I could manage.

The living quarter was extensive; it was a suite more than a bedroom.

We currently stood in a living room of sorts, which included a smorgasbord of furniture from our different factions. A black leather couch, a golden imperial chair, a brown leather love seat, an enormous blue beanbag, and a glass coffee table in the center. Under that furniture was a black, red and black, blue, and gold long-haired rug so the cave’s black floor wouldn’t be harshly cold. Along the left side of the wall were a variety of books aligned on the rows of black wooden bookshelves, and golden sparks were on the wall to the right for lighting.

The room was structurally shaped like an upside down ‘L’, and the sleeping area was at the far end. A bed that was at least the size of two king-size beds was located there, its huge black wooden headboard rising halfway to the tall ceiling. Impressively, said ceiling was spelled identically to the main ceiling of King Cave to reflect the sky outside, the shimmering stars and moon shining down on us.

“I can’t believe he did this,” Pearl whispered, her golden eyes roaming.

“Me either,” I murmured, extracting myself from Ezra. I crept deeper into the room, wanting to see what was behind the wall. Peeking to the right, I cocked my head, seeing four dressers placed against the wall opposite the mammoth bed and next to four gold doors. There was also a full-length mirror with an elaborate trim of gold, and two other gold doors on the far wall; I could see from here one led to a bathroom, so the other probably led to a linen closet.

The four of us stared at the four gold doors. Our names were written above them.

“Closets.” Pearl nodded. “I bet that’s it.”

Stepping forward, I yanked ‘my’ door open. Blinked. Stared at the clothes inside the walk-in closet, a thin golden spell bathing its walls. “You’re right, but it’s all the clothes I had at home.” With a cautious stride past the golden doorframe, though the spell was not malicious, I yanked a t-shirt off its hanger and waggled it outside the doorway. “I just washed this and hung it up last night.” Swiftly glancing at each item, deciding all of my keepsakes and necessities were here, I tossed my shirt aside and strolled out, naturally kicking my door shut.

Jack threw open his door. “Damn.” He sighed heavily, waving an agitated arm inside his closet. “I only have half a wardrobe. I hadn’t done my laundry yet.”

Pearl snickered, but she pointed to the mirror. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Ezra exited his closet, appearing pleased with its contents. “What is it?”

I blinked. “A mirror.”

Pearl laughed hard, shaking her head. “No. It’s an enchanted mirror to supply whatever clothing we can imagine. They’re expensive and rare; only a few top Mages are able to perform the spell.” She walked in front of it, staring at her reflection. “I’m tired, so I’ll pick something for bed.” Her gaze roamed over her reflection while she wore a thoughtful expression.

Nothing happened. “Maybe it’s broken.”

She shook her head. “I’m just deciding on a color.”

Ezra grunted, his voice dry. “Gold?”

Her sigh was heavy. “Fine.”

Standing next to our ginormous bed, I stared in astonishment as a golden nightgown, ankle-length with slits in the legs and spaghetti straps, shimmered to life over her reflection. The clothes Pearl was currently wearing ruined the effect, since you could see her t-shirt under the gown, but it was beautiful nonetheless. After tilting her head to the side, evaluating it, she nodded and the gown materialized to reality against the front of the mirror and hung there.

Pearl lifted it away and tossed it to me, probably since I seemed the most impressed by the magical mirror. My jaw was hanging, I knew, but it was marvellous. It was any woman’s dream mirror, that was for damn sure. The material was soft, satin against my fingertips, and it felt like water as I let it slip through them to the black fur bedding when reality intruded with a glance from Ezra.

He cleared his throat, and then motioned toward the bed. “Jack, Pearl…Lily and I have something to tell you both. You’ll want to sit for this.”

I moved to stand next to Ezra, rubbing against his side in silent comfort.

Jack and Pearl instantly quieted, their expressions turning wary as they scanned our faces, and slowly took seats on the edge of the bed. Pearl lifted the nightgown next to her and started fiddling with it, twisting it around her hands, while Jack leaned forward, placing his forearms on his knees and staring at us avidly.

Jack murmured quietly, “What is it?”

“They look like death,” Pearl mumbled, her golden brows furrowing.

Guess we weren’t hiding it so well. Clearing my throat, I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled the lipstick out, nervously twirling it through my fingers. I stuttered at first, but managed to state, “We thought it best to do this to save both of you today, and others.” I glanced at Ezra, who nodded. “Antonio put you both under a spell. One that’s still active.”

Jack cocked his head, stating calmly, “I can’t feel one.” He had complete trust in Ezra and me. His faith only made me feel worse.

“You wouldn’t.” Ezra pointed at Jack’s forehead. “You also can’t see the evidence of the spell. You both have a slash of pink lipstick on your forehead.”

Both tilted, glancing in the mirror, their brows puckering in confusion.

Pearl turned her attention back to us, asking slowly, “What kind of spell is it? Why was it needed to save ourselves and others?”

Licking my suddenly dry lips, I whispered, “It made you forget.”

Jack’s entire body stilled. “Forget what?”

Lips thinned, I peered to Ezra for help.

Ezra’s jaw clenched, but his gaze was steady on our best friends. “Your mates died today.”

Both sat motionless. Staring. Obviously searching their memories for the truth of Ezra’s statement, but they wouldn’t find any. The spell had promised that.

“Mates?” Pearl asked softly.

I took a small step forward. “I need to complete the spell, so you’ll remember.”

They flinched and their eyes instantly grew stony.

Shaking my head once, I spoke honestly and gently, “Your time with them, your memories, your experiences — they are not something you want to lose. While the thought of Dominic still tears me apart some days, I wouldn’t want to forget him for anything. Life’s experiences are not to be forgotten. You learn. You grow from them.” My lungs felt like they would seize and my throat was burning, but I held their now hooded gazes. “You need to let me finish the spell.”

In the tense hush, they didn’t respond, only watched. Real panic had entered their eyes.

Ezra stated quietly and steadily, “She’s right. And both of you would be doing a disservice to the two individuals who loved you so much by not remembering them.” He paused as their increasingly frightened gazes met his. “In time, you’ll understand why I’m saying this. Not at first. At first you may hate us for telling you to remember, but eventually you’ll understand.”

Pearl’s chin began quivering, but she straightened her spine. “I won’t hate you. And I understand why you allowed it. If I lost my mate today, I wouldn’t have been able to save lives. I probably would have gotten myself killed.” She nodded stoically, her jaw firming even though her chin still trembled. “Finish the spell.”

Not giving her a chance to back out, I uncorked the lipstick, my hands shaking with the motion as I twisted it, and quickly finished the last slash, completing an ‘X’ on her forehead.

Suddenly, she jolted, sucking in a harsh breath, her golden eyes flying wide…and she screamed, clutching her chest where her mate had once lived inside her Core. “Gideon!” Her head shook rapidly, her golden hair tumbling over her shoulders. “God, no! Gideon!”

Swiftly handing the lipstick to Ezra, I sat on the bed and caught her as she crumpled in racking sobs, her agony ear-piercing, shouting her mate’s name repeatedly. I clutched her close to my chest and held her face to my neck, feeling her heated tears wetting my flesh, and started rocking her as I had done when I had first learned Gideon was dead. Keeping my own tears at bay this time, pushing away my own anguish for her hurt, I became the pillar of a best friend she needed right now. As she beat on my shoulders with flying fists of rage, I let her, holding her only tighter and lending her my strength.

Jack’s face was now buried in his hands, his elbows still on his knees, and he hunched as he fisted his hair. “Ezra?” Evidence of his anguish to come was unmistakable in the catch of his voice.

Ezra’s was solid. “Yes?”

“Don’t let me kill myself.” He was serious.

The same truth quietly stated. “I won’t.”

Jack paused between Pearl’s cries. “I’ll want many drinks once I crawl out of bed.”

“We can do that.”

Rocking Pearl, who had stopped pounding me, I hummed softly against her damp temple as she wept, her whole frame shaking while I desolately watched my other best friend’s life change forever.

Jack lifted his head, his features carefully blank. He nodded.

Ezra blurred in a step forward and finished the spell in a distraught blink.

Jack reacted, jerking with a deep inhale before hurdling from the bed. He bellowed in ferocity as he stalked to the living room area grasping at his chest. He lifted the coffee table and pitched it against the wall; the glass shattered as he bent at the waist, yelling, “Nikki!” Another furious shout and he roughly seized the golden chair and propelled it into the bookshelf, half the books tumbling to the ground. His chest heaved, and he stared at his now plain palm, his mate mark gone, and roared, using that same hand to shove a different row of books off. Then another row. And another.

With his hands gripping the empty shelves, he kept his back to us as his body sagged and his shoulders started quaking. Crying silently. His massive frame drooped against one of the bookshelves, his forehead resting against the wood, as his pain began unleashing in a torrid of soundless sobs, overtaking his fury.

Ezra briskly wiped a hand over his face, and appeared to fortify himself with a gradual, deep breath. Cracking his neck once, he tossed the lipstick aside and moved behind Jack. Ever so gently, he rested one of his hands on Jack’s shoulder.

As I rocked Pearl, only my soft humming was heard on this forsaken day.

Abruptly, Jack turned to Ezra, wrapping his arms around him, and wept — still soundlessly — against his best friend’s shoulder, no words said.

Ezra held him, much like I was holding Pearl, and soothingly rubbed his back.

I doubted Jack felt it. Just as I was betting Pearl couldn’t discern my touch. Their own loss pulling them into a dark abyss I had hoped they would never find.

Ezra and I were still there for them. We always would be.

Though this night was not one I would ever wish to remember.

Dragging minutes passed. Another round of fury unleashed from both of them. This time Pearl also unleashed her anger by blowing up the couches, as Jack froze the bookshelves to crack them with his iced fists. Their tears were ever-flowing.

When they both crashed, falling to the floor, Ezra and I picked them up, lay them in the center of the bed, and crawled in around them, holding them as they wept themselves into a fitful sleep of mental exhaustion.

Ezra eventually left the bed to flip the switch, turning off the glittering golden lights, and only the stars and moon of the spelled ceiling lit his way back through the debris.

My eyes met his troubled gaze as he crawled back in beside Jack.

Without a sound he lifted one of his hands and rested it on Pearl’s side, his fingertips grazing mine in a comforting gesture, before he intertwined our fingers. Our eyes held the truth now. We had both been drawn back into our own haunted memories of when we had lost our mates; the actions of tonight had brought them to the fore. But together, in due course, we fell asleep alongside our heartsick besties.

English accented cursing woke me.

Rolling away from Jack and blinking, I opened sleep-blurry eyes to see Pearl glowing golden in the living room area, one of the couches she had demolished last evening wavering and materializing back into shape…except it didn’t look quite right. It was too long and the color was navy. I watched as she jerked an agitated hand — she was still in her clothes from the previous evening, her golden hair askew around her face — and the couch darkened to black. It was still too long.

She cursed again.

Gently leaving the bed, being careful not to wake Jack or Ezra, I padded toward her on silent feet, but gave her plenty of space, since she wore the furious expression of the tormented. “Pearl,” I whispered, the sun beginning to rise above us and giving enough light from the yellow, orange, and blue ceiling for her to see me clearly, “May I help you?”

Her jaw clenched, and she flicked her hand. The couch turned purple. “I’m trying to clean up the mess.” Another twitch of her hand, and the couch went black and only three cushions long, appearing as it did normally. She nodded once, crossing her arms.

“I can see that,” I murmured softly, prudently, because she was still glowing. “Is there anything I may do to help?”

Perhaps make sure you don’t harm yourself from Mage energy? I wasn’t sure that was possible, but right now her expression didn’t bode well. She appeared a bit crazed.

Her lips pursed and her gold eyes darted, never staying too long on one area of the hazard zone that had become our living room. “You could dust.” Her words held finality. She raised her hands and a bottle of Windex and a washcloth appeared in her grip. She held them out. “Take the couch first while I continue with the other furniture.”

Who the hell cleans leather with Windex? Not to mention, it wasn’t dirty. But…yeah. I would clean alongside her and watch to make sure she didn’t take one of the shards of glass from the shattered coffee table and do something unforgivable.

Taking the items from her hands, I mumbled, “Alright.”

So I cleaned.

And cleaned.

And dusted some more while she spent an hour figuring the correct way the golden imperial chair had been…and she went through many different variations.

Jack rolled in bed once, slitting open his red rimmed eyes, only to roll back over.

Pearl handed me a lint brush and pointed at the — now — perfect golden chair.

With hands reeking of Windex, of which half the bottle had gone to scrubbing the couch, I nodded dutifully and started rolling the lint brush meticulously over the spotless golden cushion. Listening to Pearl curse repeatedly as she started on the brown leather love seat — all the while wishing she would fix the damn coffee table so there weren’t so many sharp objects lying about — I bent to reach the golden legs of the chair. Without warning, heated hands rested on my hips and muscled legs brushed the backs of mine. After scenting the air to confirm the individual’s identity, I tilted my head to the side when Ezra leaned over me.

Against my ear, he whispered, “You got this?”

“Have been for the last hour,” I murmured, glancing at Pearl. “Can you handle Jack?”

“Yeah.” Ezra’s heavy sigh was stricken, his warm breath fanning against my neck. “I’m going to find a TV to bring in here. I don’t think he’s getting out of bed for a while. He’s lying awake over there, staring at his hand.”

Straightening, I popped my back, then relaxed against Ezra’s solid strength. He gently massaged my cramped back muscles as we contemplated the new sunlight and the crystal clear blue sky above us. I whispered, “It’s hard to believe beauty can still exist when the world is so bleak.”

He hummed lightly as we watched a bird fly across the sky. “It’s the beauty that helps us return from the harshness. If it wasn’t there, we would have nothing to live for.” With ease, he brushed his lips against the side of my neck. “I’m going to take a shower, then find us a TV.”

The actions of our brief conversation were so domesticated, so normal, during this turbulent time; it was exactly what I needed to fortify myself to be who Pearl needed.

I went back to cleaning.

A knock sounded on our door two hours later. I was still helping Pearl, while Ezra sat next to Jack on the bed flipping through channels on the flat screen TV he had found, trying to find a station that didn’t show anything about the riots. The television hung suspended in the air between two dressers.

At the sound of the knock, Ezra and I both froze. Jack didn’t move, which wasn’t surprising, and Pearl continued muttering to herself and pulling on her hair as she — finally — attempted to get the coffee table back to rights. My eyes swung to Ezra, and he blinked, staring at something on the wall. He pointed in the direction of the closets while saying softly, “Your name’s glowing above your closet.”

The knock came again.

I raced across the room to see that, indeed, my name was glowing above the door to my closet. “It could be like a doorbell, telling us which door someone’s knocking on?” I glanced around worriedly. “Maybe they’ll go away?”

Once again the knock sounded, more forcefully this time.

“Or not.” Ezra jumped from the bed and turned toward Pearl. “Think I can move her?”

We stared.

“No,” I whispered, watching as Pearl magically raised the coffee table into the air, which currently looked like a science experiment gone wrong. “I wouldn’t mess with her.”

Ezra ran a hand through his spiked hair. Nodded jerkily. “Alright. We answer. Elder Farrar spelled the rooms. He wouldn’t do this without a foolproof plan.”

Warily, we moved to the door.

Ezra positioned himself behind me like a sentinel so no one could enter.

I slowly opened the door a smidge to peek through the crack.

Amused golden eyes found mine. “‘Bout time, Lil.”

Antonio shoved the door with his hand, bumping my body back against Ezra’s as the door swung open fully. His eyes went wide as he watched Pearl make the freaky coffee table hover before her and spin in a circle so she could see all the wrong angles. His lips pursed as his golden eyes darted to Jack on the bed.

Rolling his shoulders, Antonio peered back to us and said softly, “The room is obviously spelled. Only you four and the person who created the spell,” he smirked, “me, can see what is really happening inside. When a door is knocked on, the owner’s name will glow above their closet, which, it appears, you already figured out. Remember to keep your hand on the doorknob, otherwise they won’t be able to see you. To them, the room appears as your old rooms did at the Kings’ houses.” He glanced to Ezra, then back to me. “They won’t even be able to hear the other heartbeats inside.” He held a finger up. “But don’t let them in. If they cross the entrance, the truth will be shown.”

I blinked.

“I also came to tell you there’s a meeting in the Ruler’s main conference room in an hour.” He lifted a hand, which held a large paper bag. “And to give you sustenance. It’s everyone’s favorite.” He passed the bag to me and kissed my cheek, whispering, “Take a shower, Lil. You stink of cleaning products and your hair’s a mess.” He stared at Ezra over my shoulder for a few moments, an unreadable expression on his face, before turning on his heel and sauntering down the hallway. “You’re welcome.”

I started, hollering at his retreating form, “Thank you!”

He waved a negligent hand before turning the corner and disappearing from view.

Ezra and I stood frozen, staring after Antonio, before Ezra tapped the door closed with a swift flick of his finger. His arm curved over my shoulder as he lifted the bag from my hands. Glancing inside it, he hummed in appreciation before bumping me with his elbow. “You don’t reek so bad. Though you do have major bedhead.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, turning to peer into the bag. My stomach growled. “I’m still going to eat before I shower.”