The power traveling through me is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s like I’m a conduit for Leah’s strength. Ever since we mated I’ve felt that our connection has been much, much stronger, but I had no idea she was capable of something like this.

With our minds linked, I can sense what she’s doing — crushing the weaponry on the enemy ships. The SINTRA vessels turn around and back away from New Exon, and I can’t help but cry out in victory.

And then my mate collapses into my arms, and all my joy is replaced with a deep-rooted fear.

“Leah?” I ask. “Leah?!”

Did she overexert herself? Did I push her too far?

Resha cocks his head. “Amazing,” he whispers to himself.

Leah’s eyes flutter open, her gaze unfocused until she finds me.

“Hey,” she says with a tired smile. “Did it work?”

“It did. You saved us all.”

“Good.”

“I… there were explosions on Garna,” I say.

I know this news will disturb her, but I won’t hide the truth from my mate. She deserves to know.

A grim look appears on her face. “I thought I sensed something wrong… we can’t waste anymore time, Davor. We have to go there. Now.”

“Agreed.”

I turn to Resha. “Take the controls,” I say. “We have other matters to attend to.”

I wrap my arms around Leah as tightly as I can, and use the strong emotions coursing through us both as a lens to focus our powers. I teleport back to my room in the temple in a flash of bright light.

I’m left gasping for breath, every muscle in my body aching. We are stringing ourself dangerously thin.

“Are you okay?” Leah asks, a look of concern in her eyes.

“I’m fine,” I say, leaning against the wall for support. “Never better.”

“You’re a liar.”

“As are you. You said you wouldn’t get yourself into anymore trouble.”

“Don’t act like you weren’t glad to see me.”

“I always am.” I pull her towards me and kiss her. “Let’s go see Mother Dragica and get ourselves a ship.”

We race up the stairs as fast as our tired legs can carry us and barge into the Mother’s office.

She looks up from her papers as if she was expecting us.

“Garna is under attack,” I growl. “The Regiments have confirmed it. We need a ship to take us there. Right now.”

Dragica sighs. “Your defense of New Exon was valiant. Was that your doing, Davor?”

“It was the both of us,” Leah says.

“Mostly it was Leah,” I correct her. “I just helped a bit.”

“The powers of the Chosen are great indeed,” she muses to herself. “I will see what I can do, but unfortunately, I cannot make any promises. The Sacred Order does not command ships, and requesting one takes time.”

Anger courses through my veins, but before I let it out, another idea takes hold of me.

“What about Theros and Anaya?” I say. “The other Chosen? Perhaps they could lend us their energy, and teleport us to Garna?”

Rumors of the great deeds of the first Chosen couple has reached me. They too have the ability to teleport, and we need that power now more than ever.

Mother Dragica smiles. “It certainly doesn’t hurt to ask. I will send out a call at once.”

I guide Anaya back to my room, both our minds focused on the struggle still ahead of us. This is only the beginning. I want nothing more than to ease her suffering, and take her mind off the pain that is clouding her thoughts.

“Let go,” I say as I kiss the back of her neck, my hands wandering down her perfect figure. “At this moment, just be here, with me, in the now.”

She turns, her eyes filled with worry.

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

I push her down onto my bed and cover her body with my massive frame.

“All you have to do is just lie here,” I say. “Nothing more.”

“I think I can do that,” she says as she wraps her arms around me.

Using our powers has taken its toll on us, and within minutes both of us are lost in a deep sleep. I’m roused from my wonderful dreams by an urgent knock on my door.

“Davor? Theros and Anaya have arrived!”