Kissing Sky was the most amazing thing ever. After spending years thinking I’d never have that and finally having it … there are no words. I also feel more connected to her than I ever have with anyone else.

At the same time, I’m scared shitless. While I told her most of the truth, there are some things I’m too afraid to tell her or that aren’t my secrets to tell. Like with Porter. Like what’s really going on with the link. And like with what really happened to Brody.

After I finish explaining what I can to Sky, she ends up falling asleep. With how much power she used to open that portal, I’m guessing she’ll probably sleep a lot over the next few days.

Knowing my mom is going to send another message soon, I climb out of bed and slip out of the bedroom, leaving Sky sleeping in the bed.

The house we’re at is the only house in this world, and I have no fucking clue if it was here before we showed up or if our powers created it. It’s mind blowing to think about, that we tapped in to this kind of energy.

Sky’s and my powers …

I still can’t get over how fucking amazing that sounds.

Then again, Easton was part of it too …

A frown pulls at my lips as I wander into the living room where Easton is lounging on a sofa with his shoes kicked off, and he’s playing with an orb of water energy.

“Did you tell her everything?” he asks me as he tosses the orb toward the ceiling then catches it.

I flop down onto a sofa. “I told her pretty much everything.”

He flicks the ball of energy, and it hits the wall, splattering into a puddle. “Did it not go well? Is that why you’re sulking?”

“No.” I wipe the frown off my face, not wanting to talk about the reason I’m frowning, that it has to do with him and Sky and with all of my brothers and Sky for that matter. I sink back into the sofa and rub my hand across my face. “Sky handled the news better than we thought she would. She wants to find her mom, though. Her real mom.”

Easton raises his brows. “You know that’s going to be nearly impossible, right? Mom and Dad think she’s more than likely dead.”

“I know, but I didn’t have the heart to tell her. And I’m not going to until I’m one hundred percent sure.”

“Well, I don’t think you should wait, but I guess it’s your call.” He seems annoyed, but I pretend not to notice.

Just like I pretend not to notice the way he looks at Sky sometimes. Or like the time he got turned on by her sassiness and lost grip on his powers enough that the faucet turned on.

And he’s not the only one of my brothers acting this way. Sure, all of my brothers flirted with Sky in the beginning, but when they found out what she is, they backed off. Not just because nothing can ever happen between any of them and her, but because they know how I feel about her. But when Sky was in the room of darkness and her powers and internal pain blasted down the link, not only did it alter the link—deepen it—but it messed with all of my brother’s heads. They feel more connected to Sky now and in tune with her powers and emotions. And while Sky hasn’t flat out said it, I think she’s starting to feel that connection with my brothers as well. Although she probably doesn’t understand why. But I’ve seen the confusion in her eyes, the perplexed guilt when she broke up the kiss between us.

Hopefully, Hunter will be able to get here soon and return the link back to its original state so everything can go back to normal. My brothers and I have always been close and I don’t want us fighting over the same girl. A girl that none of them can even technically be with. Not intimately anyway.

“Have you told Sky about Brody yet?” Easton asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I shake my head. “Not yet. I’m worried she’ll end up feeling guilty about it. And with everything else she’s been feeling over the last few hours… I’m worried she’s going to have an emotional breakdown.”

“I know… I can feel how much she’s hurting.” He touches his chest with his hand and my jaw ticks, but I bite back my irritation. “She shouldn’t feel guilty about it. It wasn’t her fault. If Brody hadn’t forced himself on her, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“I know, I think Sky’s the kind of creature who’ll feel guilty about something like that, even if it wasn’t her fault.”

We grow quiet, the crackling of the fire filling up the silence. It’s usually not this quiet between us, but we’ve been a little off since the link got altered.

“You should probably wait to tell her,” Easton finally says, pushing to his feet. “Wait until at least the shock of everything else has worn off.”

I nod, in complete agreement. He’s right. I shouldn’t tell Sky yet about what happened to Brody. That the kiss he stole from her ended up killing him. That I really didn’t get into a fight with him. That the reason Max, Holden, Hunter, and Porter took off is because they were hiding Brody’s body in one of the worlds so no one will ever find out what happened. That Max erased Anders’ and James’s minds, the elemental protectors who helped Brody trap Skylin in the room of darkness. But not before I got in a few swings. Although, Anders ended up sucker punching me in the face; hence the bruise.

They got off easy if you ask me. And I’m not going to lie; a part of me wanted to make it so they were buried right beside Brody. My brothers stopped me from doing it, though. I guess that’s good. If I had done it, if I had unleashed that darkness that’s always inside me, it would’ve probably taken over. Would’ve probably killed who I am and left a demon of darkness in its wake.

It’s one of the complications of being an elemental enchanter, and another thing I haven’t told Skylin about yet. That if our kind ever tap into that darkness, if we ever fully release it, we’ll become a part of the darkness forever.