Eden was beside herself. This damned witch could take Albani out, the most powerful elemental Eden had ever seen. She’d bound Albani’s powers so that if she tried to use her electric elements on anyone, they’d boomerang back on her.

Piria didn’t stand a chance against this witch. Her face was pale, her countenance horror stricken.

Next to Eden, fur moved. She glanced down. Sean’s bear was struggling to awaken. She was thankful he was alive. Her panther was nuzzling the bear, pushing on his muzzle with her head, trying to revive him.

Eden couldn’t let the witch kill Piria. They’d all be trapped in this realm forever and die here. She sucked a deep breath in and launched herself at the witch. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sean had leapt to his feet and was rushing the witch.

The Realm-Crosser glanced at the two of them, and almost summarily seemed to dismiss them with a nod. Only that was no mere nod, she’d raised a wall of light between herself and Sean and Eden. The two of them bounced off the barrier, landing once more on the ground.

She made a tsk sound at their failed attempt and flicked a hand at Piria, who was airborne and flipping, flying, crashing toward the ground. And just before she’d hurled Piria onto the unyielding ground, the witch slowed her progress, and set her down with just enough force to cause her leg to make a snapping sound.

Eden knew what that meant, she didn’t need to see it. Piria’s legbone had been broken.

Piria, her face a mask of pain, tried to rise to her feet but could do nothing more than lay on the ground in misery.

Eden glanced at Circe, mouthing, do something.

Circe shrugged.

They were both in the same place, both powerless, both unable to perform elemental feats without their elementals within them. And at the moment, their elementals had lost their powers and stretch.

“Amaranth,” the witch said. “That is who I am. Amaranth, the reigning coven leader of the Ancient Temple Coven.” She raised her arms as though in supplication to the sun. Amaranth glared down at Piria. “You will yield your realm to me, scarred one.”

Eden’s blood ran cold at the tone in the witch’s voice.

She’s going to kill her now.

“No!” Eden scrambled to rise to her feet.

She couldn’t have said what happened next, it was a barrage of motion. One moment, she was working toward getting up and stopping the witch from killing Piria, the next she was pushed aside by a blur of black on one side of her, and one of brown on the other side.

Amaranth had been so intent on summoning the power to forge a spell that would kill Piria that the attack from a panther and a bear caught her completely off-guard. Within seconds, she was overwhelmed and encased in movement and fur.

Movement to the side caught Eden’s eyes. Ciara had stepped forward and was moving her hand in tiny circles in Amaranth’s directions.

Was that how the shifter animals were able to get to her? Because of Ciara’s actions? But wasn’t Ciara supposed to be an Intuitive? Eden didn’t know if Intuitives had witch skills or not.

Eden couldn’t see Amaranth. She couldn’t see anything but blood, and light, and black and brown fur.

A flash of an explosion of brightness, and the world about them went silent. The bear and the panther stood above a bloody spot. The place where the witch had been was now empty.

Circe seized Eden in a hug. “Are you okay?”

Albani knelt next to Piria, touched her scarred face with the back of her fingers. “How are you?”

Tears flowed from Piria’s good eye. The patch of fabric covered the scarred eye. Piria nodded that she was okay, but no words had come from her yet.

“We’ve got to get out of here before she comes back. Or anyone else.”

“No,” Piria said.

Eden whirled on her, “What?” There’s no way I’m going to get trapped in this jacked up place.

“I’m not going back.”

“The hell you aren’t.” Eden clenched her fists.

Ciara approached. “Perhaps there’s something? A way…”

“Do not try your tactics on me,” Piria screeched at her.

“I wasn’t thinking to,” Ciara began. “I was wondering if we could work something else out.”

Meanwhile, Eden was wondering what it was that Ciara had done to enable her panther and Sean’s bear to attack Amaranth. Which of course, made her wonder if Amaranth was alive, and would attack again.

“What?” Albani asked Ciara. “What can we work out?”

Ciara locked eyes with Albani and Circe and stepped closer, turning her back on Piria. Eden joined them. By damn, this involved her, as well.

“No.” Piria dragged herself toward their little circle, still unable to stand. “You will not do this. You will not discuss me as though I don’t have a choice, as if I’m a child.”

Sean stepped forward, leaned down and picked Piria up. She looked into his face, her hostility still semi-apparent, but slowly fading. He carried her to Albani, Ciara, Circe, and Eden.

“Thank you,” Piria said, one arm around his neck, holding on. “Your bear saved me.”

“I know.” He nodded. “And I’m aware that doesn’t make up at all for the loss the other bear inflicted on you. I don’t expect that anything would, but I want you to know he’s not your enemy.”

Eden’s heart felt as though it would burst with joy and pride at Sean’s ability to look past Piria’s hate, and at Piria’s capacity to not still blame all other bears for one bear’s actions.

“But still,” Piria said. “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” all of them said in unison.

“I can’t go back to Eden.” She reached for Eden’s hand. “I won’t be the reason you don’t have your mate in your life. I won’t endanger anymore lives.”

Eden gasped. “What does that mean?”

Albani glanced at Circe, who nodded at her, then she stepped forward. “I’d like for you to join us,” she told Piria.

Eden shook her head, thoroughly confused. “Are you suggesting… what are you saying?”

Circe’s lips were pursed, as though weighing options, then finally she spoke. “Albani would like Piria to come with me and her. I will be her host.”

“Wait. No. What?” Eden wasn’t sure how to accept this new occurrence.

Piria leaned toward Eden. “Please. You have to let me go. It’s for my own good. It’s for yours. And his.” She touched Sean on the chest.

Eden sighed. Circe hugged her. “It’s for the best.”

Tears welled in Eden. She felt like she’d failed Piria. “I don’t know…”

Circe took Eden’s face in her hands, forcing her to look her in the eye. “Don’t make her live like this. Albani can help her, can be there for her.”

A lump presented itself in Eden’s throat. She wasn’t sure how to feel about this. A sensation of emptiness encompassed her.

I don’t want to be selfish. To force her to be in a place she doesn’t want to be.

She took Piria’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry. I let you down.”

Piria wrapped both her hands around Eden’s. “You weren’t equipped to handle what plagued me. I wasn’t equipped to handle it. So, it seems I’ve mishandled it.”

Tears streamed down Eden’s face. “Godspeed.”