Deserted (Shadow Beast Shifters Book 4)

To my great relief, by the time I was slumped against the glass, feeling as drained as I ever had, the land was finally calming. And the buzz of power beneath us was definitely easing. Reece quieted, letting the ancient language ease from his lips as he took my weight, keeping me from collapsing onto the sand. The words etched into the glass were filled with our blood now, the sands below as well, and the pillar appeared to be stronger and more powerful than the originals.

“Did it work?” I rasped, barely conscious.

He tightened his hold on me, and I didn’t like his hesitation when he said, “The sands are still falling.”

I lifted my heavy head to see a huge chunk of sand disappear. “It didn’t work,” I sobbed.

We’d been so close. I’d felt it.

“We didn’t give them the sacrifice,” Reece bit out.

“Death is what holds them,” I whispered, thinking of the bones that lay in the valley. We’d been fools to think we could circumvent that final part of their binding.

Through the gap in the sand, the gods rose until six of them hovered across from us. Each was at least fifteen feet tall, and wearing ornately detailed robes in ivory and silver. There was no way to tell they’d been buried for centuries, with no dust or decay to be seen about their pristine outfits or long, flowing hair. Their skins were luminous in shades of brown and gold. Stunningly beautiful, each and every one, but also terrifying as they turned their completely white eyes in our direction. Silver lights reflected in their depths, and while it appeared as if they were blind, I knew they could see us.

‘Do you know their names?’ I whispered to Reece. ‘Maybe they have reason? If we appeal to them…?’

‘Do not use their names, for they hold power,’ he murmured. ‘And there’s no reasoning with them.’

As he said that, he released me so he could sidle in front, drawing all their attention. He spoke in the ancient language, words I did not understand, and if we lived through this, he was teaching it to me. If there was one thing I hated, it was being disadvantaged by a lack of knowledge.

A goddess who stood in front of the others moved closer to Reece. Her hair was the color of snow, contrasting with her brown skin and perfectly pink lips. As she raised her hands and said something musical, I noticed a second set of arms and hands nestled below the main two she was using.

I had a vague idea that this was Labinte, the ancient goddess of plenty, who brought rain and crops and food. Along with destruction and devastation, depending on her mood. Whoever she was, when she locked eyes with Reece, I saw more than interest in her expression.

I saw desire.

These gods had been sleeping for a long time, and they had awoken with a craving for power. Among other things. When she spoke, I fought against the urge to cover my ears. The sound wasn’t loud, but in my drained state, it pierced the center of my essence.

‘She’s thanking us for raising them,’ Reece said in a voice so low I could barely hear him. ‘She recognizes my energy holds tendrils of theirs and is offering me a chance to stand with them as they bring their power back to the worlds.’

‘Great,’ I muttered, pushing closer to his spine. Of course the stunning, scary, and power-hungry goddess would be interested in Reece.

All freaking females were. Still, I was his mate, and weakened or not, she’d have to pry him from my cold, dead hands. Her voice filled my head once more, and I caught the tic in Reece’s jaw at whatever she was saying. ‘They don’t have their full powers, yet,’ he said a little louder. ‘They need another influx of energy.’

‘And how do they plan on getting that energy?’ I asked, sensing that the tic in his jaw was about to be explained.

‘Our assumptions about what is buried beyond this circle are correct.”

Great, fucking Death was next.

At that, two of the gods near the back—one with long black hair, four eyes, and no visible mouth and the other with shoulder-length ivory curls and an impressive set of magenta horns curving from her forehead—turned and started to walk toward those far-off pillars. It was their turn to bleed now, and when they did, the original vacuum would once again walk the worlds.

If the rumors were true, Death made Dannie look like a baby supervillain.

I was distracted as that white-haired goddess took another long-legged step forward, reaching for Reece with her first set of hands, her sharp tone turning more coaxing. While he had her distracted, I attempted to figure out my next course of action, already palming my blades. I had no idea if they would pierce a god’s skin, but they were all I had at the moment.

What we really needed was a damn grotto.

Leaning forward, I wrapped my hand around Reece’s biceps. “Are there silver sands here buried with the gods?’

Before he could answer, the goddess—who’d finally noticed me—struck out with her power, a lightning bolt slicing between us, and even at a relatively low strength, her shot was powerful enough to blow Reece and me apart. My wings caught me before I hit the sand, and I used them to pump myself up a few feet off the ground.

Searching for Reece in the same breath, I blinked at how damn close he was to the gods now. I’d been blasted away, but he was right in their clutches.

“Reece,” I shouted, diving toward him, only to find myself slamming against a barrier of sand that had sprung up around me so fast I hadn’t seen it coming. At first, I thought it was magic from the goddess of four arms, until I saw the red Rohami sands. Rohami sands that almost blocked me from view, except for a few gaps I could see through.

“Reece! I screamed again, slamming my hands against the side, cursing my current weakness. We’d given our all to stop them from rising, but we’d failed. And in doing so, I was more vulnerable than I’d ever been.

His eyes found mine, swirling pools of blue in this desert of black, and my hands stilled at the expression he wore: resignation and acceptance. Whatever he had planned, I wasn’t going to like it, and I liked even less that he’d taken my choice away by locking me in this cage.

When he turned away from me to face the ancients again, my chest ached. My bond with him tangled inside as pain pulsed between us. Why the hell had he locked me over here in a cage of sand? Whatever his plan was, I could have helped. Stronger together. I’d be stuck in this damn barrier until he lifted it or died—

The pain hit me so hard I almost fell to my knees. Reece pressed his hand to his chest, feeling my agony through our connection, but he didn’t look my way. We both knew the plan now; Reece was giving it one last shot to return them into the sands.

A true sacrifice.

With his energy and connection to this land, he knew he was the only one who could do this. The only one strong enough. He was about to destroy himself… and me in the process.

If there was one thing I’d learned in the many years without my true mate, it was that there was no light in my life when he was gone. I wouldn’t do it again. Just as Rhett had said about Leka, it was the same for me.

Where Reece went, I would follow.