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Whatever number of birds were outside the entrance, they sounded the alarm, their screeching caws echoing and bouncing off the granite.

A red shadow filled my vision, and I heard Wyvon’s voice.

“I am dreadfully disappointed in you, Lukas.”

CHAPTER 31

Cassia

“Birds,” I muttered. “What does that mean? Is it because I used nectar? Lukas said birds drink this stuff.”

All of that was for nothing. Shame washed through me, thinking about how I wasted time and their resources.

“Elijah!” Selena yelled. He lifted his chin, acknowledging her. “Birds? There’s crows in the crystal ball, what does that mean?” He shrugged. “Please?” She asked.

Leaving the other man behind, he strode over to us. He placed his hand on the glass and peered inside. “Probably Kiam’s birds. He has a connection with them.” He glanced at me. “It's common, I use them as messengers.”

My fingers gripped the edge of the altar. “So, you think maybe he heard me?”

“It’s possible. From my standpoint, I’d assume Kiam sent crows to assist Lukas.”

My emotions were getting whiplash. I glanced at Selena. “There’s hope.”

She smiled at me. “People use crows and other birds more commonly in the Second, so you’ll get used to it.”

Elijah walked away and rejoined Markus. “What’s it like there? Do you have friends there?” I asked.

Her mood shifted. “I did. Mostly this girl, Sara. I’m not sure what happened to her, she was on the run from some guy, hiding out. She was cool though.”

“I left people behind, back home. Sybil and Katie.” I laughed a little. “They probably think I’m some crazy killer, now. I’m not sure how anyone would think I was that strong, but Lukas and Kiam did a number on my apartment.”

We both stood there, staring at the crystal ball and watching the images fade. “I have nothing to go back to,” I said quietly.

Selena placed a hand on my forearm before letting it fall away. “Well, you’ve got me.” She smiled. “You’re cool, I like you.”

She cleared her throat before continuing, “The Second is different than here. There’s blue sky but there’s an orange haze and fog that’s kinda everywhere. There’s lots of demon clans—it’s kinda a stronghold. They’ve been at war with the vampires for, like, forever. So, there’s skirmishes all the time. But it's pretty safe in the castle. There’s a demon city that reminded me of New York whenever I saw the skyline, but I never went. You’d be pretty stupid to go there.”

My arms fell to my sides. “You’re not making it sound very nice.”

“There’s pretty gardens, and the dirt is cool in places because of all the ruby production. There’s really nice gardens and houses. And the Bloodmoon flowers you like so much are there everywhere. There’s plenty of beauty, in its own way. I was happy to stay there.”

Living like this, I’d never run out of things to paint. I’d be able to recreate landscapes and scenes that others only dreamt of or imagined. Selena was right, that there was plenty of beauty. I’d always found it no matter where I went, and living in other dimensions couldn’t change the trait that was so fundamentally my own.

I smiled at my friend. “I’ll never run out of things to paint.”

She pointed at me and nodded her head. “Very true.”

“I’m going to have to convince Lukas to let you guys come visit us.”

Selena glanced at Elijah, who was now polishing a sword. Her shoulders stiffened. “I’m not sure he would accept. He’s got a pretty big ego and it nearly killed him when he took everything away from him. He had spent years trying to salvage the mess there.” She looked at me. “He was sooooo close to creating the kingdom he wanted.”

“I know it's not my fault but I’m sorry you guys had to go through that.” It was strange, feeling as close to Selena as I did and knowing our men had such a rough history. Even stranger knowing that my own, by his law, should have killed her husband.

She shrugged. “Can’t say it's okay, but we’re happy here.”

I wanted to change the subject. “Just know, wherever I am, the door is open.”

She patted my shoulder. “I want to know what’s going on outside.”