“Times of war. Brings us together. We put petty differences aside in these situations.”
My girls had commandeered a back section, close to the entrance of the mountain, but not close enough to block the flow of traffic. Team Awesome were using the inner tunnels for planning and strategy meetings. Cerberus took off and I knew he wanted to meet up with his pals, the other sacred animals. I tilted my head to the side as flashes of color caught my attention. Holy crap … there were fresh guides. I was just trying to get a clear look at the new animals when the girls sensed my presence.
“Abbs!”
“Supes!”
Talina and Fury smashed into me, their arms encircling me as we fell in a tangled mess. The moment we touched, the golden tether in my head latched on to them, bonding us together. Our powers reached for each other, as if they’d been waiting for the moment to be together again. Sapha, Ria and Delane were slower crossing.
Sapha was our newest female, from a cold and strange world, Dronish. She didn’t really trust me, or the others yet, but she was gradually falling under the half-Walker spell. It was hard to deny our connection when we were linked on a cellular level. We held the energy of the originals, and our bond went back millennia.
Ria reached out and pulled me to my feet, her stunningly beautiful face creased in happiness as she pulled me in for a hug. “We missed you.” Violet eyes, encased by inky black lashes, locked in on me.
I was now connected to three of the half-Walkers and, needing the bond to be complete, I reached out a hand. Delane did not hesitate. The Nephilius half was one of the strongest beings I knew. She came across as stern, regimented even. Her personality contained a rigidness born through the years of constant training and battle. However she was loosening up. The changes were small, but I noticed them.
Sapha was the slowest, but even she couldn’t deny our calling. Gold-and-red eyes locked onto my face as she finally placed her hand into mine. Her skin was strange, chameleon-like as it changed and morphed, but mostly it was a stunning ebony color, which really highlighted the eyes and purple-hued hair.
Every half-Walker had striking features, a beautiful hybrid mix of the worlds they called home and their Walker clan. They were my people, my family, and I loved every single one. Even the slightly suspicious, standoffish Sapha.
“What are you doing back here, Supes?” Fury latched on to me and, even though she was talking out loud, I could also feel her words in my mind. “Did you find Josian? Where’s the Earth half?”
I almost laughed out loud when her sacred animal dashed across the space and practically climbed the white-haired half-Walker. Fury’s skin – which was already a lightly burnt-red color with a white sheen – went extra red. Her blush deepened as we both turned to the black kitty now perched on her shoulder.
“Aw, beautiful,” I said, my voice light and teasing. “You two look cozy there.”
Fury narrowed her gray eyes at me. “Shut it, Supes. Crete and I are … you know … it’s fine and all.”
I reached forward as if to snatch the little cutie off her shoulder. She reacted instinctively, shifting him out of my reach. Her skin tone darkened even further. She was so busted, already totally in love with her baby fluff ball. Any further teasing was forgotten, though, as my focus was drawn to the rest of the animal guides. There were definitely some new arrivals. As always, the energy of these original creatures drew me. I stepped closer, my footsteps silent as my gaze remained locked.
“I can’t believe it,” Lucy said, from where she stood with the boys. “It’s a phoenix.”
It was; it looked exactly like the mythical bird which could be reborn in the flames. Well – a close version of it. Of course, I had no idea if this Walker guide had the same abilities as the mythological creature from Earth. Either way, it was just – spectacular.
I was watching the phoenix as it hovered in the midst of the sacred animals when Sapha was suddenly at my side. I was surprised at how close she stood to me.
Her English was a little rough, but already improving. “Nandia and … she’s mine.” She held one of her slender arms aloft.