Chapter Twenty-Six

**Leo**

Time was ticking by too quickly as everyone prepared to be transported all the way around the world. River and Rhia had gone just a few minutes ago to scope out the area, move any humans that may be around, and put up a ward to keep any new humans from entering the area.

Finn had rallied everyone and had all the Alphas gather their warriors. Everyone, including the fae and sprites, were clustered in a large group around the pack house now, waiting to see what happened next.

Suddenly, River and Rhia walked out of the woods and found Gideon. River carried a battle staff today, which acted as a conduit and helped Earth witches not have to bend and place their hands on the ground.

“The dragon is correct,” River said. “Uluru is the location we were searching for. There is already a ward in place, put there by Morga.”

My heart leapt with excitement. We’d actually found it. Cass looked smug, pleased that he hadn’t wasted everyone’s time.

“We’ve got forty-five minutes to midnight,” Gideon said.

“River!”

A witch that I didn’t know approached us. Her look was the extreme opposite of most of the witches here. She was wearing a bright pink dress, with white and pink striped socks, and silver sparkly heels. Her hair was a mess of bubblegum pink curls and she wore a silver circlet that sparkled as she walked. In her hand, she held a diamond encrusted wand that had the shape of a star on the end. Her pink eyeshadow and lipstick contrasted brightly against her dark skin, and she seemed to be cheerful.

“Nadaria,” River answered. “Is everyone in place?”

“Yes, we have all taken our places around the group. High Priestess Xena wants to cast the circle. We’re just waiting for you.”

“Are you ready, Alpha?” River asked, looking at Gideon.

“Where’s Finn?” he asked me, trying to search the enormous crowd.

On cue, a door from the pack house flew open and slammed angrily against the wall.

Finn stormed out, followed by Kat. They were both dressed in battle armor and both carried bows.

Since the battle at Diamond Moon, Kat had trained vigorously to become a better fighter and a more skilled marksman with the bow. She was very good with the weapon now, probably better than anyone else in the pack.

“You are insane if you think I’m staying behind!” she yelled at him, obviously angry.

Several people glanced their way, wondering about the ruckus. I gave Gideon a sideways glance to find he looked slightly amused.

“You are not coming to an apocalyptic battle while you’re three months pregnant!” Finn roared in response.

They faced each other, her stretching to her full height and him glaring down at her. They were practically nose to nose, their eyes glazed as they continued the argument through their link.

She pushed by him and came and stood by the rest of us, crossing her arms in defiance.

Finn stomped up to Gideon.

“Make her stay. Compel her with an Alpha command,” he ordered him.

“Uh,” Gideon answered, one of the rare moments he looked unnerved.

He glanced at Eris, who had also crossed her arms in an act of solidarity. She gave him a look that dared him to do it and find out what happened. Gideon had tried to leave Eris behind when she was pregnant during the battle at Diamond Moon, and it hadn’t worked out well for him.

“She can decide for herself whether she can go,” Gideon told Finn, obviously willing to risk the wrath of his brother instead of his wife.

Cass was grinning widely, watching the entire exchange humorously. On a normal day, I would’ve found it funny myself. But all I cared about was getting to Enid. Hades was perched on my shoulders, impatiently watching the exchange.

Finn ground his teeth together, anger rolling off of him in waves.

“Fine,” he hissed, and then looked at Kat. “But you don’t engage in any hand to hand combat unless you have to and you don’t shift unless you have to. You use the bow. That’s it.”

“That’s fine with me,” she answered, happy she won, but still annoyed that he’d tried to make her stay.

“Oookay,” Gideon said, relieved that the fight was over.

He looked back once more to the pack house, and I realized all the children were gathered on his balcony with my mom. He waved, and they all waved back excitedly. Eris and Kat blew kisses to their kids, and Finn and I waved as well.

I felt a lump in my throat and pushed my dark thoughts away. I couldn’t imagine a possibility where we failed tonight, and their world was cast into darkness.

Gideon cleared his throat, masking the emotion he was obviously fighting as well. He turned to the crowd, projecting his voice as loudly as he could.

“Everyone! Gather as best as you can! The witches are going to move us now. Stay in the circle that they prepared, and ready yourself. If you’ve never been transported, I’m warning you, it can be a bit… uncomfortable.”

I looked down at the ground and made sure I was inside the circle of magical powder that had been poured onto the grass to prepare for the transport.

Everyone was quiet, a tense anticipation humming in the air.

The witches were spread out, encircling the crowd. River and Rhia split up, heading to different areas.

The older woman who’d scolded them, High Priestess Xena, walked to the center of the circle.

Her voice boomed above the crowd. “Prepare yourselves, sisters!”

She lifted her hands like a conductor and the witches all started humming at the same frequency.

The air thickened immediately with the tension of magic. Finn looked particularly uncomfortable, as he hated magic and didn’t hold any love for witchcraft.

Hades, however, purred softly against my neck.

Xena spoke again, “Guardians of the North! We summon and call you beings of the Earth. Please bless our circle with grounding!”

The witches in the northern area of the circle, where River stood, all ceased humming and chanted, “Hail and Welcome, Earth Guardians!” And then they continued humming.

“Guardians of the East! We summon and call you spirits of Air. Please bless this circle with intellect!”

The Eastern witches, Rhia’s group, answered, “Hail and welcome, Air Guardians!”

“Guardians of the South! We summon and call you, beings of Fire! Please bless our circle with strength!”

“Hail and welcome, Fire Guardians!”

“Guardians of the West! We summon and call you, spirits of Water! Please bless our circle with love!”

“Hail and welcome, Water Guardians!”

I noticed the witch Nadaria was standing in this group.

When they finished their last chant, an explosion of energy started in the Northern part of the powder circle and traveled between each witch, connecting them all with a bright white light.

Their humming increased until it was deafening. The magic in the air was palpable, and several people actually sneezed from the acidic burn in their nostrils.

Xena spoke once more.

*“Remove the chains of time and space,*

*And let our spirits soar.*

*Travel now, to our place of choice,*

*For we’ve called the elements, four!”*

The light blinked like a thousand camera flashes at once, and then my body felt like it was being ripped apart. I closed my eyes tightly, but by then, it was already over.

I opened them again, gasping as I realized we had indeed all moved. The pack house was gone now, sitting in the forest all the way on the other side of the world.

The entire army stood huddled together in the red desert a few hundred yards from Uluru rock.

Cass laughed, and there were a few more stunned chuckles and murmurs throughout the crowd.

“Incredible,” I heard Kat say.

“Fucking creepy,” Finn answered.

*’Enid?’* I tried.

Bleiz shifted in my head, but I knew the link was useless. They would have drugged Skadi with wolfsbane.

So saying I was stunned would’ve been an understatement when I heard my sweet mate’s voice in my head.

*‘Leo?!’*