MAHINA.

“you don’t say.” I sass back at the dean hands on my hips trying to ignore the fact that the mystery man from Bright just materialized from thin air.

I go to defend the guy before I get a read on their faces, what was happening right now?

I stare at Khalil then my phantom saviour and back again, my head swinging like a damn pendulum, he did just come from a leaf tornado, but the dean was acting like that wasn’t the big deal here and why the hell did Keon and Killian look like they had seen a ghost.

Before I could voice my thoughts, the dean and the phantom embrace.

Huh?

“Rhys it’s been so long, brother, too long,” the dean whispers in a strangled voice moving for another hug.

Oh!

“We didn’t think we’d see you again but she had your sword and…”

Was Killian babbling, holy shit!

Who was this dude really?

Rhys, my phantom just grabs and embraces him, with Keon joining in the massive group hug.

Wow, I guess they all did know each other.

Watching all of them be so emotional and vulnerable was sort of gratifying not going to lie.

I’m busy studying the sausage fest in front of me, when I get the feeling, you know the one you get when someone is watching you.

I look around curiously wondering if we had attracted some of the students but I don't see anyone. Then something in me tells me to look up and I lock eyes with Darian.

Fuck!

I go to alert the guys that he had caught up with us when another look at his face stops me, at this time, they’ve noticed my attention has deviated and the dean looks up curiously.

I guess he doesn’t see him because he looks at me quizzically before resuming his chatter with the rest.

Did I hallucinate?

I stare back up and yap, still there, floating right inside the shimmering ward.

He didn’t look like someone who wanted to fight though, in fact, I would bet he looked jealous and a little sad, but maybe that was his resting face.

“Mahina!”

I glance towards the sound to see Nona Ellie hurrying towards us, I only get a second of warning before she rushes me, steeling myself, I fold into her warm hug.

“oh, dear fates I’m so happy you are okay girl and…”

She breaks off having glimpsed Rhys.

“Rhysand? Is that you? really, she looks towards Khalil as if for reassurance, I thought you were…”

Long forgotten I gape at the sides as I watch this refined woman who seemed like she was made of steel crumble.

Her mate catches her before she folds, not that she cares eyes glued on Rhys, glittering with unshed tears.

Then she hurls herself into him folding him in one of her hugs.

The dude just chuckles cradling her, until Khalil gets impatient, “ok hands-off man, she’s still my mate.”

He lets go of her with a scoff and I see his hands glitch, rubbing my eyes, I stare again, and sure enough, he was going incorporeal.

What the hell? Again?

“wait what is happening?” asks Keon having seen what I saw, “why are you disappearing are you a ghost, did you die?” goes Killian the dramatic ass.

Khalil and Eliane are the only ones not surprised.

Rhys flashes us a rueful smile, “I’m cursed, being here, has sort of helped me retain the physical form long, but without the beast, I’m like half man.”

Cursed? What beast?

But it seems like a plausible enough explanation since the rest are nodding their heads.

“wait, what does that…” and he’s gone.

He has made it a habit to disappear when I want something from him.

The rest take it in stride with Nona leading the way into the building, I hesitate to follow them inside, wanting to go and find Blue but, Keon clamps my shoulder, “don’t even think about it, little one, you’ve got some shit to explain.” And he drags me in too.

********************************************************************************************************

I rub my eyes in frustration very close to losing my marbles for real.

“I’m telling you I don’t know how it happened, one minute I’m holding the damn thing and the next it’s gone.” I try to tell my unimpressed audience of four.

“you said you wanted it to be a tattoo because it would look badass,” Killian retorts.

Fucking snitch.

“I didn’t think it would really happen, I know how to separate fiction from real life, but with the way things are going, fiction is my new real life.”

“oh boo-hoo, until when are you having this pity party, you need to accept change, you are not human anymore, this is your new life because you belong here.”

Oh, he did not just say that, pity party?

“Killian,” Nona tries to chide him but I’m off the hook already.

“Do you know what I’ve been through the past few days you gigantic dick-headed mongoose!”

I see Keon trying to swallow a laugh but this shit wasn’t amusing.

“I was kidnapped, from here, where you’d all assured me and my baby would be safe.”

“Baby? what baby?” I ignore the immature fireball.

“So? we got you back, in one piece, you are fine now, let’s get to the serious matters.”

The man didn’t know when to quit.

“No, Killian, I got out of there myself, you guys happened to find me afterwards.”

I hold out a hand when I see him wanting to retort, I was seeing red now, everything I had shoved down bubbling up to the surface.

“I was stuck in a new world, and a trio of annoying princes with one baying for my blood, forced into an archaic ritual to find the king a mate, then accused of a massacre, oh let’s not forget the possessed princess who whooped my ass black and blue for crimes I didn’t commit, one minute I was running from hellhounds a hot psycho on my tail with a vendetta I had no clue about and the next I’m fighting for my life in a freaking dungeon!”

“oh dear,” comes from Nona but I was on a roll.

“I had been forced to leave my baby, a freaking toddler, with people I had met for all about five seconds, no idea what was happening to him, was he okay, was he eating well, sleeping enough,” my voice cracks but I push through, “did my baby think I had just abandoned him?”

“All these thoughts were plaguing me but I had to keep it together, for fear they would catch something and take him too, for fear of the thoughts being a distraction that almost cost me my life.”

“But this girl, this girl who’s feeling sorry for herself made it out, I made it out and I helped your precious long-lost friend too, you’re welcome, the next time any of you motherfuckers call me stupid again or try to tell me I was pitying myself, instead of going with the new reality, think about that.”

“And I thought you were hot,” I couldn’t resist adding.

“You tell them girl.”

That causes a giggle out of me, which has my tortured audience looking at me like I was about to blow up.

I didn’t care, Nyx was here somewhere, he made it back with us.