Shadow Kissed (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 4)

Savannah

“Fuck Dragan, and fuck the Dark Wolf God,” Sam growled.

I’d just finished explaining how I happened to be the horrible monster of werewolf prophecy, that I had accidently released the Dark God, and that I would soon be stealing all their souls.

I dried my eyes with the back of my wrist.

Regina crossed her arms. “Okay. Clearly, the fates are out to screw us, as usual. So we work the problem. We need to take the Dark God out of the picture before he fucks over Savannah and the rest of us. If we can stop him from returning, then the prophecy will be moot.” She pivoted toward me. “Any ideas?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Honestly, I thought you guys might just want to get it over with and string me up.”

She glared. “Nobody messes with my pack, and you’re part of my pack. We take him down.”

“Yes, but he’s a god,” Sam muttered. “How do we take down a fucking god?”

The loremaster cleared her throat. “The Moon did once before, so it’s possible.”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, she seduced and drugged him. I don’t think that’s going to work again, and I’m sure as hell not signing up for that job.”

The loremaster glared at Sam. “Don’t be daft. It’s a story. A metaphor with a grain of truth, and a lesson for those who listen. But the Moon did something to him. We’ll have to ask her how to do it again.”

Ask the Moon? I gaped. “Is that even possible?”

She snorted. “Wolves have called on the Moon in times of trouble since we first set foot on this earth. There are old rituals, magic that has been passed down from grandmother to grandmother.”

“How?” Jaxson asked. “Tell us what you need.”

The loremaster cleared her throat and doodled sheepishly in the hard dirt of the path with the end of her cane. “Well, the problem is, I’ve done moon calling, but I’ve never actually tried to summon the Moon herself. They’re old rituals, and the details are fuzzy.”

Jaxson shrugged. “At this point, we don’t have much to go on, and fuzzy is better than nothing. How do we proceed?”

The loremaster put two palms on the top of her cane and rose. “Well, first, we have to find ourselves a Moon temple—a place of her worship.”

“A Moon temple? Are there any of those still active?” Regina asked.

The loremaster squared her shoulders. “I said it was an old ritual. Even an abandoned one will do.”

Jaxson grunted and folded his arms. “Well, if ruins are what you’re looking for, I’m pretty sure I know who can find us one: Neve Cross.”

A couple of hours later, Jaxson and I followed Neve back to her desk in the Archives. Though she had an office with the other detectives, she said she preferred to work in the company of books.

I couldn’t help but be awed by the place. Though I wasn’t a researcher and I preferred to read thrillers, I could appreciate the wonder of being surrounded by some of the world’s most ancient and powerful books. I also couldn’t help the envy I felt for Neve, who seemed to have it all—magic she was comfortable with, a job she loved, and a partner who was mad about her.

“The Moon has many temples, but this is the closest one I could find next to a portal, so it’ll hafta do.” She tore a page from a notepad and handed it me. “These are the coordinates.”

“To where?” I asked.

“The island of Delos. It’s the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, and there’s a small temple to her there.”

“Wait a second, Artemis?”

Neve nodded and paged through a weatherworn book. “Selene, Diana, Artemis, they are all personifications of the Moon.” She handed the book to me, which was open to a black-and-white sketch of the goddess Artemis. She wore a flowing gown, and a crescent moon crown adorned her braided hair. I traced my index finger over the image, my eyes drawn to the bow in her hand and the majestic wolf beside her.

“Is that the Dark Wolf God?” I asked.

Neve shrugged. “The Moon attracts creatures who are drawn to the lunar phases. Wolves, in particular, are closely associated with her. It’s no wonder the Dark God was smitten with her.”

Neve handed Jaxson a folded sheet of paper. “These are the coordinates. Myrto will greet you and show you to the Temple of Artemis. She’s an archaeologist who works on the island, and she was the one who agreed to let you use the portal.”

I frowned. “But I thought all portals were open to Magica.”

“Correct,” Jaxson said. “But not all portals have free access.”

“That’s right. The one that you’ll be traveling through is a minor portal, and its use is controlled. Delos is a sacred island full of history. The Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades doesn’t want Magica tramping around the archaeological site, performing unsupervised magic and rituals. I doubt the gods and goddesses would like that, either.”

Right. That’s exactly what we were going to do. Nerves fluttered in my gut. God, I hope the Moon comes when we summon her.

Jaxson’s phone buzzed, and mine vibrated a second after. A text from Sam: We’re outside.

Neve led us out. “Good luck, and tell me how it is. I’ve always wanted to visit Delos. So much history…but alas, so much to do here. The chaos never stops.”

A glint of envy shone in her eyes, and I could sense her pining to tag along, but she’d told us yesterday that she was on an important case and shouldn’t skip town.

I gave Neve a hug, wishing that she was joining us. “Thanks again. We owe you big time.”

Neve waved her hand through the air. “Psshh. It’s what friends do for each other.”

Despite the unease that was gnawing at it, my heart swelled at Neve’s words. My life was epically fucked up, but I’d managed to find my tribe. That was something I’d cherish, no matter what happened.

An officious and impatient clerk escorted us out of the Archives, and we found Sam and the loremaster waiting for us on a bench across the front plaza.

“How’d it go?” Sam asked.

“Well, we’ve got the location of a temple,” I muttered. “So let’s find out how to take down the Dark Wolf God.”