Ari looked to Brie, then answered. “The spell that was cast to bring the warriors mates causes the warriors to dream of them in much the same way witches do to find their mates. For us, though, the dreams tend to drift into nightmare territory quickly. Towards the end, right before I found Brie, I kept seeing her picking up a gun and walking away.”
Brie rubbed his arm. “That makes more sense now that he knows I was a deputy.”
Zoe frowned. “I wonder what Gage saw.”
“Fire. You engulfed in flames and screaming; then you behind a closed door,” Gage answered from the doorway.
“Oh Gage, I’m so sorry,” she said, standing.
He hurried to her side. “I’m not. I would have endured years of nightmares for the chance to find you.” He kissed her gently and settled her back in her chair before sitting down next to her. “I think the dreams are meant to prepare us.” He turned to her. “Did you dream of me?”
She thought for a moment. “I think so, though it was all very vague. In my dreams, I saw you standing next to a door, and you kept waving frantically, trying to get me to go through.”
Kincaid nodded. “It could represent the portal here, telling you to come through to be free.”
She nodded, then shook her head. “It was more than that, more than just images; there were also feelings. I knew that if I could just get to him, everything would be okay. He was safety and happiness.” She looked over to her mate. “Hands would come up from the ground to hold me in place, to keep me from moving forward, then I would wake.”
He held her close. “But, you found your way here. That’s all that matters.”
“But what if Caroline hadn’t intercepted the request from the queen? I would still be trapped there, never knowing you were right here waiting for me!” Breathing hard, she closed her eyes as she tried to shake the feelings of fear and frustration. It was thinking of her mate alone that had her shaking uncontrollably. She could face her own pain, but not his.
“Zo! Calm down,” Gage exclaimed.
Opening her eyes, she watched as sparks flew from her, hitting the table, then the wall.
“Carson!” Aeson yelled.
“Whoa!” Leon said, looking up.
“Beautiful,” Brie added in a breathy voice.
Zoe watched in amazement as a lazy sifting of snowflakes appeared from the ceiling. They gently quenched the sparks and disappeared when they touched the furniture or floor.
Carson skidded to a halt as he entered the room from the hall. “Looks like you don’t need me after all.”
Seeing the snow calmed her in ways nothing else had. She took a deep breath. She could even smell winter.
When she was breathing evenly, she looked at Yuki. “Okay. You boys can have as much cereal as you want.”
“I’ll say,” Ari observed, eyes still wide.
“We will keep you and our home safe,” Ame promised.
“No screaming in flames,” Yuki added.
Gage stood and ruffled both boys’ hair. “That earned you a present. What would you two like? You can pick anything. In fact, give me several ideas for presents in case my mother asks.”
“Your mother?” Ame asked.
Gage nodded, then looked to his unit before blushing. “She has sort of claimed you two as grandsons, so she wants to spoil you terribly.”
Both boys immediately turned to look at her, and it was her turn to blush. “We will be whatever you want us to be.”
“Hahaue?” Ame asked, his blue eyes filling with tears.
She felt her own eyes fill as she guessed what that meant. “Do you want to call me mother?”
Yuki scooted in next to his brother, and both of them took her hands. Their desperate faces caused her tears to fall. “I would be honored if you were to call me mother,” she said softly.