Unsurprisingly it took far less time for Eli and Isla to fly back to Irandell than it did for them to get to their secluded picnic area. Isla’s larger wingspan and centuries of experience flying proved to be the edge she needed in the race, handily beating him back to the castle. As they transformed back into their human-sized forms though, a thought occurred to him.

  “I’m sorry I interrupted our date night for this.” He said before kissing her.

  “There’s no need to be.” She replied with a broad smile. “This is fun – both the race and the puzzle-solving!”

  He couldn’t help but grin in agreement. Together, the two of them raced through the castle to the portal room, where they immediately requested a portal be opened to Earth. After stepping through and recovering from the mild disorientation of inter-realm travel, Eli requested a mana potion from one of the grey-clad guards at the Hightower family waystation.

  The moment the orcish guard realized who he was she raced off to find him a mana potion, leaving him a moment to examine the room. It was almost indistinguishable from most of the Hightower family waystations on Earth – an 80-foot long grey concrete box with an enchanted portal ring on either end of the room. A raised steel walkway with handrails on either side connected the two portals, and various bored-looking guards and attendants stood on either side of the walkway. Normally they functioned much like airport security, checking people’s papers and bags while ensuring the smooth functioning of the waystation itself. At this time of night though the waystation had no other travellers aside from Eli and Isla, leaving him free to commandeer the portal for their experiment.

  The orcish guard returned, handing him the mana potion reverently. “Chieftain. I mean- Royal Blood. I mean-.. um…” She stammered.

  Eli chuckled and shook his head. “Just Eli is fine, please. Are you a new guard?”

  “Yes. I hope to one day to prove myself worthy of joining your tribe as well.” She said.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Kruga.”

  “Kruga.” He repeated. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You’re doing a good job. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get there.”

  She blushed crimson as he knocked back the mana potion, doing his best not to grimace from the bitter taste. “Thank you, Eli.” She said.

  “No, thank you.” He said as he finished the last gulp, handing her the empty bottle. “Now you might want to tell everyone to stand back for this one.”

  “Why?” She asked.

  “I’m about to do science.” He replied with a grin.

  Kruga rushed over to the enchanted ring, ushering the assorted elves and orcs away from it. As she worked Eli looked at Isla to find a quizzical look on her face. He raised one eyebrow at her before speaking.

  “What?”

  “Are you trying to make friends with the guards?”

  “Not really.” Eli shrugged. “Just being nice.”

  “I see. You do it automatically.” She replied. “I still have to consciously think about it.”

  “And the effort makes you all that much better of a person.” Eli said before leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. “Now, are you ready to find out if this new portal song works?”

  “Yes!” She responded enthusiastically.

  Seeing that the second portal ring was now clear, Eli began to cast. His hands followed a complex series of movements channeling his mana into the spell while reciting the portal song in his mind. He mentally tuned out all other noises in the room, doing his absolute best to concentrate on performing all the actions required for the spell in harmony. Finally, he cried out the incantation.

  “Elithril na vedui!”

  His hands glowed gold for a moment, just like they did every time he cast a spell. To his surprise though, instead of the rough outline of a blue portal emerging a golden one appeared. It grew quickly as he continued to cast, and just beyond he could see a white brick road with a lush forest on either side.

  “Fuck!” He shouted in astonishment, losing his concentration.

  Suddenly, the portal snapped shut. It disappeared with a soft whoosh, leaving no trace it had been there to begin with. All around him the guards and attendants had stopped what they were doing, allowing a stunned silence to permeate the room for a moment.

  “Ugh.” Eli said, feeling the effects of mana drain as he slumped backwards.

  Isla caught him before he fell, lowering him to the ground with a concerned look on her face. “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah.” Eli replied after taking a few deep breaths. “That just…took a lot out of me. More than the other portals I’ve created.”

  “The mana required to sustain a portal like that must be immense.” She said. “And it looked different than the ones you’ve cast before.”

  “But it worked!” He replied wearily.

  Moments later, Kruga appeared beside Isla. “You’re injured! Let me help you!”

  She reached forward but Isla batted her hand away with a snarl. “Don’t touch my mate!”

  Eli saw the blood rage building behind Kruga’s eyes and decided to step in. “Both of you, stop!”

  The two women froze instantly. Gritting his teeth through the rapidly-oncoming headache, Eli slid his feet underneath him and pushed. He unsteadily rose, his eyes darting between them and the portal as he did.

  “Kruga, I need you to get a portal back to Irandell open – one that leads to the castle’s portal room. Can you ask one of the attendants to open one for us?”

  “Of course.” She said before darting away.

  He wavered slightly as she left, but Isla was under his arm in an instant. “What do you need?”

  “Just…stay there for a second and make sure I don’t pass out?”

  “Of course, my mate.” Isla replied.

  ___

  With the benefit of a mana potion and a few hours of rest, Eli was feeling much better. Isla refused to leave his side the entire night, meaning he woke up with her nestled beside him on the big couch in the main room of their wing of the castle. They were both still fully clothed, but at some point while they slept her hand found its way underneath his shirt so that she could touch his bare skin. He smiled at the sight, admiring the sleeping dragoness for a moment.

  The sound of a door opening from the landing upstairs caused his eyes to flick upwards. He caught sight of a white-winged woman leaping from the top of the stairs directly into the kitchen. At some point during the night she’d changed from her modest grey dress into something comfier – a pair of grey sweatpants and a tank top cut low enough at the back to accommodate her wings.

  The sounds of Minerva in the kitchen managed to wake Isla. She looked up at him intently before turning his chin back towards her and kissing him softly on the lips. Her fingernails dug into his chest possessively as the two of them made out, and by the time they broke apart she was smiling.

  “How are you, my mate?” She asked softly.

  “I’m okay.” Eli touched his forehead with one hand. “The headache is mostly gone. I could use a cup of coffee though, to get going.”

  Isla nodded before pulling herself up slightly and addressing Minerva. “Angel! Pour coffee for my mate!”

  Minerva yelped at the sudden intrusion before turning towards them. “Oh! What? I didn’t see-”

  “Now!” Isla growled.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Eli narrowed his eyes at the dragoness woman. “Isla. Try that again, but nicer.”

  She pouted at him. “But you said you needed-”

  “Doesn’t give you an excuse to be impolite.” Eli cut her off before softening his voice. “I know you’re trying to help me, and that makes me feel very cared-for. But you know that I care about Minerva too, just like I care about all my other bond mates. Even when you’re doing something with my interests at heart, you need to be kind to them.”

  She glowered at him for another moment before relenting. “I…understand.”

  “Good.” Eli said, sitting up so he could kiss her again.

  Minerva appeared next to them a moment later, her cheeks crimson as she handed both of them cups of coffee. They gratefully accepted them, Eli taking a small sip of the steaming hot beverage while Isla downed the entire cup in one continuous gulp. When she was done she placed the cup down on a nearby table before looking at the confused look on Eli’s face.

  “What?” She asked.

  “Wasn’t that too hot to drink?” He asked hesitantly before the lightbulb went off in his head, causing him to hold up a hand to cut her off. “Right. Dragon. You breathe fire. Carry on.”

  Blinking several times in confusion, Isla looked at Minerva. “I am… sorry.” She started, as if the word was painful to say. “I was unkind just now.”

  Some of the color in Minerva’s cheeks faded. “That’s…alright. I forgive you. And I know you’re working on your social skills – that’s what matters most.” A small smile crept onto her face. “I have news though.”

  “What is it?” Eli asked.

  “I finished translating the astral projection spell.” She said excitedly. “It took all night and some sort of strange human potion in a can that Aria called an ‘energy drink’, but I did it!”

  Eli’s eyebrows shot up. In the chaos of being able to open the portal the previous evening he’d forgotten about the dilemma with the hybrid currently sitting in the Hightower family vault. His excitement over learning a new spell came rushing back through, causing him to extricate himself from Isla’s grasp and stand.

  “I never doubted you for a second.” He said, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.

  She blushed furiously once more, nuzzling against him before pushing away. “Wait. There’s a catch.”

  “There always is.” Eli nodded, giving her some space. “What is it?”

  “This spell only works for people who aren’t bond mates.”

  Eli furrowed his brow. “I don’t see the issue.”

  “If you do this with her, she can never become your bond mate. Even if you have sex with her, the magic that creates bonds between you and others will never form. The two spells are mutually exclusive – the book was quite clear on that point.”

  “Oh.” Eli shrugged. “Okay, that’s fine.”

  “That’s…fine?” Isla said, standing next to him.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Eli replied.

  “It’s just…oh, I’m the wrong person to be having this conversation…” Minerva muttered, going even redder. “I just assumed…”

  Eli cackled with laughter for a moment when he realized what she was saying. “You thought because she’s a beautiful woman I’d want to bond with her?”

  “Well…yes…she is like many of your other bond mates too.” Minerva stammered.

  “How?”

  Minerva looked at Isla. “She is powerful and unique.”

  Isla cocked one eyebrow at Minerva. “You think that of me too?”

  “Yes.” She said softly.

  “Thank you.” Isla preened, smiling broadly. “The feeling is mutual. While your power lies in books and learning, it is…an important power. Sometimes just as much as battlefield prowess.”

  Sensing the growing friendship between the two women, Eli hooked one arm around both of them and pulled them closer before smiling. “I’m glad you two are getting along now. And for the record, I’m not bonding with every beautiful woman we come across. Having platonic friends isn’t a bad thing.” He paused for a moment, thinking before continuing. “Besides, I’m pretty sure if the hybrid is friendly enough to wake up, the lizardkin and naga are going to need her to make babies or something. And I don’t share like that.”

  “That’s… a good point.” Minerva admitted.

  Eli held them for a moment longer before releasing them. “Let’s get this done. Can you get your notes on the spell ready? I’ll wake up the rest of the girls, then we can get going.”

  The next 30 minutes consisted of Eli getting his ever-growing retinue ready to go. He first went from one bond mate’s room to another, gently waking them with a cup of coffee and asking them to come join them. Unsurprisingly, when he entered Zee’s room he found that she was already awake and getting herself ready.

  She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants that looked painted onto her curves, along with a fitted white t-shirt that contrasted against her caramel skin beautifully. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail and as she turned to look at him Eli saw that she was wearing the gold earrings which Aria gave to her when she became his bond mate.

  “Well hello beautiful.” He smiled, his light brown eyes locking with her blue ones. “I didn’t know you were awake.”

  She smiled and kissed him before taking the proffered cup of coffee. “Good morning handsome. I heard some of the discussion downstairs and woke up.”

  “Crap. Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “It’s fine.” She shook her head. “So Minerva figured out the spell?”

  “Yeah, that’s right. We’re going down to try it now. Want to come?”

  “Absolutely.” She replied. “I also heard about the portal from our security teams last night. I’m guessing you’d like to lead an expedition through it once we’ve got this hybrid business sorted?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.” Eli said as they walked out the door and back onto the upstairs landing overlooking the living room.

  “Who are you thinking about bringing with you?”

  “Everyone.” Eli answered instantly.

  “Everyone?” She echoed hesitantly.

  “Everyone.” Eli confirmed. “This is the end of a long journey that each of you have helped me with in one way or another. I want everyone there to see it.”

  “That’s going to take some coordination.” She said as they descended the stairs. “But it’s also probably for the best. We have no idea what we’re going to find on the other side of that portal.”

  “We also don’t really know if Athena is friendly.” Eli added before taking another cup of coffee from the now-awake Aria to deliver to the still-sleeping Freya upstairs. “Sure, she seems friendly enough in the visions I’ve had, but… she could be lying. So I want you as backup just in case.”

  “We should also consider the possibility that there may not be an enchanted ring on the other side.” Aria added. “We might want to bring materials to construct one, to make it easier to transit back and forth as needed.”

  “Thinking about establishing a new trade route?” Eli teased.

  “Always.” Aria replied unabashedly.

  “She’s right.” Zee agreed. “Not just for trade though – if we need reinforcements or more supplies, or even an escape route, a portal would make the process much easier.”

  “Alright.” Eli nodded, convinced. “How long will it take to get everything together?”

  “A day or so.” Aria said. “We started preparing when you started trying to open the portal. We just need to pull a few last minute things together. Aratessa and I both have to hand off any governing duties as well. It shouldn’t take long.”

  Eli kissed her in response. “Thank you. You take care of that, I’ll go wake up everyone else. Then let’s go talk to the hybrid.”