Talia wondered what to ask for.
Can she ask for Damon to be freed from the effect of black runes? No. If there was a shortcut, Evanora wouldn't go through the trouble of creating potions and spells. Or maybe she would, just to make it seem more difficult and to tangle Talia in that sketchy deal.
How about for Marcy to go back home? Or for Alpha Edward to give up on coveting what Damon has?
Talia realized that she couldn't ask for too much, but she also didn't want to ask for something small either. She should be careful with what words she uses because it needed to be something Evanora will fulfill without games, and it should be something that Talia needed. With that, she got an idea.
"A moving spell.", Talia said. "I need a way to quickly move within the same realm. Once is enough." As soon as she exits the portal into the human realm, she would teleport to the territory of the Dark Howlers pack.
Evanora frowned. "Isn't your wish too simple? You can ask for anything."
"This is what I want. Or is this too much in exchange for bringing life back to your Coven?"
Evanora's frown deepened at Talia's words and it took her a few long seconds to respond. "The teleportation spell can't be given. It is something we practice for years. Ask for something else."
Talia was confused. Was the movement spell too much or too less? It seemed that this was just another Evanora's scheme to get Talia tangled into a sketchy deal.
Talia was about to say how she doesn't want anything when Cornelia spoke, "I can go with her."
Evanora turned to glare at Cornelia who quickly explained, "I will help Talia move wherever she needs, and at the same time, I will ensure that Yasmin is doing well, and they don't close the portal."
Talia had a feeling that Cornelia was eager to go and explore, and maybe meet her soulmate. Talia saw Cornelia looking at Yasmin and Axel with longing, so the witch definitely had an ulterior motive. But Talia liked Cornelia who was friendly and chatty, so she decided to support the idea.
"Cornelia can be the pioneer in exploring other realms and she can tell you about the differences and what to expect when someone else from your coven decides to pass through the portal."
"Can you guarantee Cornelia's safety, Alpha Talia?", Evanora asked stiffly.
Talia paused at the way Evanora addressed her.
Evanora smiled smugly. "Did you think I won't figure out that you are the real Alpha and not your brother? With your power, he can be an Alpha only if you allow it to happen."
Talia didn't want to explain how she didn't see herself as an Alpha. It was not important.
"Yes. I will guarantee Cornelia's safety.", Talia agreed solemnly. "But let me warn you, in the realm where Axel and Yasmin are going, the time flows in about the same way as here. In the realm that's my destination, time flows thirty times slower than here. Every day there will be thirty here, so don't be surprised if it takes a few months for Cornelia to return with news."
Evanora nodded at this. "That's acceptable." They were alone for centuries. A few months was nothing. "What about your wish? Or are you forfeiting this chance?"
"Does it come with a time limit?", Talia asked back.
Evanora's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she understood, "You want to keep your wish for later?"
"Yes.", Talia confirmed.
"Alright. When you think of something, let me know."
Talia exhaled in relief. She had a hunch that Evanora's intention was to trap her, but Talia didn't want anything other than to get Damon back. Talia was glad to have this wish from Evanora, but she truly hoped she will never use it. Actually, she was hoping for witches to owe her, and that gave her another idea.
"Do you have other portals in your realm?", Talia asked, catching Evanora by surprise. From the stories she overheard in the kitchen, Talia understood that the biggest issue for witches was isolation. There were no other people besides them.
Talia explained to Evanora and Cornelia how in the territory of the Midnight Guardians pack there are several portals, but only one was open and now there were two. "If you have more portals, I can try opening them. Cassandra has knowledge of portals, so you might want to talk to her also."
"We will think about it.", Evanora responded cryptically, but Talia guessed that Evanora was interested.
With Talia memorizing mysterious chants, the night passed quickly.
Axel and Yasmin joined for breakfast that was organized in the same courtyard where the last night's party was.
After they finished their meal, a lot of women gathered to escort the group of four back to the portal.
Talia didn't see Cassandra, but she knew that the Oracle was staying with the witches. She didn't want to be bothered with Cassandra's fate. They already had so many things to juggle, and Cassandra was the one who initiated the deal with the witches, and she will need to honor it, for better or for worse. But Cassandra made the deal with Cornelia who was leaving, so Talia was not sure how that will work. Can the deal be transferred? She decided to ask about it later.
The mood was lively as the people moved through the sparse forest. Witches surrounded Talia and were full of questions about what was on the other side of the portal.
Talia was nervous and really not in the mood for chatter, but she didn't want to offend the witches.
Talia wanted to ask why they were not using a teleportation spell to reach the portal, but then she saw Evanora's conflicting gaze glued to Yasmin's back, and she understood that this was Evanora's way of prolonging her time with her daughter.
Eventually, they reached a U-shaped rock formation where the portal was.
"We will visit you soon.", Axel said to Evanora. "Until then, please, don't come through the portal unless it's absolutely necessary. I will station guards on my side, to ensure no one trespasses and I suggest you do the same."
Evanora's brows came together in a frown. "Do you think your people will be hostile?"
Axel shook his head. "Hostile, no. Ignorant, yes. I want to tell my pack about you and this realm. When we come next time, I will bring a few more people who have my trust with the goal to discuss rules or regulations for using the portal going forward. There is a reason why we keep our location a secret from outsiders. You have a lot of unclaimed land here and a lot of beautiful women with mysterious powers. Each of those is tempting and can muddle someone's reasoning. I'm not saying that my people are vile, but I want to make sure things run smoothly and we don't offend each other just because of initial excitement. Over time, if things run smoothly, we can revisit this topic."
Evanora agreed. It made sense. She appreciated that Axel was thinking about those things. Evanora was consumed by the fact that Yasmin was leaving and her anxiousness about the possibility of the portal closing and separating them forever, that she didn't think about the safety of her coven.
Axel turned toward the portal and he imagined how Kai and Tyler will react when they see Yasmin sticking to him.
He will show her proudly and shout, 'THIS IS MY MATE! YOUR LUNA!'
Axel's dreamy smile faded after a second when he realized that Yasmin's outfit was technically non-existent.
They were surrounded by women, with him being the only male, so he didn't think much about it, but it will be different on the other side of that portal. He could clearly see in his mind numerous guys staring at Yasmin with lecherous gazes and drooling.
Well, that's not happening!
Anger rippled through Axel, making his Alpha aura swell and all witches looked at him warily while taking a step back on an instinct.
