Charmed By The Fox's Heart: Superhero Reverse Harem Romance (Cosmic Guardians Book 1), стр. 12

He smiles. “It’s similar to what I gave you yesterday.”

I take a small sip, releasing a low throaty hum as the warm liquid rolls across my tongue in a decadent burst of intense flavor.

He arches a brow. “What do you think?”

“It’s wonderful. Thank you.”

He leans toward me a bit, and my breath hitches. For a moment, I think he is going to kiss me. Instead, his eyes flick to my mouth before locking with mine.

“You’re surprisingly calm about all of this.”

I sit back in the chair and take another sip of my drink as I shrug. “It’s just a dream, right? So I might as well just go with it.”

He frowns. “Is that what you think this is?”

My brow furrows. “It’s… not?”

“It’s real, Kyra.” He gestures to Lynx and Astra. “They’re real too.”

I take another sip of my coffee, allowing his words to sink in.

Astra jumps up on the chair beside me and places her paw on my hand. “I’m sorry this is all so shocking for you, Kyra.”

Lynx dips his chin in a subtle nod. “I am as well.” He looks to Cael. “I am glad you have finally found each other.”

Cael narrows his eyes at Lynx. “What do you mean? What have you been holding back from me?”

The fox purses his lips. “What I have withheld from you has been for your own good. There are things you must discover on your own.”

“Like what?” I ask, desperate to make sense of all this.

Astra steps forward. “You,” she says, looking at me, “were a queen thousands of years ago in the Otherworld, and you,” she adds, looking at Cael, “were her guard.”

Even as she says it, I remember what happened when Cael’s fingers brushed against mine in the café yesterday. A flood of images moved through me—specifically, the ones of the man holding me as I die in my nightmare. I reached for his face, telling him he was not to blame for my death, but there was something else this time. Something more… intimate. My heart ached, not because I was dying, but because my death meant I would leave him, which was the last thing I wanted to do. But why did I feel that way?

Instead of asking that, I choose a safer question. Besides, I don’t want to bring up the images I saw or the feelings attached to them until I understand a bit more about what we’re dealing with.

“What is the Otherworld?”

Lynx turns to me. “It is called Lunaria. A world parallel to this one but different in that it is controlled by magic.”

“So, what does that have to do with us?”

Lynx gives me a solemn look. “All of the recent earthquakes lately… they are happening because the God of Destruction has escaped his prison and is looking for revenge. He wants to bring devastation and ruin to this world and to Lunaria.”

“What?” I stare at him in disbelief. “Assuming this is all somehow real… what does that have to do with me?” I glance at Cael. “With us?”

“I was getting there,” Lynx sighs heavily. “Now if you will kindly allow me to explain.”

“I’m listening.”

He continues. “Thousands of cycles ago, you were both Guardians of the God of Creation. It was your job to protect the five gemstones that controlled the elements. You used them to maintain the balance between this world and Lunaria.”

“But there are only four elements,” Cael interjects.

Lynx shakes his head. “There are five. Fire, Spirit, Earth, Water, and Wind. And if the God of Destruction gets ahold of them before we do, he will bring devastation and ruin to both worlds. It will be unlike anything ever seen before.”

“Lunaria and Earth are linked together by a magical bond that was forged thousands of years ago,” Astra explains. “Long ago, the first Queen of Lunaria opened a portal to Earth. She created a treaty between the two worlds by marrying Earth’s King.”

I give her a puzzled look. “When did Earth have a King that ruled the entire world?”

“Long before your written history,” Lynx interjects.

Cael leans forward. “So what does this have to do with us?”

He looks to Cael. “You were a guard in your past life. A knight sent from Earth, in a gesture of friendship and peace, to help guard the future queen of Lunaria.” Lynx shifts his gaze to me. “That was who you were, in your past life, Kyra.”

Astra steps forward. “You were Guardians of the God of Creation. You maintained the balance between Destruction and Creation by wielding the power of the elemental gemstones. And now you have both been reborn in this world. Now that you have been reunited, you must return to the Otherworld—Lunaria—and retrieve the missing gems.”

“Why are they missing? What happened?” I ask.

Astra shakes her head. “I do not know. I only know you are meant to find them and restore the Balance once more between our two worlds. Once you find the gemstones, you will control their power. Only then, can you force the God of Destruction back into his prison. But you must find the gems before his Guardians do first.”

“Why are you only telling me all this now?” Cael stares accusingly at Lynx.

Lynx gives him a regretful look. “I would have told you sooner if I could, Cael. But I had to wait until you found her.” He gestures to me. “She is the only one who can wield the power of the gemstones. And it is your duty to help her find them and protect them. You will need them for the war that is to come.”

Frustration burns through me. I feel like I have more questions now than answers and I hate being kept in the dark. “What war? You’re not making sense. I feel like you’re just giving up pieces of the story but not the entire picture. Why is that?”

A sly smirk crests Lynx’s lips. “You are just as you were before, my queen. Ever perceptive and always impatient.”

“Stop