We greeted the King of the Kelpies and gave him and his entourage a brief rundown on all the crazy shit going down with our team and in Faerie.
“None of your fae allies are here?”
I pointed at Liam, Elle, Farrell, Kellie, Brina and Kaera. “Can’t get much better than that bunch.” I smiled in a reassuring way.
“You say the queen has returned but the king is missing?”
Lightning pelted the ocean. “We’ll have to talk later.”
“We should ready our troops.” Dad squeezed my shoulder.
Without dragons we were up the proverbial creek, but I would show nothing but confidence to the males and females who were going to die here tonight. Or not die. Hopefully.
Nope. This was going to work. It had to work.
Dad was giving orders to the vamps while Aaron’s alphas handed out assignments and split their wolves into teams. One vampire, one wolf in human form, and one wolf in wolf form, working together as they’d been training to do since my first team meeting at the villa. It hadn’t been easy to work out, but no one would be fighting alone.
I set Jay to organizing the kelpies, making sure the soldiers with experience riding or fighting on horseback would have first crack at them after my fae team chose their mounts. Rylen had brought five hundred of his people, an amazing gesture of trust in my leadership.
Half the shifters were staying in animal form, the other half in human, working as teams the way Dad and Aaron always did. Each of those pairs were matched with a witch or a sorcerer. Strength in numbers.
Khent and several of the most powerful witches and sorcerers would be working with me. Isaiah too, but he hadn’t shown up and I was getting worried.
I paced back and forth, chin up, greeting males and females, answering questions, offering suggestions. Trying so freakin’ hard not toss up my dinner. If I hadn’t been on the verge of panic, I might have laughed.
Dad put an arm around my shoulder in a normal father-son kind of way. “Gabe and Sinc want to say hi.”
“Sure.”
I waved and Sinc laughed, then gave me a hug. “You look like you’re going to faint. Anything we can do?”
“Sure. Find out where Isaiah is and call back the dragons.”
“I heard that male dragon is pretty hot.” Sinc grinned.
“I wouldn’t know.” Why would she ask me that?
“I agree. Think Thor, only larger,” Mom said.
“Yummy.” Sinc and Mom actually giggled.
I was going to lose my damn mind in a minute. “Mom! Why aren’t you nervous?”
“Because I trust you completely. Everyone does. And the minute the fight starts, you are going to show the world exactly why that is.”
“We’ve made a plan. Stick with it. It should work,” Dad said.
Isaiah appeared a few feet away and scanned the disciplined chaos of pre-battle preparations.
“Where did you go?” I asked.
“Picked up a few friends.”
Hundreds of demons appeared on an empty field dressed in warrior gear, bearing large swords, maces, crossbows, daggers, spears and more.
“Why aren’t they on the other team?”
“I told you. Everyone hates her. That’s why she has to use mind control.”
“Aren’t some of those dudes nobles?” I asked. “I think I recognize that guy from the ball we went to.”
Isaiah grinned and nodded. “I brought the cream of the crop. I’ll help you place them.”
“What are the nobles getting in return?”
“They get to keep their homes and territories. Plus, they now have the privilege of paying their servants a decent wage. Oh, and their heads stay attached to their bodies.”
“But don’t they hate you now?”
“Nah. Whether rich or poor, demons love a good fight. You know that firsthand.”
“Can they shift to warrior form?”
“Some. Where’s your mom?”
“I’m here.” She waved her hand.
“A present from an admirer.” Isaiah handed something to Mom.
“What’s this?”
It was a large ring of around forty thin rods that looked slightly like keys. They glowed with line energy. Demon energy.
“Do these open torcs?” she asked.
“Yep.” Isaiah’s eyes glimmered with affection and a touch of mischief. “I had them made so you wouldn’t be passing out all night.”
Mom rose on her toes to kiss Isaiah on the cheek. He actually blushed. “You are the best mentor any cheetah demon could ever have.”
“Demon cheetah!” He called as she raced full speed to show our team and pass some out. When we weren’t fighting for their lives, we could be opening torcs. Just another day for the team.
The storm was overhead now, but the lightning didn’t strike the ground. Instead it moved vertically as if a battle were raging inside the clouds.
I sent a mental message to every team leader and immediately, prepare for battle rang out over the fields and hills, the shorelines and docks of our hidden island. When the battle was over, maybe we’d keep it. Name it. Turn it into something useful. But tonight, blood would stain the earth, sand, and sea.
The ground rumbled and roared beneath my feet as a gray and violet sky rained warriors, dragons and magic on my army.