“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…” ~Human Bible. The Word of the Creator of humankind.
Nissa held a fae blade in one hand while using her other to wield her power. She and the other warriors left at the Keep were trying to repel Alston’s army, which showed no signs of withdrawing its assault on the stronghold. She couldn’t believe the sheer number of warriors Alston and Ludcarab were able to recruit. When she’d shown up on the battlefield in Arizona, she’d been surprised at how large it had been, and the army they were battling now was every bit as big, possibly more so.
Just as a fae warrior lunged for her, she heard the unmistakable whistle of arrows. You’ve got to be kidding me..
“How could you be so stupid to choose to turn on your own race?” Nissa asked the male as their weapons hit with a satisfying clang. She fully expected to be impaled by an arrow at any moment but didn’t have time to look up.
“What could possibly be stupid about not wanting to live in the shadows any longer?” He shot a bolt of magic at her.
Nissa noticed that his magic was no longer white but instead was completely black. How did I not notice that in Arizona? The slice of a blade way too close to her ear caused her to forget the question. It didn’t really matter. His soul had obviously been consumed by the poison that Alston was feeding him and those who followed the traitorous high fae. “I’m not going to dignify that question with an answer.” Nissa turned and knocked him in the back with her elbow. He stumbled. As he righted himself, she leaped in and placed the tip of her blade at his throat.
“You would kill your own kind?” The warrior glared at her, eyes so full of hate that if he were able, he would have killed her by his stare alone.
“You are a traitor. That means you are no longer one of my kind,” Nissa growled. Though she was high fae and normally quite calm, especially compared to Perizada, she was a warrior in her own right. “I have no problem killing a traitor. You’re not my first, and you won’t be my last. May the goddess have mercy on you,” she said and then ran her blade straight through his trachea.
She pulled her blade out just as quickly and didn’t bother to watch as his body hit the ground to join the fallen. She remembered the sound of the arrows, and her head snapped up. There were definitely arrows, but they were suspended in midair about eight feet above their heads. She glanced around and saw Jareth, the djinn, staring very hard at the arrows, apparently holding them in place. Surrounding him was a group of wolves who’d phased into their fur forms and were protecting him while he not only lit up the battlefield but also kept them all from being hit by the soaring weapons. She didn’t have time to marvel at his power as suddenly there was a vampire in her face.
Nissa shoved her hand against the vampire’s chest and shot a pulse of power into him, disintegrating his heart. She stumbled forward a good ten feet and turned to see that a warlock had slammed into her back. Nissa narrowed her eyes on the large female. “That was not smart.”
The woman didn’t respond, just ran straight for her.
Nissa grunted as her sword sunk into the warlock's stomach. The warlock’s brute strength was one of their strongest fighting qualities, and Nissa found they were actually a tougher opponent than a vampire.
Nissa turned and saw Alina battling two traitorous fae. She began to run in the alpha female’s direction when a loud bellow stopped her in her tracks. She turned at the sound and saw Drake, one of Vasile’s males and the mate to Bethany, fall to the ground. An elf male stood over him with his dagger sunk into his stomach to the hilt. Nissa changed course, sprinting toward the fallen wolf, but Vasile was there before she had even taken two steps. He swung his own blade up over his head around in an arc and sliced it straight through the elf’s neck. The elf’s head went flying as his body fell to the ground.
Nissa watched the whole thing as she ran to the other side of Drake and knelt across from Vasile. She looked up and saw Thalion and Cyn fighting around them, protecting them as they tended to their fallen.
“Rachel,” Nissa called out as she saw the she-wolf who was also one of the Romania pack healers, fighting just past Cyn.
Rachel dispatched the vampire and then turned at the sound of her name. Her eyes widened as she recognized Drake on the ground. She hurried over and pushed in beside Nissa. When she saw the elf blade deeply embedded in Drake’s stomach, her face paled.
“This is beyond what I can heal,” Rachel said, her voice trembling. Her hands shook as she ripped the bottom of her shirt and wrapped it around the hilt that was touching Drake’s abdomen. “Hold the blade steady and apply pressure.” The healer looked at Vasile. Then she turned to Nissa. There were tears streaming down Rachel’s face. “Bethany,” she practically whispered. “Their baby.” Those two words came out more like a plea.
Nissa could think of only one thing that might be able to save Drake’s life: a sprite. But since it hadn’t been until recently that they’d actually had any contact with them, the sprites weren’t a resource she would have ever considered in the past.
Nissa nodded. “Stay with him,” she told Rachel. Then she stood and looked at Cyn, “I will be right back. Your mate and Gavril can protect them. You need to find Perizada and her mate. Now. I don’t care what you have to do, or where you have to go, but you bring them here as quickly as you can.”
Cyn nodded. The swords in her hands suddenly disappeared. “I’m on it. Go. Get Drake and Bethany help.” She flashed from the battlefield.
Nissa glanced around, checking on their army—people who had come to mean very much to her simply because she respected their desire to help those who needed it and because they didn’t give in to the pull of darkness that unbridled power offered them. They didn’t allow themselves to be motivated by what they could gain for themselves, but instead were willing to sacrifice their very lives for others. They were still fighting valiantly, but the battle was too evenly matched, and they weren’t necessarily winning. She saw that Alina had apparently killed her two vamps and now was facing off with two warlocks. “Dammit,” Nissa growled. She’d only faced one warlock, and that had been bad enough. But Alina was powerful. She was a warrior and knew how to fight.
“Nissa!” Vasile snarled.
She saw Alina kick one of the warlocks in the face, and it went flying. Yes, she will be fine. Nissa flashed to the sprite realm.
The queen of the sprites paced the great hall. As soon as Nissa appeared, the woman turned to face her. The look on Nissa’s face must have conveyed the seriousness of the situation.
“What do you need?” Andora asked without preamble.
Lucian paced in his mate’s living room. Not her living room, he thought. Our living room. They were mates. What was his was hers, and what was hers was his. He nearly grinned at what she would say to him if he told her that. He wasn’t surprised she hadn’t heard the thought through their bond. She’d been restless for the past few hours, and he knew she was ready to check on things with the Romania pack but also felt beholden to the five healers who’d recently been through hell.
Peri was worried because things had not gone as planned at the Arizona battle. First, they’d showed up to surprise the Order, and instead, they’d been the ones surprised. Then, Peri had been unable to stay and help them. Her first priority had been to the healers that the Great Luna had placed in her care.
Now, they’d defeated Volcan, but that didn’t mean everything was finished. The females were facing a new future. They had mates and would be going all over the world to take their place in their new packs. It was a lot to take in. They’d spent the last months just trying to survive. But now their focus was the fact that they essentially had husbands and were going to be joining families they’d never met. They were still relatively new to the supernatural world, and Peri was worried how they might accept these new realities.
He turned the minute he felt her presence in the room. As usual, she was stunning. She never failed to take his breath away and knew she never would. Her eyes were filled with unspoken confusion as she battled with what to do.
“How can I help?” He could give his counsel, but he would not make the decision for her. If he disagreed, he would give his input. That’s what partners did. They discussed, and they weighed all the options and possible outcomes, and they supported one another even if they didn’t always agree.
“Figure out a way to give me world peace and then take me on a very long, very relaxing vacation,” she said, her voice teasing but tired.
“I would give you anything if it was in my power to do so,” he promised.
“I know, wolf. I know.”
Elle walked into the room, her hands were closing into fists and then opening again, and her head was tilted in a defiant way that Peri knew all too well. “You’ve got new information you’re not sharing with us.” She spoke up from where she stood next to her mate, Sorin, who was leaning against the wall next to the front door. “You’ve not been yourself since you returned from the human realm. Even after defeating Volcan, you’ve been off.” Elle narrowed her eyes on Peri. “I’ve known you a very long time, comrade. What aren’t you saying?”
Peri opened her mouth to respond, but in the same instance Cyn suddenly appeared in the room, covered in blood and breathing as if she’d just run fifty miles. She stunk of dark magic, blood magic, and death.
Lucian’s instincts kicked in, and he stepped slightly in front of Peri. He would never quell the need to protect her, no matter how powerful she was. She was his mate first and a high fae second.
Peri’s stomach dropped to the floor like a ton of bricks as she looked at her long-time friend. “What the hell has happened? And why do you have blood magic coating you?”
“The Order attacked the Keep,” Cyn breathed out and then added, “Is still attacking the Keep. I tried to contact you a few days ago but couldn't even feel you. Alston used an absence of light spell. The fool didn’t consider that some of us fae are powerful enough to light ourselves up. And we have a djinn who seems to have a penchant for tossing out thousands of tiny glowing orbs.”
“What Alston didn’t consider was the light that we produce will always break through the darkness that evil produces. He didn’t forget about some of our abilities. His vanity just made him overconfident.” She frowned as she remembered what Cyn had said about not sensing her. “We were in the draheim realm. That’s why you couldn’t feel me,” Peri said. “Volcan gave us a run for our money, though I still didn’t look as bad as you afterward. But I’ve been here for days. Why didn’t you try again?”
Cyn’s eyes narrowed. “I did, dammit. I don’t know why it didn’t work. But that’s not the bloody point right now. Right now the point is, even with a djinn and glowing fae, we aren’t winning. Drake has been stabbed. It’s a mortal wound, and as you know, he has a pregnant mate. Nissa has gone to the sprites to see if their healers can do something, and she told me to find you no matter how I had to go about doing it. Thankfully, this is the first place I decided to check, despite the fact that I haven’t been able to feel you. We need you and Lucian.”
Peri turned to Lucian. “Can you gather everyone? It's time to send them to their respective homes.” He nodded and strode out of the room.
Lucian returned a minute later with the healers and their mates in tow. They filed in and made a semicircle around Peri and Cyn. All of them appeared shocked at the fae warrior’s appearance.
Adam rushed over, took Cyn’s chin in his hand, and turned her face to look at him. They’d been friends a very long time, and Peri wasn’t surprised to see the worried look on his face. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
Cyn nodded. “None of the blood is mine. But time is of the essence. We need to get this done.”
“Get what done?” Ciro asked.
Peri turned to look at the group, and her heart squeezed tightly in her chest. These girls had relied on her for some time, and now she felt like she was just throwing them to the wolves, literally. But they had to stand on their own two feet at some point. They’d faced Volcan bravely, and they’d made huge sacrifices. They would be fine, and their mates would make sure of it.
“It’s time you all returned to your packs,” she told Italy’s alpha. “The Order of the Burning Claw has attacked the Romania pack Keep.”
“That’s not all,” Cyn added.
Peri’s head snapped around to her. She knew that whatever the warrior was about to say, it was going to piss her off.
“They took the pups. Alston and Skender, during the Arizona battle. You’d already left. Jen, Jacque, Sally, and Costin were also taken.”
Peri felt her mate’s hand on her back as he steadied her. Peri closed her eyes and focused on keeping her power from flowing out of her and possibly hurting those in the room. After she was under control, she opened her eyes. “They’ve had them captured for a week?”
Cyn gave a single, sharp nod.
The room erupted into chatter as male voices demanded to join them and assist the Romania pack. Peri couldn’t even think clearly at the moment. All she could see was little Slate, Thia, and Titus. She imagined the rage on Jen’s face and the anguish on Jacque’s. Then her mind went to Sally, and Peri wanted to vomit. The evil ones who had harmed her so deeply now had her mate and child, too.
Lucian held up his hand, silencing the group. “There is no time to argue. Ciro, Gustavo, Kale, Dalton, and Nick,” he said, looking at each of the males. “your packs have been without you for long enough.”
“Nick, Kale, and Dalton, you may not be the alphas of your packs, but you are betas for a reason, and there’s no doubt that your alphas need your support now. It is important that you get home, take care of your mates, and make sure they feel at home in their new packs. Prepare for what is coming. This battle will not be like the skirmishes we have faced in the past. This will be global. It will not be quick, and more than likely, it will lead to the humans becoming aware of the supernatural world. Go home and ready yourselves and your packs.”
Peri looked around the room as her mate took control, for which she was grateful. Antonio, Spain’s beta, had already returned to his pack, by order of Gustavo. So had Aimo, Italy’s beta. Both of their alphas had decided that, with all that was happening with The Order of the Burning Claw, their packs needed more than just their third dominant males in leadership.
“Adam, Elle…” Lucian turned his attention to the two fae. “Would you please assist in getting them each to their packs? As you can see”—he motioned to Cyn—“there is no time to dally.”
Elle nodded. As the eldest female there, she seemed to take over for the healers. “Girls, say your goodbyes and do it quickly. You’ve got phones you can chat with the face-space, or whatever it is you call it, later.”
Peri didn’t move, though each of the girls came and hugged her. “You will be fine. Just be the amazing people you are, and your packs will love you.”
Tears were shed as the healers hugged one another. Peri was impressed that they didn’t dawdle. The males, too, said their goodbyes, and then Adam and Elle each held out arms as the mated pairs grasped on. They were gone in a blink.
Peri was so distracted by what Cyn had told her that she’d completely forgotten that Thadrick and Jezebel were still staying here as well. They’d been spending quite a bit of time wandering through the woods, no doubt trying to mend the deep wounds that had been caused in their pasts. As they walked in the front door. Jezebel immediately looked around and then frowned. “Where is everyone? Where is Anna?” She saw Cyn and her eyes widened. “And why is there a fae covered in blood standing in your living room?”
“I sent them to their respective packs,” Lucian said curtly. “There is a dangerous battle being waged upon the Romania pack, and they need us.”
“I didn’t get to speak with her before she left,” the woman said, her voice raising a bit, making it clear that she was more than a little irritated by this fact.
“Forgive my impertinence, but we have people dying in a battle. Peri and I must make some quick decisions. You have a phone. Goodbyes can be said just as easily on the device as in person.”
“Careful, wolf,” Thadrick said in a deep voice. “Disrespecting a female is not like you, and disrespecting my female will not be tolerated.”
Sorin growled and Crina took a step closer, but Peri held up a hand to them. Thadrick was not the enemy.
“As we speak, there is a male lying on the battlefield with a blade in his abdomen,” Cyn said, her voice cold as steel, “and he has a mate pregnant with his pup. My mate is trying to keep them safe while a healer attempts to help him, and Vasile tries to hold him to this world. A high fae is trying to find a way to save his life by going to the sprites. I do not give a flying wolf’s ass who feels disrespected at this moment. I care only that we get to where we are needed before those I care for die.”
Thadrick opened his mouth to speak but then froze. His eyes took on a faraway look, not unlike the one some of the newly mated pairs get when speaking through their bonds. A second later, his attention was back on them. “It appears the wolves aren’t the only ones losing lives,” he said grimly. “We must return to my realm. Peri, Lucian, I apologize, but one of our elders has been murdered and a prisoner has escaped. And it happened a week ago. Why I am hearing of it only now, I have no idea. But I have to go to them.”
“We understand,” Peri said. Frankly she wouldn’t have cared if he’d said he wanted to go frolic in a field while riding a damn unicorn. She just wanted to get to the Keep, like, yesterday.
Thad took Jezebel’s hand as he looked down at her.
“Myanin?” she asked.
The djinn nodded. His mate’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry.”
Thadrick shook his head. “Her choices are her own. They’ve nothing to do with you.” He then looked at Lucian and Peri. “I will be in touch as soon as I deal with this. I have a feeling the djinn will soon be stepping into the human realm in more than single digits.” With that, he and Jezebel headed out the front door.
A second later, Adam and Elle flashed back into the room. Their mates were at their sides in an instant.
“We need to go. Now,” Cyn said.
Peri took Lucian’s hand and flashed, knowing the others were on her heels. In a blink, they were out of Farie and standing in a forest with death and destruction raging all around them.
Nissa breathed hard as she answered the sprite queen. “We’ve got a downed wolf with an elf blade in his abdomen. He has a pregnant mate.”
Andora turned to one of the male sprite guards standing at the doorway. “Please, go get Deidre and Lanora. Make haste.” The guards ran down the hall and out the double doors.
“I am sending Deidre, the luminous leader, with you as well. Her light will amplify the healing ability of Lanora,” Andora explained.
Less than two minutes passed before two sprite women came rushing in. Both of them wore leather pants, vest-like tunics that hugged their bodies and would be easy to move in, and thick boots. Battle gear.
“You need to accompany Nissa,” Andora told the two women. “There is a wolf who is in grave danger and needs your abilities.”
The women nodded without a word and hurried to Nissa. She held out an arm. Deidre and Lanora both placed their hands on her, but before she could flash, Cindy Morgan came barreling through the double doors. She hit them so hard they flew open and crashed against the walls.
Her eyes were wide with fear and full of panic. “I’m coming with you,” she practically shouted. She didn’t bother to address the queen or give a reason for her demand. She lost no time getting to Nissa’s other side and placing her hand on the fae’s shoulder.
“Cindy.” The sprite queen’s voice was loud as she called out to the panicked woman.
“No!” Cindy said as her eyes met Andora’s. “I have to try.”
Nissa didn’t have the luxury of time to ask what Cindy was doing or for the sprite queen to question the woman further. She’d have to find out once Drake, Bethany, and their unborn child were not on death's door. She flashed, and the quiet of the sprite great hall gave way to the cacophony of a battle raging around them.
Nissa had flashed them right to where Drake lay, but before she could tell the sprite women to help him, she heard Cindy’s voice. She turned to find her running full speed across the war zone without care for the fact that she held no weapon. The woman’s thundering shouts were making her a massive target. At the same moment, Perizada suddenly appeared beside her. She looked at Nissa and then in the direction of Nissa’s gaze.
“By all that is holy,” Peri snapped as she took off after Cindy.
Peri had known they were flashing into a damn war zone, but Cindy Morgan running through it like the hounds of hell were on her heels had not been anywhere in the realm of possibility. Something caught her attention, and she momentarily glanced up and saw the suspended arrows. Now that just pissed her off even more. Alston had been willing to kill his own, blindly shooting arrows into a battlefield in hopes of taking them out. She swung her arm up, and a huge burst of power shot out of her hand. A second later, the arrows turned to dust. As soon as her eyes dropped back down to Cindy running, she saw a vampire headed right for Cindy, and Peri shot out her hand, hitting the bloodsucker with a powerful bolt of magic. On the other side of Cindy, an elf who obviously didn’t belong on team Vasile, because he was looking at Cindy like a predator looking at prey, was heading in her direction. Peri saw Elle was just to the right of the elf who had set his sights on Cindy. “Elle!” Peri yelled.
The fae’s head snapped around, and Peri pointed at the dark elf. Elle threw a dagger and it hit its mark, straight into the heart. The dark elf dropped, and Cindy Morgan’s life was once again saved without her even realizing it had been at risk. Or perhaps she did know but just didn’t give a damn. Maybe she was just like Jen, Jacque, and Sally and had absolutely no sense when it came to not doing stupid things that would lead to them getting killed.
As Peri made it past Elle, the other fae ran beside her. “Why is she here, and where is she running to? And how the hell is she so fast?”
Peri answered all three with the only answer she could, “I have no freaking idea.”
Cindy disappeared around a huge tree, and she’d only been there a second before Peri and Elle reached her, but it was a second too late. Peri felt as if the world was suddenly tilting, slipping off of its axis. But instead of feeling like they were going to whirl off into oblivion, everything was happening in slow motion. All the sound around her was muffled except for Cindy’s voice. She’d ground to a halt, her voice growing louder with the shrill screams of a woman possessed, and then her knees buckled, and down she went until her legs slammed into the ground with jarring force.
Peri’s head snapped up to where Cindy was staring with one hand covering her mouth and her other hand pointing. The high fae’s eyes saw something that she knew she would see for the rest of her life every time she closed them. Alina, her friend, brave and strong, stood with her chin raised. The strands of hair that had escaped her braid were stuck to her blood-and-sweat stained face and neck. Her clothes were covered in blood and torn in places, yet she stood as regal as a queen dressed in the finest silk. Alina was held by a huge warlock, her arms pinned behind her. In front of her, a vampire stood with a hideous grin, blood dripping from his mouth and his hand embedded in the alpha female's chest.
Alina’s head turned, her grey eyes meeting Peri’s. A single tear fell down the alpha female’s cheek, and then she yelled with all the strength that must have been left in her, “FOR THE PACK.” Her voice died a second later, replaced by the sound of wet suction as the vampire pulled his hand from Alina, her heart in his clawed grasp. He held it up in the air and released a victory cry. Abruptly, everything stopped, and their enemies suddenly disappeared as the fae loyal to Ludcarab and Alston flashed the vampires, warlocks, and elves from the forest. There was a loud roar and then an ear-piercing scream.
Peri’s head whipped around. Though she didn’t want to take her eyes off of Alina, the scream had been so horrific that she couldn’t help but look. She wished she hadn’t. Lilly was running, her hair wild behind her and her face filled with pain and rage. Peri’s eyes followed the direction of the female’s progress and saw why she looked as if she was going to kill anyone in her path.
Cypher, king of the warlocks, was standing, but his head was not where it was supposed to be. Behind him stood a fae warrior, every bit as tall as the warlock king, and in his hand was the sword that had just completed the arc that had come from behind, severing Cypher’s head from his body. The king had never even seen it coming. A second later, his body fell to the ground, his knees collapsing under the weight of his huge form. Lilly was there a moment later. Her hand flew out, and what looked like a bolt of lightning shot from her palm, straight at the fae’s neck. It cut through the flesh like a laser, and his head rolled off his body, landing a few feet from where the warlock king’s head rested in a sick form of justice.
Peri’s head whirled back around at the sound of laughter. The warlock holding Alina’s body cackled like a deranged lunatic. He suddenly released Alina, and Peri flashed. She was on her knees a second later, catching Alina before she hit the ground. Peri’s arms shook as she held the lifeless body of the woman who she’d known for over two centuries, who had become a trusted friend and a respected leader. She couldn’t get her mind to grasp what had just happened. Alina was gone, which meant Vasile was gone. Cypher was gone. From one breath to the next, their lives had been ripped away. There was no sound coming out of Peri, but in her mind, she was screaming.
She heard a ferocious roar, and when she looked up, a massive white wolf soared over her and crashed into the vampire who’d just murdered Alina.
“Lucian,” Peri whispered. It was the only thing she could get her mouth to say. She was afraid if she said anything more, the screaming that was going on inside of her head would come out of her mouth and never stop. She could feel her power growing inside of her. Her skin was glowing and getting brighter by the second. She had to keep it locked down. If she didn’t, she would level the forest around her and everyone in it.
A moment later, her mate knelt down across from her in his human form. In his hands, he held Alina’s heart. As carefully as if he were handling the most precious thing in the world, he gently placed it back in the gaping hole in Alina’s chest, where it belonged. “A female with a kinder heart I have never known, and she should not go into the afterlife without hers,” Lucian said quietly.
At this point, Peri lost control. It was too much. Too much anguish, too much loss, too much emotion coursing through one as mighty as her. An explosion of power coursed out of her. She felt the pulse and saw her mate brace himself as her magic burst out. She could feel him pulling it into himself, attempting to mute the damage it might do. Peri didn’t care what it was doing. She didn’t care if she burned the whole damn forest to the ground. Peri leaned over her friend's body, wrapped her tightly in her arms, and pressed her face against Alina’s forehead and wept. She let go of the constant hold she kept on herself and gave it free reign. There was no suppressing the screaming. “NO!” Peri bellowed over and over. All of the loss, destruction, evil, depravity, torment, and grief she had experienced over the thousands of years was one thing, but for the past two-plus years, she’d grown to love the family that she’d somehow become a part of. It made the rest of her existence seem easy. This was the culmination of every ounce of that desolation, and it was more than her heart could bear.
Somehow, she knew that there would be no miraculous return for Alina, her mate, or Cypher. Not like there had been with Jen or Sally. There was no sacrifice to be offered, as Cynthia had given for Thia. There would be no bargain with the Fates. This was just death. In all its ugliness, bleakness, and finality.
Peri rocked back and forth as she grieved with every cell in her body. The pain radiated from her head to her heart to the very marrow of her bones. It was something she’d never experienced before. She felt as if her soul was going to implode in on itself, leaving her nothing but a shriveled husk. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen. She knew that no one could choose the time of their death or the way they would die, but Alina should not have had her heart, the very symbol of her love and kindness that was a part of her being, ripped from her body. As Lucian had said, a kinder heart had never been known. And now she was gone from a world that so desperately needed her kindness.
Cindy felt the air being sucked from her lungs as she watched Alina’s lifeless body fall. She’d seen it while she’d been with the seer sprites, wanting to keep up-to-date on all that was happening. She’d nearly lost it a week ago when she’d seen Titus taken and then Sally walk right into the enemy’s arms. Not that Cindy wouldn’t have done the same thing. Regardless, sprites weren’t allowed to interfere in destiny, despite what they saw. They weren’t allowed to alter the future. But when Cindy had seen what was going to happen to the Romania alpha female, she couldn’t just stand there and let it happen. The ripple effect was just too great. She had to try to do something. She’d seen Nissa showing up in the sprite great hall, and Cindy had run as fast as she could to get to the high fae and return to the battlefield with her. But she’d been too late. Her foresight had been worthless.
She’d heard the battle raging around her, but it had been background noise. Then the enemy started flashing away, as if this were what they’d been waiting for. As Alina’s body fell, Peri was there in an instant and caught the alpha female, lowering her gently to the ground. A moment later, a huge white wolf leaped over Peri. He landed on the vampire still holding the precious heart. She watched as the wolf ripped the vampire to shreds and then turned on the warlock who had held Alina. He ripped out the man’s throat. His already blood-covered muzzle became even more saturated. Then he phased back into his human form. Lucian knelt down and picked up the heart, holding it so carefully, and carried it over to his mate and Alina. Other than sobbing from behind her, which she assumed must be for the fallen alpha pair, there was complete silence around them, and Lucian’s words carried as he spoke. The incredible respect he showed Alina was breathtaking and gut-wrenching at the same time.
The moment the words left his mouth, Cindy was knocked by a flash of bright light and a massive gust of wind. With an incredible amount of effort, she rolled to her stomach, grunting as she went, and pushed herself back up again, though the wind pounded on her as if to beat her back into submission. Her hair tangled around her face, and she had to push it back to see what the hell was going on. Were they being attacked again?
Cindy surveyed the scene and saw that every supernatural being was on the ground, prone on their stomachs. The trees for at least half a mile had been leveled to the ground as if they were nothing more than rows of dominoes easily knocked over. Huge roots that had once grown deep into the earth's soil were now pulled up out of the ground from the force of the power that had pushed them over. And the strangest thing of all, if those two weren’t enough, was that the ground and surrounding foliage were blackened as if they’d been scorched.
Movement from the corner of her eye made her turn her head. It took effort because the gusting wind was still very powerful. Chris, her husband, was kneeling on the ground, though he was holding himself upright by his arms. The unbelievable show of the force of nature must have something to do with Peri’s power because she was glowing so bright it hurt to look at her. The edge of the light surrounding her was rimmed in darkness like a shadow left across the moon by the sun. Chris's eyes met hers, and Cindy could tell they were asking her if she was okay. She nodded and pushed her hair from her face again. He looked safe as well, though he was covered in blood and his shirt had a tear across the chest, but she couldn’t see any damage to his skin.
Cindy continued to look around and flinched when a huge boom of thunder filled the sky, as if attempting to prepare her for the next shock—one she hadn’t seen with the seer sprites because she’d already been running to meet Nissa. She saw the king of the warlocks, lifeless, with his mate flung over his body. Lilly was weeping. Her daughter and grandson were in the hands of the enemy, and now the man she loved was gone.
Cindy couldn’t let her eyes stay on Lilly and her mate. The pain so obvious in the woman’s shaking shoulders was too much to bear, especially with the added anguish of what she’d seen happen to Alina. Cindy looked up into the night sky and saw dark, angry clouds moving in as lightning flashed down from the heavens. The ground shook with the force of the bolts. A moment later, the rain began. First, heavy drops fell sporadically, but in a matter of seconds, she was caught in a downpour. Then the rain morphed into small circles of sleet, which continued to grow larger. Cindy held her arms over her head, trying to protect herself from the painful ice.
There were grunts of pain around her, but no one moved. Not until Cindy saw Cyn and Elle pushing themselves, slowly with grimaces on their faces, to their feet. Adam was the next to stumble upright. All three of the fae held up their hands, and the pounding sleet froze in midair. There were a few other fae that clambered to their feet and joined the first three. The wind didn’t stop, nor did the thunder or lightning. But at least they weren’t being attacked by the skin-damaging sleet. When Cindy turned back to Peri, she knew that what they were experiencing was the physical manifestation of the high fae’s grief. The torment going on inside of her was so great that she wasn’t able to keep it contained. Cindy’s heart clenched painfully in her chest for what Peri might be feeling.
As she watched the high fae weep over her great loss, Cindy couldn’t help but wonder if the Order had already won. Would this be enough to take the fight out of the pack? Perizada, high fae and ambassador to the wolves, had been brought to her knees, literally. Would she be able to stumble to her feet as her comrades had? Would she be able to set aside her battered heart and rally their troops again? And if she couldn’t, what would happen to the world as they knew it?
Cindy saw Lucian settle beside his mate and then he howled. Cindy felt his pain in the mournful sound. She felt the hole inside of him as she realized that he’d suffered too. Vasile, his brother, was gone. The alpha had fallen the second his mate had. Cindy watched as Peri reached for Lucian’s hand and squeezed it tightly, even as she kept Alina wrapped in her other arm. A chorus of howls filled the night. One by one, they added themselves to the lamenting cry, which kept going like a train thundering into the night. A beloved mated pair, their alphas, were gone.
Peri finally lifted her head. The storm her power created raged around her. Thankfully, it was filtered through her mate, the Great Luna bless him. He’d no doubt saved the lives of their warriors. When she looked up, she saw drops of sleet frozen in the air, like sparkling clear stars come down from the sky. Her eyes shifted. Elle, Adam, Cyn, Nissa, and Riven held the frozen rain in place. The strain of the effort was clear on their faces. Her gaze moved past them, and she took in the destruction she’d caused. It was nothing compared to what the Order had done. And it was nothing compared to what she would do because of their crimes.
She heard footsteps and turned her head to see Gavril carrying Vasile’s body. Gravril’s eyes were filled with tears, and his jaw was clenched as though he was trying to hold back his emotions. The man’s back was ramrod straight, and his chin was held high. But as he lowered the fallen alpha to the ground and carefully laid him next to Alina, his head bowed, and he whispered in their native tongue, which Peri knew well. “By your great sacrifice, you have earned your eternal rest in the Great Luna’s court.” Then he took Vasile’s hand and wrapped it around Alina’s. Gavril knelt down on one knee then, placed a hand over his heart, and bowed his head. His mate, Rachel, did the same. One by one, the supernaturals who had fought side by side took a knee and showed their respect.
The warriors formed a circle around them. Cypher’s body was carried over by Jareth. Beside him, Riven carried the king’s head as reverently as Lucian had carried Alina’s heart. Then the king of the warlocks was laid beside the two fallen alphas, and his head was placed where it should be. A king as honorable as Cypher should not go into the afterlife remembered the way he had fallen. Lilly knelt beside him, her shoulders visibly shaking as her head bowed. The warlocks who had fought so bravely with their king knelt in a circle behind their king and queen, their swords held firmly in their hands as they laid them across their hearts.
Her gaze continued to travel. Prince Thalion and Cyn were in the same position as the others, kneeling. They’d both laid their blades down in front of them, a symbolic gesture that they would die fighting for the cause that Vasile, Alina, and Cypher had given their lives for. Cindy Morgan, the woman who had, no doubt through the seer sprites, known that Alina was in trouble, was wrapped in her husband’s arms. She wept so hard that her sobs could be heard above the storm.
“Set her down, beloved,” Lucian said softly, drawing her attention back.
Peri didn’t want to let Alina go. She didn’t want to let any of them go. But death did not ask her what she wanted. She carefully lowered Alina’s body to the ground so that her shoulder was touching Vasile’s. After several minutes, Lucian stood and pulled Peri up with him, his hand wrapped tightly around hers.
“You kneel out of respect for them,” Lucian said, his voice full of strength despite the pain she could feel through their bond. “But now you must stand so that you can avenge them.”
The warriors rose to their feet … all except Lilly who would not take her eyes off her mate. They looked around and saw the same thing Peri did. Vasile, Alina, and Cypher had not been the only losses. The bodies of other warriors were littered across the battlefield.
Lucian spoke again, understanding through their bond that Peri needed his strength. For once, Peri’s pain was greater than her seemingly inexhaustible fortitude.
“Vasile and Alina would want us to honor our fallen as we will the alpha pair and the warlock king.” He tilted his head back and let his wolf out. The howl that rumbled up from her mate’s throat was nothing like one that would come from a human. It filled the air and no doubt carried for miles. The other wolves among them joined their howls, and those who were not Canis lupus raised their voices as well as their weapons in a battle cry. Not one of victory or of a call to arms. But one of honoring those who had given the greatest sacrifice: their lives for that of another.
One by one as the voices died down, the circle broke, and those who’d survived began gathering their fallen warriors. Peri and Lucian helped. The first two bodies they came to shredded her heart even further.
Peri wasn’t particularly close to the other elders on the fae council, but she’d known them a very long time, and those still there had remained faithful over the centuries. Their kind wasn’t especially maternal, but there were always exceptions to the rules. Talia and Vale, warriors who had volunteered to join them, lay side by side, their eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. Both were children of high fae council members. Disir was Talia’s father, who adored her. Dain, Vale’s father, spoke very highly of his son’s accomplishments as a warrior.
“We need to be expecting a visit from my council,” she told Lucian in a quiet voice. Then she used her power to raise their prone forms and move them toward the other dead.
By the time they’d gathered everyone who had given their lives up in the fight, there were a total of twenty deaths, not including Vasile, Alina and Cypher. Drake clung to life, though the sprite healer was still working on him, and no one held out hope that he would make it.
“Nissa,” Peri said as she motioned to Rachel, Drake, Diedre, and Lanora. “Please take them to the healer’s area in the Keep. And then please get Bethany to her mate's side.”
Nissa nodded. “Of course.”
Lucian suddenly stumbled, and Peri helped steady him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking all over to see if he was injured.
“Fane,” Lucian said through gritted teeth.
Peri looked at Cyn, who was walking past. “Where is Fane?”
Cyn glanced at Lucian and her eyes widened. “He’s with the Colorado pack. He and Decebel requested to stay in the States because their mates and children are there.” Cyn motioned to Peri’s mate. “You should take Lucian there. Thalion and I can take care of things here.”
Lucian shook his head. “Decebel is with him. I may be his uncle, but he doesn’t really know me. And this is where I need to be.”
Peri could feel through their bond that, despite his words, Lucian did want to check on his nephew. “Once we get things settled here, we will go to Dillon’s pack together. We will need to set up the celebration of life for Vasile and Alina, as well as the others. And Fane will need to be involved in that.
“We will need to ask Lilly and the warlocks how they want Cypher’s funeral handled. If they want it separate or with Vasile and Alina.” Peri thought about Lilly and couldn’t even imagine how she was going to cope with what she was facing. Then she thought about how badly Fane must be hurting. His mate and child were in the hands of the enemy, and his parents were now dead. Dillion would be lucky if he had a house left standing by the time Peri and Lucian arrived.
“We’re all going to get through this, beloved,” Lucian said gently.
Peri wanted to believe him. She wanted to have hope, but for the first time that she could remember, she felt nothing. Just nothing.
Lilly heard people moving around her. She could hear their voices, though she didn’t know what they were saying, nor did she care. The wind no longer whipped around her, and the rain had stopped, but inside of her, the storm raged just as powerfully as it had moments ago. Her eyes were focused on her blood-covered hands resting on her mate’s chest. She couldn’t bring herself to look up and see his face. She didn’t want to look into the unseeing eyes of her lifeless male. She didn’t want to see the space between his neck and his body where his head had been horrifically severed. So instead, she focused on her hands and imagined his chest rising and falling with his breaths. She imagined that at any moment he was going to wake up, take her face in his large hands, and tell her how much he adored her. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t tell her. They’d had a bit of a rough start, but he’d turned out to be one of the best things that had ever happened to her, next to her daughter and grandson, both of whom were in the hands of the ones who’d taken the life of the warlock king, her mate, and best friend. And for what? What was their end game? What purpose did Cypher’s death serve? Lilly vowed to find out, and then she would do anything she could to make sure the Order’s plans did not succeed.
“Your death won’t be for naught,” she whispered as she finally let her eyes rise until she was looking at his handsome face. Jareth had closed the king's eyes and part of her was glad, but part of her mourned not seeing the unusual bright yellow orbs. “I love you, Cypher. You weren’t only the king of the warlocks. You were the king of my heart as well. I will forever be your queen.” Her tears fell as she leaned over him and pressed her lips to his. As soon as they touched, Lilly felt power rush into her. It wasn’t the sprite magic she’d become accustomed to. It was warlock power. Then her mind was flooded with images—memories that weren’t her own. There had to be hundreds of memories filling her mind. It wasn’t until she saw her face and heard a voice speaking—Cypher’s voice—that she realized she was seeing his memories. She choked on a sob as she saw herself through his eyes. She felt his awe, love, and complete devotion for her, and it was more than she’d ever realized.
Suddenly, Cypher’s voice wasn’t just filling her mind. It was audible to her ears, and she could feel his presence as if he was with her. She lifted her head and saw him shimmering, translucent before her. “It’s my spirit, love.” He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. She reached for his hand, and to her surprise, she was able to hold onto him.
“How is this possible?” She squeezed his hand tighter, somehow hoping she could keep him there with her.
“Our souls are bound. It is a gift from the Creator that we get to say goodbye, at least for a time. One day, you will join me in the afterlife. It is also so that I can give my power to you. You are my successor. I am honored to pass my reign on to you—my precious one, queen of my heart. Our people will need you to be their queen.”
Lilly shook her head as tears rushed down her cheeks. Her voice broke as she said, “I don’t want it. Not without you.”
“That’s not how it works. Nothing happens by chance, Lilly. You were not accidentally lost from the sprites. You didn’t just happen to grow up in the human realm. You did not meet Dillon and have a child together by some weird accident. Your daughter didn’t end up the true mate of a Canis lupus because he happened to move in across the street from her. And you didn’t become my mate because I selfishly took you.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle, though it was through tears as pain filled her. He had selfishly taken her, and she wouldn’t change it for anything.
“You were meant to be with me. You were meant to stand beside me. Now you are meant to be queen. Look at me, my sweet, strong Lilly.”
She lifted her eyes to meet his. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. She felt his warmth, his breath on her face. It was a blessing, and yet it was cruel. She couldn’t keep him.
“Lilly Pierce, member of the healer sprites, mother to Jacquelyn Lupei, grandmother of Slate Lupei, and my soulmate, I pass to you my power, my memories, the history of our people, and the authority and responsibility that comes with my title.”
His hands cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away her tears as he spoke.
“Even as I speak these words, my will resonates through the hearts and minds of every member of our race. Hear me now, all who belong to our kingdom. As is my right as king, I give over my reign to my bride. She is and will be, until her time to follow me comes, the Warlock Queen.”
A flood of power hit Lilly in the chest, and had Cypher not been holding onto her, she would have fallen backward. But his hands remained firmly pressed to the sides of her face. She felt his magic flowing inside of her like electricity running through veins.
“I love you,” Cypher said, his forehead still pressed to hers.
“I love you,” she whispered back. A second later, he was gone, and she was left with his empty body, the pressure of a kingdom, the worry for her daughter and grandson, and a broken heart.