They’re really here. Aiden couldn’t stop looking at Nuala and Oisin. Aiden hadn’t even had time to hug them with everything going on. At least they hadn’t gotten into a fight with Mr. Johnson. And Dylan was alive.
Aiden didn’t want to think about what might have happened if Bryn hadn’t shown up. He wished he could’ve stayed with his friend, but Aiden needed to help fight the extremists. And make sure the wardens didn’t try to attack the light fae.
Except one of them wasn’t a light fae. “What about Oisin? He doesn’t have magic.” He was only human. Maybe they should have left him with Dylan and Bryn.
“He knows how to look out for himself,” Nuala said. She didn’t look worried at all.
Aiden had so many questions. Why had his brother decided to come over? Were they all going to leave when the fighting was over? Would his birth mom and brother stay? Would they leave behind everything they’d known just so they could be with Aiden?
The way his parents had.
Mr. Johnson was shouting into a radio and directing them to the left. The fighting had moved down the street while Dylan was performing the ritual.
Through the flashes of spells, Aiden tried to figure out what was going on. A few people were pinned down behind cars while others attacked. For a second he wondered which were the good guys, then he saw a bluish-white-skinned fae grinning as he flung a ball of ice.
“Go!” Nuala shouted, pointing at the attacker.
Several light fae raced ahead. The dark fae turned and saw them, his face first surprised, then afraid. There were ten light fae, plus Aiden and Mr. Johnson. The dark fae had two companions with him.
Mr. Johnson went to check on a small group taking cover while the others attacked. It didn’t take long for the extremists to be overwhelmed. One of them ran, but the two others, including the dark fae, were taken down. One of the light fae went up to deliver the killing blow, and Aiden turned away.
That was when he realized he couldn’t see his brother. Aiden’s heart shot into his throat. Looking around frantically, he spotted him standing up from behind a pickup truck. He must have hidden during the battle.
“What are these?” Oisin asked, pointing at the truck and the closest car as Aiden hurried over to him.
Aiden realized there was a lot to explain about the human realm. “They’re, um…” But that was for another time. “I’ll explain later.”
Everyone regrouped as Mr. Johnson spoke to a panicked man over the radio. Morgan was on the west end of Main Street with the majority of the extremists, and the defenders had been forced to retreat several blocks.
Aiden looked over at his birth mom and the other light fae. They had help now, people who could match the group of dark fae. Dylan had risked his life to bring them here, and this had to be worth it.
“Lead the way, Warden,” Nuala said. She looked fierce, eager to fight. Aiden certainly didn’t take after her in that respect. Or would he have been different if she’d raised him?
Oh God. What if she died here?
Stop being a pessimist, Aiden scolded himself.
Mr. Johnson turned to him, digging in his coat. “You should have this.” He held out a dagger. Even covered in a sheath with only the handle showing, Aiden recognized the weapon with a chill. The same one a dark fae had stabbed him with two years ago. Dylan had turned it against its owner, using the dagger to kill the dark fae.
Aiden leaned away from it. The dagger didn’t have the creepy aura of being lost and helpless in the dark anymore, but he still had no desire to touch it.
Mr. Johnson moved closer. “It can kill a dark fae. You might need it.”
Remembering how easily Morgan had shaken off a gunshot to the chest, Aiden took hold of the dagger. As he was securing the sheath to his belt, Nuala stepped over and held a hand a few inches from the weapon. The dagger shimmered and disappeared, making Aiden jump.
Nuala smiled. “A cloaking glamour. The dagger will be more effective if they do not see it coming.”
Aiden brushed tentative fingers against the spot at his hip, and sure enough, he felt the cold metal handle and the thick leather sheath. “Thanks.”
“Come on.” Mr. Johnson ran toward the lights flashing in the sky.
Aiden wanted to be running as far away from Morgan as he could. Instead, he took a deep breath and went straight toward the most terrifying person he’d ever met.
* * *
“Stay close to me.”
“I heard you the first hundred times.” Dylan didn’t want to admit how hard it was just to keep up with his mom.
She saw right through him though. “Do you want me to change back? I can carry you there.” She’d shifted to human form so the extremists wouldn’t see her coming from a mile away and so she wouldn’t smash into everything.
“No!”
Mom stopped to give him a look. “It would help you save your strength.”
“No,” he repeated, walking on as fast as he could. They were headed toward the entrance to Shadow Valley. Dylan wondered if Aiden was there already or if he and the others had gotten caught in a skirmish along the way.
The noise of battle grew louder as they neared: zaps and explosions of magic, people shouting and screaming, things crashing. The scent of ash filled the air with a sharp chemical undertone. Tires and plastic. Columns of smoke rose into the sky, indicating at least two or three buildings were on fire.
If it were just the extremists, Dylan would have been excited for another chance to fight them, but remembering how easily the dark fae had overwhelmed him—and everyone else—made a thread of fear wind around his heart.
But we have fae of our own now. Dylan rubbed at the wound on his arm.
Rounding the corner, they came out onto Main Street. The place was in chaos. It was even worse than city hall had been last year. A building that housed a clothing store and a hair salon was ablaze. Farther down, another burning building had partially collapsed into the street. Between them, the wreck of a car sent up boiling black smoke.
And there were bodies…
Half a block up, a line of people marched forward. The woodsy scent of light fae magic filled the street as spells streaked through the air. Behind them, others faced the sides and back, watching for attack from all directions.
Ahead of the light fae, the extremists were being forced back. Dylan’s heart swelled. His sacrifice hadn’t been a waste. They were winning.
Even from behind he recognized Aiden, and Dylan moved to join his friend. One of the defenders broke away and came running toward Dylan and his mom. Within a few steps, Dylan recognized Sakura, and he sighed in relief. She was safe.
“Dylan!” She hugged him. Then she pulled back and punched him in the arm. “You asshole. You didn’t wait for us.” Her face was streaked with soot, and her hair was disheveled.
“Uh, sorry.” He hadn’t even thought about her and Izume when they left city hall. What a great boyfriend.
Speaking of Izume, she appeared from somewhere and hurried to join them. “God, I’m glad you’re here.” She wiped her forehead. Her sleeve was torn and burnt.
“Bryn, up here with us!” Mr. Johnson had stopped while the front line kept moving ahead. “Dylan, help guard the rear.”
Dylan opened his mouth to argue.
“Just do it, please,” Mom said.
“I can fight fine. And you said to stay with you—”
“Stay with Sakura and Izume.”
He didn’t need bodyguards. And he wanted to fight alongside Aiden.
“Now!” Mr. Johnson snapped, and that only made Dylan want to disobey more.
Sakura took his arm. The one he’d sliced open. He let out a hiss of pain and pulled his arm back as she gave him a wide-eyed look. If he stayed at the back with her, he could explain what happened. Maybe make up for ditching her and Izume at city hall.
The extremists tried to circle around and attack the group from behind a few times. Between fighting, Dylan filled the fox sisters in on what had happened. Sakura yelled at him for taking such a stupid risk. For a moment he was confused. She’d always seemed to like his bold nature. Realization dawned. He was an idiot—Sakura didn’t want him to die. Of course she didn’t.
Sakura and Izume said they’d gone straight to Main Street, and things had gone badly until Aiden showed up with the light fae. As if to prove their words, they came across more bodies as they neared the entrance to Shadow Valley.
Dylan glanced at them, stomach sinking whenever he recognized faces. One of the wardens he’d seen in city hall a few times. A woman who worked at the bowling alley. A kid who’d graduated last year.
Tearing his gaze away from the twisted, bloody body, Dylan drew on his magic as another group of extremists rushed at them from the intersection. Dylan could at least admit to himself that staying in the back was a good idea. Physically and magically, he was struggling. A rare chance to let loose with his magic, and he was running on half a tank.
They quickly took out the group. The last of the extremists turned and fled rather than face being burned alive. Dylan was relieved. For all that he fantasized about burning cities, he didn’t enjoy killing people. He didn’t regret those he had killed—it had been to protect himself or others. But it definitely wasn’t fun.
A large animal darted out from between two buildings. “Another one!” Izume shouted.
“Wait!” Dylan knew that cat. “It’s Tiago.”
The huge feline neatly avoided the burning debris and the bodies of the extremists as he ran toward them. When he reached them, Tiago shifted into human form.
The first thing Dylan noticed was the blood, the second was that Tiago was naked. “Geez, Cat Boy! What happened?” Dylan brought his hand up to block out things he really didn’t want to see.
“Ran into my parents.”
“Are you okay?” Sakura asked.
“I’m fine. Where’s Aiden?” Tiago winced as he wiped blood from his forehead.
“He’s up front with Nuala.”
Tiago blinked. “What?”
Oh right. He didn’t know about that. “I’ll explain it if you put some clothes on.”
Tiago spread his arms to indicate the war zone around them. “Go find me some, Lizard Boy.”
“I’m not complaining,” Izume muttered.
Tiago sprinted past them to join Aiden. Dylan almost stopped him. Even at full strength, Cat Boy shouldn’t be fighting dark fae, and despite what he’d said, Tiago did not look fine. Maybe Mr. Johnson would send him back to the rear when he saw how beat up Tiago was.
A moment after Tiago pushed his way to the front, a huge explosion rocked the street. Dylan barely managed to stay upright, turning to see what had happened.
Most of the front line had been thrown to the ground, leaving Dylan a clear line of sight. A group of dark fae stood grinning at them, and at the head of the group was Morgan.