“I love you,” I said. “And if you don’t come back to me, I swear to Sebastian himself I’m going straight back to Hell to hunt your ass down. So don’t you pull any shit, Vacarro.”
Asher lowered his head, capturing my attention. I saw the promise in the depths of his ocean-blue eyes even before he said the words. “I got this, Gray. Go find that filthy hunter and fucking butcher him.”
I pressed my mouth to his and stole a kiss. “You can count on it.”
Thirty
EMILIO
The dark fae were absolutely everywhere, skittering across the streets like cockroaches, clashing with our witches and shifters as we all fought to reclaim the city.
Some of Elena’s men and the witches had already been injured, but Liam had set up triage in an abandoned restaurant, and he and the witches with healing magic were doing their best to keep our people safe.
Twenty minutes in, and everyone was already bloody and exhausted, but I knew no one would give up. This was too important, too real. I was certain Gray’s earlier words weighed heavy on all of our hearts.
Blackmoon Bay is ground zero for their entire operation, and it’s no longer simply the home we’re trying to take back. It’s the spark that will eventually set the whole world on fire…
This is not just about our own lives, but the lives of everyone we’ve ever loved. If we fail, we will all die. Witches, shifters, vampires, demons, fae, and humankind…
And so we fought, holding true to the bond that had brought us all together, fighting for our lives and the lives of anyone and anything that ever mattered. Witches lit up the streets, vampires blurring in and out of sight, shifters and hounds tearing flesh and breaking bone.
And still, more came. More fae. More hybrids. More rogues.
But then, a light in the brutal darkness, more witches arrived.
Three dozen at least, charging up the street in formation, their steps quick and determined, their magic at the ready.
They needed no introduction. These were the witches of Blackmoon Bay, and they were ready to take back their freedom.
Side-by-side, they fought with our witches, all of them united in this purpose, in this singular mission. With their help, our side quickly regained our advantage, and slowly but surely, the enemy began to thin.
In the midst of the battle, my sister and I were a team in the truest sense of the word, never leaving each other’s sides as we fought our way through hunters and hybrids alike, dodging the fae and their deadly silver weapons at every turn.
But there was one Darkwinter Knight we couldn’t—wouldn’t—avoid.
Elena and I had a score to settle, and the moment we caught sight of him, we were on the move.
“There!” she said now, nodding her head toward an alley at the end of the street. “He’s down there. Three other fae are with him.”
“You sure?” I asked.
Elena nodded. “I’ll never forget Orendiel’s face.”
Checking to make sure the others were holding their own, we broke away from the main battle and headed in the direction she’d last seen the general, keeping our eyes peeled for any would-be ambushes.
By the time we reached the entrance to the alley, the sounds of clashing blades and the cries of the fallen had softened to a din behind us, and we leaned our backs against the exterior bricks, taking a quick moment to regroup. I knew this section of town; this was the First American Bank, and the alley cut through to Hodge Street on the other side.
The fae could be anywhere. Still, we had to try.
My sister had gone quiet, slipping into the darkness of her own mind. I didn’t like that one bit.
“Talk to me, Lainey,” I whispered, nudging her elbow. “What’s on your mind?”
“Just that I’m… I’m glad it’s you,” she said. “If I have to die tonight, I want it to be fighting side-by-side with my brother.”
“You always were a drama queen.” I grinned at her and rolled my eyes, needing the levity as much as I knew she did. “NoAlvarezes are dying tonight. Not on my watch.”
“From your lips to all the saints in the sky.”
