This is what I’m meant for, and I will do this. Not just for me, but for Amelia and Kadyn and the entire community who is in jeopardy because Gabriel and I led the king’s soldiers to their doorstep.
I inhale deeply and close my eyes, relying on Gabriel to shield me. Spreading my hands at my sides, I look inside myself and seek out the sparks that have been gathering beneath my skin for days.
And they’re . . . gone.
What the fuck? Where did they go?
I suck in a panicked breath, searching inside myself. The magic should be here—I felt it. But I can’t find it—all there is is darkness all around me.
Oh, gods.
What if I was wrong? What if I can’t do this? What if all these people die because of me? What ifGabrieldies?
Panic flares in my gut, and it’s so intense I almost miss it.
A flicker of blue, deep within me. The flash of light is barely there, a faint glimmer. Instinctively, I know it’s what I’ve been searching for. Hope blazes brightly, and I concentrate on the glow, trying to figure out how to make it work for me.
Please, I beg. Who am I asking? The suns? My magic? The gods that I don’t think are real? I’m not sure. All I know is that this must work.I need to be able to do this.
The blue spark is tiny, a wisp of light among swaths of darkness, but I reach for it, clutching it in the palm of my hand.
I inhale, and the spark is in my grasp. And when I exhale, tingles wash over me. Magic envelops me. The feeling intensifies, and then I open my eyes.
24
A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT
GABRIEL
In all my years, I have never seen a sight more beautiful than Wren washed in the brilliant flames of her magic. Sparks waltz around her, dancing to a tune only they can hear, and the same fire that devoured my father’s soldiers coats her fingers.
Wren seems lost in the thrall of her power, her eyes glazed. The suns shine upon her, casting her in a golden sheen that amplifies her charm. Unrestrained, her Mark is an iridescent sapphire in the middle of her forehead. The wind rustles her hair, blowing her indigo curls behind her.
She is a thing of beauty, and she is fated to bemine.
Pride fills my chest, and I renew the vow I made earlier. No matter what happens, no matter what obstacles we face, I will not let Wren get hurt.
I reach within myself and tug on my bond with Mist. I called on her the moment Alaric removed the shadestone, knowing I’d need her.
Hurry, I tell her, reiterating the command I already sent.
I’m eager to see my bonded familiar with my own eyes and confirm she’s in one piece, but that’s not the only reason I summoned her. I’ll need all the help I can get to guard Wren. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since meeting my gods-blessed, it’sthat she’s predisposed to bad luck. If something could go wrong, it does. It would be laughable, if it didn’t mean her life was constantly being put on the line.
But now, Wren has me. She is in desperate need of protection, and I will provide that for her.
I won’t have to wait long. A heartbeat after Wren summons her magic, one of the king’s soldiers looks our way. I recognize him instantly, with his fiery red hair and the scar cutting across his left cheek. Lochlan Briar, one of my father’s most trusted Protectors. Like Hunter Erlet, Lochlan has done some horrendous things to gain my father’s approval.
“There!” Lochlan lifts his sword, pointing it at my Given. “She’s the one King Andreas seeks!”
All the air is sucked out of the clearing as dozens of eyes swing towards us. Even the rebels pause and direct their attention our way.
The blue flames spread, crawling up Wren’s arms. They’re warm, the heat emanating from them pushing back the winter’s chill even from where I stand a few feet away.
I want to growl and tell everyone to turn away from Wren. She isn’t theirs to look at or admire or get to know. She’smine.
It would’ve been easier to defend Wren inside the mountain, but I wasn’t going to stop her from coming out to fight. It speaks to her compassion and inner strength that she couldn’t sit by and wait for the battle to be over.
A beat passes, and then Lochlan takes a step forward and shouts, “The king wants her alive!”
