Page 36 of Maleen

Fates, even the southern portion of the second trial at Phixmery was pushing it for me.

Now the moon is high in the sky and the realm is eerily quiet. Soft snores drift through the exit of the tent. Ravina and Jesper passed out hours ago, but there’s no way I can sleep. I couldn’t stay away from her either, in the end. Something about being back here has me on edge, and I won’t be caught off guard again. I will never let harm come to my Little Warrior. I almost let her get killed in my arms while I was distracted. I hate that another assassin managed to infiltrate Aemon’s guard. I need to figure out who the fuck is after her and end them.

A screech rents the air and I’m on my feet and inside Ravina’s tent before the noise ends. I know that sound, and it’s no wood-owl. “Get up, we are under attack,” I bellow, thrusting her sword at her just as the warning bell rings through the camp, blocking out the sound of the screeches, but the hairs on the back of my neck stay on end anyway.

“Attack?” She mutters half asleep, even though her warrior’s body is moving as if it wasn’t in bed only moments ago.

“Wraiths,” I hiss, pulling my own blade out. My grip is tight against the hilt. “We need to get our swords lit.” Since we discovered our enemy’s weakness to shadow flame, the purple glow now lights every camp. Torches and hearths are shadow-lit all over, with the hope that in the case of an attack, fae can use the fire to protect themselves.

She nods, ducking through the tent door with Jesper and I on her heels, buckling her battle gear one-handed over her sleeping clothes. She places her dragonstone blade against the nearest fire and it whooshes to life, creating an ethereal glow that makes her look like the warrior queen she was always meant to be.

With a glance at us, she nods before taking off towards the fighting, Nero following after her from the air. A protective growl escapes me. She shouldn’t be running into danger! I shove my blade into the torch until I hear the flames come to life before taking off after her.

I find her at Ember and Roz’s tent arguing with someone: Lennox.

“We will find her. Talyn is probably with her as we speak,” she soothes, the fact that it’s not me she’s soothing making something twist inside my chest. She shouldn’t be talking to just any male like that—even though some small, logical part of my brain knows they’re just friends.

“You don’t get it, Rav. I need to see with my own eyes. I’ll be fine. Stay with these two.” He gestures to Roz and Ember who are staring at him like he’s grown two heads. With a quick glance at me, he takes off between the tents with only a small dagger, alight with purple flames.

Roz touches his own dragonstone dagger to Rav’s sword, igniting it from her flame. Thankfully before we left the blacksmith was able to create a few batches of dragonstone daggers. Not nearly enough to turn the tides of the war, but enough where we can try to help keep others or ourselves alive.

Fucking wraiths.

“Ravina,” I grumble from behind her. “We need to get you to Vasari and in the sky. It’s not safe on the ground.”

“I had to make sure all of my family is safe before I try to save myself, Kill. You should know this better than anyone,” she reminds me.

My instincts want to ream her out, throw her over my shoulder and get her to safety, but I know that she was never the type to hide away, like what I am trying to make her do now. My protective desires are only going to push her from me. Is that something I want, though?

Screeching sounds to the left and my blade is ready. “Get ready,” I growl to the others.

A moment later the smokey shadows of the wraiths slither around the tents. Their hollow faces are nothing but an endless pit of the promise of death. My sword cuts through the air, slicing through its wispy body. Its scream is so shrill that I know I will forever hear it haunting my nightmares. Just add it to the growing pile, I suppose.

My instincts take over and I fall into the flow of killing. Some part of my mind is aware that Ravina is near, and when I finally have a moment to take a breath, I search her out—and what I see has me mesmerized. She was born to wield a blade. I’ve been training for years, but I’ve never seen someone appear so regal while fighting. The way she dances with her weapon calls to me like a siren song, and the mark that binds us flares to life across my back.

Mine.

Mate.

Her eyes widen and I’m knocked out of the haze. The sword is knocked out of her hand and she stumbles back. Her fear…It’s as if I can taste it.

I move faster than I ever have before. My heart is pounding like a war drum, my focus on the disaster unfolding before me.

Kill.

Strike.

Protect.

My sword arches up through the air, swiping at what dares try to take what’s most precious to me from this realm. A roar. My roar. It bellows as the wraith dies and disappears before I collapse to my knees in front of her.

Somewhere above us Nero caws in panic, but he doesn’t descend. I can only assume she’s communicating with him.

“Rav…” My voice is hoarse as I visually check her over. My nerves are too raw to touch her. If I do, it might trigger me into an attack, and I won’t risk causing her any more harm.

It seems she understood my unanswered question. “I’m okay,” she tells me. “Thank you. I don’t know what happened there. I need to be better aware of my surroundings.”

I nod, unable to say more. Fear for her still seeps through my veins like a poison, keeping me rooted to the ground.