Page 130 of Facade

“Lyra, watch over Malachai. If I don’t return—”

“Don’t speak like that, Aniah,” Malachai chastised.

I took a breath through gritted teeth. “If I don’t return, get him home. By any means necessary.”

Lyra nodded as I approached Malachai, craning my neck to gaze into the golden eyes I’d spent many afternoons memorizing after making love.

This brutal, beautiful, fierce warrior before me. Hard and closed off on the outside. Yet, he let me see the real him beneath. The scars he kept buried deep within. A laugh almost—just almost—crept up my throat as memories drifted in of how we first met. How much he hated me. Distrusted me. He was that way toward all Witches. Though I wasn’t his biggest fan either, at the time. Witches were not meant to marry or fall in love. But I never really followed the masses anyway.

Those memories, as fond of them as I am, would have to stay tucked away for now.

“I’ve missed you. And I wish we had more time. But I’ve called in Thaddeus’s help. The bargain has begun. Once we no longer need his aid and Evanee is safe, I have to go with him for one year. I don’t know where he’ll take me or what I’ll be doing in that year, but you mustn’t try to find me. I’d understand if you can’t wait for me. I would never ask that of you.”

His hand tilted my chin up.

“You never need to ask me to wait. You are mine, and I am yours. If you’ll still have me.” Tears fell down my cheeks as I nodded. Then he leaned down, his full lips warm and familiar against mine.

“Oh sweet moon, that’s just so dadgum beautiful!” Lyra wailed behind us, the sound of her nose honking as she blew it, made me chuckle against his lips.

“I don’t know who will be taking care of whom,” he muttered.

I hugged Lyra too. And as I carefully crossed through the storm that continued to batter Fae soldiers, I clutched the small rope chain with the orb, which I reclaimed right from Lyra’s neck.

The echo of steel clashing and angry grunts sent a wave of nausea through me. The servants’ halls felt like an endless maze as I frantically weaved through them, until I made it to the other side of that wretched room with the heads on the wall—

My slippers skidded as I came to a screeching halt, eyes widening in horror at the scene before me.

Aiden drove Evanee back across the hall, her talons leaving gouges in stone as she blocked his advance.

Evanee’s hair was loosening from the tight braid, her raven black strands darker than her Gargoyle coloring, the sweat on her brow visible as she roared, teeth gritting with the effort to keep him at bay.

Aiden lunged, towering over her, the grand entry nearly too small for the two of them.

Evanee’s tail whipped behind her, smashing through a statue, the stone shattering as it hit the ground, shards skittering across the floor.

I placed the orb around my neck, tucking it between my breasts as I eased around their fight, keeping close to the wall.

Evanee shouted as she hurled her dagger, and it embedded in Aiden’s shoulder. I dropped into a crouch as his tail whipped toward me, the force rustling my hair.

Blood poured from the wound as his bellow felt like it shook the foundation of the castle itself. With swift, brutal ease, he pulled the dagger free, hurling it hard back at Evanee, the blade burying to the hilt in her thigh.

My hands flew to my face.

Her eyes flared wide in pain, a strangled cry escaping as her step faltered. Blood covered the shining specks on her leg as it flowed from the knife.

A slow, cruel smile carved across his mouth, canines glinting as his gaze dragged over her. His tongue snaked over his bottom lip as he watched her stumble.

I reached my hand toward that orb, thinking maybe—just this one time—if I used it, it would be to save my friends. The realms even. What if this was the answer to everything—what if this would rid us of the Coven Council, and the Fae King, and all else that stood in our way—

I shook my head violently, releasing the evil artifact clutched in my fingers as my thoughts cleared. The feelings that had been slowly building evaporated from my mind and soul.

CRASH.

The doors exploded outward as Evanee’s body was thrown through them and vanished into the storm, Aiden a blur as he shot after her.

My heart stopped. I took a step toward her and froze—I tried to move, but my muscles were locked tight, as if invisible ropes held me.

A binding spell.