Page 108 of Fae Farewells

The hellhounds circled, closing in too silently for their size. As the boys prowled into the destroyed doorway, blocking the soldiers from fleeing, the first move was made.

Ruby and Freya exchanged a glance.

Stone and I stepped forward as Briggs shifted, the giant wolf poised to jump.

Levi stood on my right side, his darkening wings folded against his back. “Mind if I take the first hit? I’d stab myself in the leg again, but it’s getting pretty old.”

“Uhm, sure?” I blinked rapidly, thinking I’d misheard him.

But I didn’t.

The crazy fucking angel rushed headfirst into the approaching army. He took three hits of a sword before he backed up, shaking his wings out. An arrow dropped to the ground, and he twisted so both sides could see him smiling. Not one cut showed on his skin, only slices in his clothing.

The entire room paused for a full three seconds.

Then the summer soldiers moved in, spreading out as they readied their next attack.

Stone and I followed Briggs into the fray, the wolf knocking them into the walls as he snarled. The demon morphed mid-step, slamming the first fae onto the floor with a sickening crunch.

I grabbed a female soldier, my hands on either side of her head as I snapped her neck. Despite the circumstance, I couldn’t bring myself to punch her.

The next fae I reached slid his sword against my ribs, missing his shot, but still cutting me open. I shoved my hand through his chest, gripped his heart, and froze as Tilly’s voice pierced my sensitive hearing.

Vaughn’s name echoed in my mind, the shrill tone of his sister’s plea causing my vision to tunnel. I yanked my hand out of the man’s chest, dropping his heart onto the floor, as anxiety built inside me.

I rushed into the throne room, stopping so quickly my body swayed. A ball of ice shattered, ricocheting projectiles against the marble like frozen bullets.

Our fae moved away from his sister. The attack had ripped the back of his shirt to shreds, his skin healing rapidly. Tilly had a single cut marring her upper portion of her left arm, a thin trail of blood sullying her pale green skin…

And I witnessed the frayed strands of Vaughn’s control go up in slow-burning flames. His thoughts whited out, like a blizzard blowing through a desert. Cold and filled with a sharpness I never expected from him.

Several things happened before he completely lost his mind, though I could feel him on the brink of destruction.

Thatcher appeared in the throne room, a bow and a quiver of arrows strapped across his shoulders. The friendly alicorn grabbed Tilly, pulling her into the hall as he handed over her weapon.

Alania threw a barrage of pencil thick icicles at the retreating pair.

Sloane hovered, lazily flapping her wings as her eyes faded from red to black. She swatted the icicles away with a wave of heated air. Two hit her forearm, the ice melting and the holes healing in a blink.

“I hope you have something better up your sleeve,” the demon inside my mate purred. “Because now we’re ready to play.”

“Who the fuck—”

“I am the Devil.” Sloane frowned at her clean talons in disgust. “Amongst other things. Can you really afford a war, Alania?”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to jump for joy or back the fuck out of her way. I loved Trouble, and I loved this version of her too… But I didn’t want to fight with her.

I would watch the crazy unfold, though. Stay out of sight unless they needed my assistance.

Realistically, I knew shouldn’t have left the bigger fight without saying anything. But I had feared, plain and simple. I had to rationalize with myself. Being here was okay. The summer warriors weren’t as tough as the demons we’d fought in the Lilk desert. The guys didn’t need my help.

But Sloane and Vaughn might need a quick distraction here.

None of them had seen me yet, so I stayed in the shadows, lying in wait.

Alania launched herself toward Sloane, throwing a bright ball of magic. The tiny sun hit a marble column as my mate ducked behind it.

Bowers had avoided that fight by slinking into the throne room, but now he followed his queen like a lost puppy.