AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alexandra shook her head and leaned in to place a kiss on Willow’s cheek. Her gaze then slid to Malik. “You’d be a fool to let this one go. Mark my words, stupid man.”
Illiandra and Gervassay approached them and celebrated by also offering a round of hugs and cheek-kissing. Illiandra then invited everyone to their villa for a celebratory dinner.
Willow agreed readily and was grateful that the fae leadership would be joining them. Though everyone seemed so certain that the new level of power that had been added to the protective shield wouldn’t readily be pierced, Willow wasn’t so sure.
Malik, however, needed to speak with Zane and the combined troops and asked if Willow would take him through to the entrance.
Malik would want to be with his men. “Of course.”
She left him there with the understanding that she would return to fetch him when he was ready.
~ ~ ~
Malik listened to Zane’s recounting of the battle, frustrated that again they had seen nothing of Axton and his men until the new charm’s spell had been repulsed.
“He’d brought a hundred men,” Zane said, his voice low. “But we never saw any of them or Axton who was busy trying to destroy the vines at the entrance. I’m still stunned that I couldn’t see a damn thing.”
Malik frowned. He was grateful they’d thwarted this attack, especially without losing any of his men or Zane’s. But if Zane was right and Margetta was behind Axton, what else would she throw at them?
A clean-up crew had arrived to remove the corpses to a morgue. Malik didn’t recognize any of the deceased, so they’d probably been with Axton for the last couple of centuries.
Zane shook his head. “Axton was thrown to the ground when the spell reversed, as though a wave of power hit him. I almost had him, but his bodyguards rushed in. Two of them died.” He waved a hand in the direction of the stretchers.
Malik still felt an echo of the power that had traveled among the fae and from the earth. He glanced at the corpses, at the vines now healed at the entrance, at the combined force of his men and Zane’s together.
This was where he belonged, in command of his men, in support of his fellow realm ruler, in charge of keeping Ashleaf safe. He didn’t want to lose sight of that. The all-encompassing feelings of what existed between Willow and himself, of what the bond would require of him, gave him serious pause. How much would he risk if he completed the bond with Willow?
“How do you want to handle this?” Zane asked. “I think you need to arrest Axton. You have cause. Insurrection, for one thing.”
Malik knew another hard truth about the situation. Because Axton had already shown his cards, he wouldn’t be easy to find.
Switching to telepathy, he tapped Zane’s frequency.
Zane pathed, Telepathy. Probably a good idea. He glanced around at the night sky and the surrounding forest. Who the hell knows if we’re being observed or listened to?
Malik turned toward Zane, facing him fully. I want you to send a black-ops team to try to find Axton. That way he won’t be on the alert that we’re on his heels. But yeah, I need to arrest him, no matter what the fall-out is in Ashleaf.
You think whatever charm hid him here will also protect him in his home?
I do. You’ll have to catch him, if possible, when he’s not using a spell.
He’s smart, that asshole, but I’ll get on it. Zane gestured to the fall of vines. So, what happened in the colony?
Malik told him everything.
Shit. Your woman has so much power. What are you going to do? Are you going to bond with her?
Malik shrugged, but held Zane’s gaze. I don’t know. Neither of us wants this.
Zane frowned at him. I’ve heard about the resistance to the bond over and over. Why is that?
But Malik could only laugh and finally spoke aloud. “I think the biggest reality is that it’s so damn permanent. To my knowledge, it can’t be broken. Try that on for size when it hits you with whatever woman happens to have the gift. In this case, I haven’t really spoken to Willow in decades and suddenly, she’s a blood rose.”
Zane kicked at the dirt, his arms tight over his chest. “Is it true about the blood-starvation? Gone, just like that?”
“It’s true.”
“Shit.”
