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Rosamunde felt Stone shut the telepathy down. He turned toward her and kissed her again. “I want you safe.”
She loved the level of his concern, but her lips curved. “To hell with that, my darling. I will do whatever needs to be done to rid the Nine Realms of Margetta forever.”
His eyes glowed with a like spirit. He nodded several times in a row. “Then let’s do this.”
She let him teleport them both to the raised section of rocks at the base of the plain. The sea cliff wall, just forty yards behind them, was tall enough that the sound of the crashing waves was distant and muted.
As Stone released her waist and moved to the highest point, Rosamunde put a hand to her lips. She couldn’t believe the massive size of the gathered armies.
In the far distance, toward the rocks, Margetta’s wraith-pairs had already started making their usual racket, clanging their axes and swords together. The wraiths shrieked.
She noted that because of the discipline inherent in the Guard and Brigade ranks, Stone’s Combined Forces remained still and steadfast against the growing noise. She sensed a profound determination emanating from the thousands of vampires, wolves and trolls that stood against the Ancient Fae’s army this night.
Rosamunde had foreseen these elements in the vision. But her gaze continued to shift toward the southeast and an open area of the plain from which Margetta’s golden wind had appeared in the prescient images.
With her gaze fixed in that direction, a sudden restlessness moved through the thousands of realm warriors of the Combined Forces.
Rosamunde knew the cause since a moment later Margetta arrived in a swirl of her gold wind. Not everyone would be able to see her, but Rosamunde could. The Ancient Fae was surrounded by at least a dozen mastyr vampire wraith-pairs, the cream of her army.
Stone, do you see them?
I do. The solemn response reflected his frame of mind more than anything else could have. Mastyr vampire wraith-pairs were impossible for a single ruling mastyr to defeat and here were a dozen, as well as Margetta, and all heading for their east flank.
Rosamunde became fixed on her aunt, the woman who had killed her own sister. Hatred wasn’t quite what she felt for the Ancient Fae. The feeling was much broader and deeper. She despised the woman, who had all this amazing power and ability, but no heart or conscience. She’d killed countless realm-folk and enslaved thousands more.
She’d built an army by kidnapping unwilling realm-folk and turning them into monsters, ready to obey her will no matter what.
Maybe it was the sharing of Stone’s powers, but as she watched Margetta, she knew what needed to be done. But would Stone agree to it?
You and I need to take Margetta on. What do you say?
~ ~ ~
Yes.
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Stone felt Rosamunde’s focus as though it was his own. His gaze, like hers, had become fixed on Margetta. A profound need to stay close to Rosamunde came over him, a sensation that felt more fae than vampire, elf or troll, another indication he was bonded to Rosamunde.
He drew close, though he didn’t touch her. Instead, he felt the elf-lord power begin to rumble around the promontory.
So, we’re doing this then, you and me?
We are. She smiled up at him. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in her telepathic voice.
He switched mental paths and turned the reins of the army over to Ian.
What’s your plan? Ian asked.
Stone brought Rosamunde into the telepathy. Rosamunde and I are going after the Ancient Fae and her band of mastyr vampire wraith-pairs.
Silence returned for a hard moment. He could almost feel Ian’s vampire determination rising strong. The ruling mastyrs will join you, including me. I’ve trained my seconds to handle our force and we’ve drilled as you’ve taught us to for months now.
Stone needed another opinion. Rosamunde, thoughts?
Ian’s right. We need all the ruling mastyrs involved. But there’s something more.
What’s that? Yet even as he asked the question, he knew the answer and his heart started thumping in his chest. Holy fuck. Then as a group, all nine ruling mastyrs will share the elf-lord power.
