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Defender of the forgotten, keeper of divine ability, yielder to none.
“Protected from what?” Dreyden asks Edlynne, and the voice in my head comes to a stop.
I look up, watching Dreyden and Edlynne, wondering if they’d just experienced the same thing I did, or if they’re about to think I’m crazy when I tell them what just occurred in my mind. Edlynne already sounds like she’s lost her mind, so maybe she won’t bat an eye, but Dreyden will be ready to take me down to the healer’s clinic.
Shaking her head side to side, Edlynne says, “I don’t know. It’s like my memories have been wiped clean. I feel like I know so much, but when I search for the information there’s nothing there. It’s empty.”
“Do you remember anything before the dream?” I ask.
Her face drops as her visible frustration grows. “No,” she sighs. “I was dreaming of Zeus, then he left the dream and I woke up on the forest floor, surrounded by crimson red foliage and fireflies. It was dark, but the fireflies led me here. I followed them through the forest and by the time the sun rose I could see the castle in the distance. I ran into all these other people in the forest on my way here. None of us know what’s going on, and to tell you the truth, we’re all frightened.” Tears well in her bottom eyelids. “Who would do this to us?”
I take her hand, clenching it tightly for reassurance. “I don’t know, but we’re going to figure it out. Until then, you’ll stay in the legion camp just outside the castle. We’ll take care of you.”
Edlynne’s face relaxes just enough to clear the tears from her eyes. “How can I help?”
Rising to my feet, I look at Dreyden across the table. He’s quietly watching us, mulling over the answers Edlynne provided us with. He looks skeptical, but he isn’t saying anything. My eyes return to Edlynne. “You’ll be of use in the legion camp. I’m sure they need help getting more tents set up. There will be quite a few of you in each tent, and I’m hoping we have enough. If not, we’ll figure it out.”
One of the castle staff waits by the dining hall entrance, patiently waiting to take Edlynne back outside with the rest of the lost fae. I make eye contact with him, nodding as he understands what I need without saying anything. He crosses the room and then approaches Edlynne.
“I can show you where you’ll be staying,” he says with the politest tone, offering her his arm as she stands from her chair.
“That would be lovely. Thank you,” she smiles, looping her arm through his.
“Edlynne,” I call as they’re about to exit the room. “I’ll find you later this afternoon, but if you need me please ask one of our staff members to find me and they’ll get me right away.”
“Thank you, High Lady,” she says as she bows her head toward me.
Chills run down my spine once more. I shiver slightly, feeling an overwhelming amount of power flowing through me.
I turn back to Dreyden once they’ve left, and he’s watching me intently from his chair.
“What?” I ask, cocking my head to the side.
Dreyden stands and then circles around the table to stand at my side. He grabs my hands, pulling them around his waist as he steps closer. I hug him tightly, inhaling his intoxicating scent. Strong arms wrap around me as I breathe, melting against his hard body.
He’s being gentle with me, more tender than normal, and his embrace is sweet and loving as he holds me.
“I love seeing you so in charge,” he whispers into my ear. “But I hate whatever is going on here. She sounds truthful, but how do we know? I hate the way they were all screaming for you.”
I step back, feeling the instant mix of emotions as he speaks the truth I don’t want to hear. “They may have been overwhelmingly loud, but they weren’t being the slightest bit aggressive.”
He bites his bottom lip as he goes deep in thought. “No, they weren’t being aggressive,” he reluctantly agrees. “We need to get Izan in here to talk about what we’re going to do with all these people.”
“And Lyra too,” I eye him.
Izan may be his second-in-command, but Lyra is mine in my mind. She’s my best friend and she needs to be here for this conversation, especially if I’m going to stand any chance against Dreyden and Izan.
Dreyden rolls his eyes playfully. He already knew I’d need Lyra here.
* * *
A tiny blackbutterfly leaves through an open window as Dreyden takes his seat at the conference table in his office.
He formed the butterfly before starting our meeting with Izan and Lyra to send Alaric a message in Tartarus. He was apparently planning on making a second trip back to Tartarus to do a supply drop with Alaric, but his plans have changed now that we have thousands of lost fae on the Fire Court lawn.
Between my chat with Edlynne and now, I managed to throw on a fresh set of clothes. I was ready to burn that scandalous robe to ash as I took it off, but I practiced deep breathing and taking control of my impulsive behavior, so I laid it on the bed for Dreyden to burn off my body later tonight after we talk about where the fuck he was last night.
Dreyden sits at the head of the table with me on his left and Izan on his right. Lyra sits to my right, dressed in her usual glamorous attire. Her thick black braids sit on top of her head today, twisted into an intricate woven design. Gold hoops loop through her ears, bringing even more glow to her face.
