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“Is everything in place? We must move at once.”
He’d met the Earth Fae leader a few times over the years, and she was known to be a well-respected ruler. She wore a green tunic with a gold breast plate, a sword at her side.
“Welcome, Kellen. It’s good to see you again,” Terra said, lifting her chin to look up at him. Kellen winced as she graciously ignored his rudeness.
“Apologies. We’re…”
“His fated mate is about to sacrifice herself by trying to kill Domnu on her own,” Bianca said from behind him, and Terra’s eyes widened.
“Your impatience is understood, and your rudeness forgiven.” Reaching out, Terra squeezed his arm. “The leaders are here. Our magick will be more powerful if we do a ritual before we leave. If your fated mate is there alone, we can send her support.”
“We can?” Kellen asked, surprised.
“Of course.” Terra smiled and tapped a bare foot to the grass. “The Earth knows. We’ll speak to her.”
“Anything we can do to help. I’m…I’m scared it might be too late.” Bianca gripped Kellen’s arm, leaning into him in a show of support, and he allowed it. If his mother couldn’t be here with him, Bianca seemed an excellent stand-in.
“Come.” Terra beckoned them toward a circle of standing stones where a group of men and women stood.
“Imogen and Nolan, speaking for the sea.” Imogen and Nolan stepped forward, greeting everyone, before moving to one side of the circle.
“Sorcha and Torin, who fight fire with fire.” Another couple walked forward, each of them all but vibrating with energy, and took their place.
“Terra and Rian.” Terra smiled at the man who must be her fated mate and walked with him to her side of the circle. “We stand for Mother Earth.”
“And Kellen.” Kellen spoke for himself as he took up the last spot in the circle. He didn’t miss that he was standing on his own, but there was nothing to be done about it. “Flying for the Air Fae.”
Were Raven with him…she would be at his side. The night before had been unbearable, knowing she was gone. That he’d lost her even though he’d only just met her. How was it possible to fall so completely in love with someone in such a short time?We have to get her back.
“King Callum and Lily,” Terra called, pointing to the middle of the circle. “You fight for all.” The two went to stand in the middle.
“Whoops, I think we need to just jump out of the circle.” Bianca moved to grab Seamus’s arm.
“No, Bianca. You join us in the middle. The both of you have fought as selflessly as if you ruled a throne yourselves. You deserve to stand at the side of a king,” Lily spoke up, her voice soft, but sure.
“She’s right.” King Callum smiled down at his love. “Join us, please. It’s an honor to have you at our sides.”
“Oh well, now you’ve gone and done it.” Bianca fanned her face, where tears shone in her eyes. Together the two hurried to stand in the middle of the circle. They all looked expectantly at Terra, who seemed to know the ritual she had in mind.
“What is your fated mate’s name?” Terra asked Kellen.
“Raven,” Kellen said. Her name rasped at his throat, spearing his heart, and he hoped, desperately, that she still lived.
“Raven. Bird of the night. I wonder…” Terra tapped her fingers and then turned to the forest, a complicated whistle of a song leaving her lips. A whisper of wind carried it to the trees, their leaves reaching out to collect the message and carry it along. Silence descended, and Kellen waited, his impatience growing as every crucial second passed. Just as he was about to speak, Terra looked to the sky, her eyes brightening.
A shadow loomed.
“Just as I thought. Your mate is a powerful one, Kellen.” Terra beamed, and Kellen’s eyes widened as the sky descended into darkness. Not from storm clouds, oh no, but from hundreds of thousands of ravens that flew on the wind, in perfect synchronicity, ready to join the fight.
“That’s so cool,” Bianca breathed.
“Our purpose with this ritual is twofold,” Terra intoned, and Kellen focused on her words, as the birds swooped in perfect circles over their heads. “We seek to send power to Raven, who fights alone in the Dark Realm, and to give protection to ourselves and our people as we embark on the greatest battle of our lifetime.”
The severity of what they were about to do slammed home, and Kellen almost staggered under the weight of it all. He’d already lost almost everything. Would he be strong enough to do this? An image of Raven, laughing over a chubby baby Alicorn flashed into his mind. And then another image of her, as just a child, huddled under a dark bridge, crying herself to sleep at night.
Nobody had ever fought for her before. Raven deserved a chance. A chance at love, a chance at life, a chance to show the world what she was made of. Her songs deserved to see the light.
“As water feeds the earth,
