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“Incubus, are you? No matter. Slaying is more lustful than fucking you, little demon.”
Again, I rolled to avoid a killing blow before jumping to my feet. My trysts with Calla, Aneira, and Hafren had kept me alive, but I was not at my full strength. As the giant bore down on me, I warded off his blows, but I was weakening quickly. Every time I parried his sword, the jarring impact traveled down my arms into my body until my head rang like a giant bell.
The Fae’s eyes locked with mine. They were silver, surrounded by a bronze ring I knew was a sign of the enchantment the elite forces fought under. Deep inside, I sensed his true character. He might have been a protector, a good man. But it was all overridden by the unholy power Prys wielded, turning him into a butchering machine.
This was why Prys had to die, and why Beth was our only hope. Yet, I would no longer play a part in the struggle. My arms weighed as much as two tree trunks, and I barely managed to raise them as high as my chest. It was not enough. The next blow would cleave my head clean off my shoulders. Defiantly, I dropped my arms and lifted my chin, waiting for the killing strike.
The warrior stopped and grunted his respect. Then he nodded and lifted his weapon. I forced myself to keep my eyes open, feeling a tear trickle from the corner. That was when a blow to my side flung me to the ground. The Fae’s sword swung down and cut deep into Calla’s side.
She screamed and fell, but her appearance had given Hafren the opening to pierce the soldier’s armor. The Fae fell to his knees, his eyes surprised, before he died. As he collapsed sideways, Hafren dragged Calla out of the way. She was still alive, but the injury was so severe, I knew she only had moments to live. I crawled to her side, taking her icy hand.
“Calla. No,” I whispered.
Hafren’s face was set like stone, but the pain in his gaze spoke volumes. Calla smiled, a trickle of blood staining her chin, and lifting her hand, she touched my cheek.
“Daeary. Do not blame yourself. This was my sacrifice to make.” She coughed, more blood streaming from her mouth as she groaned. Then she said so faintly, I had to lean closer. “The queen needs you. We need you. It has been foretold.”
Her eyes showed the pain she was in. I could help her with that, at least. Touching my mouth to hers, I sent my magic into her until her lips curved in a smile. “Thank you.”
And then she died, and Hafren and I looked at each other, our eyes dark with sorrow. He laid her down gently and stood up. Holding out his hand to help me to my feet, he growled. “You heard her. Most of our people have fled and will reassemble. You must do the same.”
“What about you?”
Hafren stared into the night, his face twisting as if his next words were torn from his very soul. “Jared left yesterday evening to meet new allies. Aneira—”
His voice broke. “Aneira met the Goddess before Calla, and I will join them soon.”
Before I could say anything, he pulled me into a bear hug, kissing my neck, and whispered, “Mourn us not, incubus. Our journey is over, but yours will take you higher and farther than you could ever imagine. Love well,cariad. Remember us.”
Then he tore away and sprinted into the thick of the battle, hacking left and right as he descended on Prys’s soldiers like an avenging demon. But his path was not mine.
I turned and slunk away into the night, knowing what I needed to do. I would find Jared, and together, we would assemble the rebel forces stronger than they had been. We would free Beth and put her on the throne for the good of Gwerin.
Chapter eighteen
BETH
Eventhoughhe’dsavedmy life—twice, if you counted the toenail-curling-sex—the gorgeous blond guy with the sea-blue eyes was annoying as fuck. His attitude had done a one-eighty, from concerned to snappy, from caring to, well, I had no clue what you’d call it. Bitchy? Yeah, that was a good description.
Ignoring the burn of the scrapes and the ache between my legs, I trudged after Mr. Attitude. As if my own pain wasn’t bad enough, the dense, thorny underbrush of the Fae forest tore at my clothes, leaving even more scratches on my exposed skin.
“Watch your footing,” Dyf warned, his voice laced with irritation. “You do not want to end up face-first in some poisonous plant. Again.”
“Thanks for the advice, Captain Obvious,” I muttered, sidestepping a particularly nasty looking triffid. It hissed in response, and I slapped it hard with a stick. The plants here were as temperamental as the tall Fae.
“Watch your attitude,” Dyf snapped back, his eyes hard with no humor. “Remember, you wanted me here.”
“Hard to forget when you keep reminding me,” I shot back, heat flooding my cheeks. Our steps fell into a rhythm, both of us too stubborn to break the silence that stretched between us.
My mind wandered. What was he? He looked different from the Fae I’d met. His eyes weren’t silver, and when he turned his head, there was an iridescent sheen on the side of his neck. The next moment, it was gone, and I convinced myself my imagination was running away from me.
He’d moved ahead while I’d slowed down, distracted by my thoughts. Running to catch up, I stumbled and collided with his broad back. He’d stopped at the edge of a serene clearing, a reprieve from the suffocating darkness under the dense tree canopy.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, casting dappled shades on the verdant grass beneath our feet. I focused on detecting any threat, but the plants held no surprises.
“Finally, some space to breathe.” I raised my face to enjoy the sun’s warmth.
“Enjoy it while it lasts.” Dyf scanned the clearing warily. “We are not out of the woods yet.”
