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Hear Denzel question whether she’s ready for this.
Elara stares straight back. “To save Laith? Yes."
As before, the words portray confidence that doesn’t exist. She’s the apprentice in a world that’s existed for centuries without her knowledge. She has powers she doesn’t know how to use. Powers that brand her as different and dangerous.
She’s far from ready.
“I’ll bring the Excalibur replica to the shifters,” Kade says, stepping between them protectively.
Denzel shakes his head. "You’ll stay back and keep yourself hidden until you're needed,” he snaps, looking at Kade with disdain. Elara knows he’s only working with him because it’s necessary. Shadowgrace want nothing to do with him.
Kade draws in a sharp breath. “You seriously expect me to stand back and watch her do this?”
Denzel grabs Kade by the shirt, balling the material up in his fist. "The shifters hate you. They're not going to negotiate with you. Your presence will lead to violence, and then what would happen to Laith?” He pushes his face close. “Laith is Shadowgrace, I’ll make sure he comes back alive. Can you say the same?"
Denzel lets go, and Elara’s eyes dart between the two men. Denzel towers over Kade, but she knows Kade has a lot of power that he's honed boiling beneath the surface. An evenly matched battle within their ranks would be terrifying.
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with,” Kade growls. Yet he steps back, tugging his shirt back into place.
Elara lets out a slow breath, relieved blood wasn’t shed.
There’s likely to be enough of that coming.
Denzel also takes a step back, filling his chest as he glares at Kade. Slowly, he turns his blazing eyes to Elara. “I’ll send a message to the shifters. We’ll meet them as they’ve demanded.”
Elara nods, suppressing the urge to swallow down the hard ball of nervousness that just lodged in her throat.
She’s about to face her destiny, ready or not.
Dawn spreads tentative fingers of light over the clearing the shifters selected as the meeting point. Turns out, they’re impatient to get their hands on the legendary sword. Denzel and Kade were happy to agree, and as terrified as Elara is, she concurs.
Laith’s life is on the line.
Elara walks with Denzel on one side, Dinah on the other, Excalibur heavy and shaky in her hands. Or, the sword that looks like Excalibur. It looks so real, she has to keep reminding herself it's not. It's just a spell; it's just a spell. A damned good copy. Hopefully, the shifters will be just as fooled as she is.
She can practically feel Kade’s gaze on her, although he’s yards back with the remainder of the Shadowgrace pack. It was clear how hard it was for him to let her go. That it went against every fiber of his being to not be by her side.
Elara knew because she could feel it, too. The primal pull. The sense of wrongness of the growing distance.
She wants him here.
Even as she’s glad he’s not. She’s beginning to suspect Kade’s determination to protect her has no bounds. No limits on what he’ll do. Either to others, or ultimately, himself.
Elara hates the idea of either of those possibilities.
“Everything will be fine,” she mutters to herself over and over. She's sandwiched by an alpha and a witch. On top of that, she has powers of her own. Surely that evens out the odds…
Chad comes into view at the other end of the clearing, tall and pale. Just like the first time she saw the shifter, Elara notices a strange pulsing power emanating from him. One that feels entirely unnatural.
"I see you’re making the smart choice," he says, his voice dripping with dark amusement. His eyes hungrily roam over the sword and Elara’s pulse hitches. If he realizes it’s a replica…
The sun crests over the horizon, a beam of light catching on the sword’s silver blade, making it shine. Making it look even more majestic. And hopefully more real.
Chad’s smile grows, causing Elara’s heartbeat to surge harder and faster. He’s fallen for the ruse.
Which means the exchange is about to happen.
The rest of the world will be waking up along with the sun. Hopefully, they’ll be waking up to safety and not more horrible news about the death of someone else or more animal attacks.
