Page 94 of Haunted Nightmares
“Wraith,” Zephyr growls as she tries to get free. “You have to let me go; I have to go to him.”
“I’m sorry but I cannot allow that, love. You will seal everyone’s fate if I do.”
Because there, halfway between the Purists and what I now see clearly as the Hollow, is Orion.
Silver barbed rope is tied around each of his joints, pulling his limbs taut by the wrists and ankles, another around his neck. He looks about the same as Aries, the two obviously putting up a fight before something got the better of them. And while that, along with the rope, is enough to have me trying to quickly figure out how best to free the male, they are not my biggest concern.
Each rope leads to a horse, secured to a gigantic beast that could carry Declan and I with ease, and seated upon each is a rider.
Duke and Penelope, Thaddeus and Jerome.
Goddamnit.
Bound, gagged, their lower halves chained to the saddles while barbed rope adorns their necks and is strung up over the one and only tree still standing in the clearing.
The four horsemen of the apocalypse.
A swift death upon their backs.
I take in the entire scene, trying to see what, if anything we can do and as my mate taps into our bond, pulling calm and strength she desperately needs, my fucking mother steps out of the shadows like the antichrist herself.
I don’t get to greet her, though, not the way I want to—with the barrel of a gun—nor do I get to say anything at all because Deveroux comes plowing through the opposite end of the forest on a goddamn four-wheeler with his own small army behind him.
“What the fuck is this?” He shouts at Drusilla, whose pretty stone faced all considering. “What are you doing here?” Deveroux looks between us a few times, growing angrier by the second. “Did you double cross me? Are you in on it with your son?! That treaty is mine, bitch! Mine, you hear, and I’m not leaving without it.”
With a sigh, I pinch the bridge of my nose, lift my gun, and fire one single shot directly through Deveroux’s eye socket, his body dropping from the recreational piece of shite in a heap.
And instead of charging like my army would, the slime ball’s servicemen just stand there, staring in shock without one brain cell functioning between them.
Oh well.
“I hope you don’t mind,” I say as I lift my head and look my mother in the eye. “His voice grates on my nerves.”
She nods toward me with a smirk. “Not at all. I was rather hoping you’d take care of him. I was prepared to”—she points toward the center where Hans steps out from behind the tree—“but that was exceptionally efficient. Good shot,son.”
My hackles instantly raise, and I growl, taking one step toward her. “Watch your tongue, wench. Next time it slips, it’ll be between the teeth of a waiting croc.”
“I think not.” Drusilla nods toward Hans, who raises a whip above his head, poised and ready to send those horses in all directions. “I’m afraid I have the upper hand.”
She calls off her thug and steps into the moonlight, still looking every bit the mate of the High Elder regardless of his death and the fall of our government. And in true Drusilla of Carmarthen fashion, the bitch starts sharing every goddamn thing she intends to do.
“I want the treaty, Wraith. You know as well as I do what’s outlined in that outdated piece of parchment, and you know I will not stop until I know it won’t come to fruition.”
“We have to do something,”Zephyr says in my head.“I can’t stand here and listen to her reveal her stupid plans while Orion is like that.”
“I know.”I nod and look around, watching the trolls and goblins slowly move in.
The first of us who makes a move is a goner.
Drusilla drove her dagger into our very core, the old and the new, both species, all facets of society by choosing the four she did. And she twisted the blade into the very heart of us by taking Orion.
And if I can find an opening within her ranks…
“This is bullshit,” Aries grunts, then he looks at Zephyr, tears swimming in his eyes. “We both love you more than anything in the world, and we are so goddamn happy you’re our queen, our family. I know Wraith is going to take good care of you.” He leans in and kisses her forehead, his nose scrunching as his eyes briefly close. “Rule with your heart, make all the babies, and look for us in the stars.”
As soon as the last words are out of his mouth, that’s the moment it registers that they were Aries’ goodbye.
Zephyr reaches for him too late, slipping through her hand and mine as he pulls a sword from her back and charges towardthe middle of the clearing. Aries screamsForever reign, Wraith and Zephyras he races for Orion and it’s as if everything that follows happens in slow motion.
