“Keep back,” Kade growled as my fingers neared the flames, and I stumbled back a step as an unnatural heat burned my fingertips.
“What are you doing to them?” I shouted, clenching my fists as I turned to the dark-haired fae. I started to shift, ready to tear this new fae apart, but he shook his head at me.
“Uh uh,” he said with a cruel smile. “If you kill me now, it’ll only make the curse move faster. The magic is coming from me, and if I’m gone, it’ll be released at a faster rate.”
With a growl, I stopped the change, my limbs returning to their human form.
Xander’s gaze locked onto Cara. “I see you removed the glamor.”
“I was tired of living a lie,” she replied.
He narrowed his eyes as he studied her. “That’s a shame.”
She glared at him. “What curse is this, Xander?”
“I told you these books would give us the means to finally free Zalei,” he said coldly like he was schooling a young child. “This is retribution. King Chalir should have known better than to leave Zalei so defenseless. The Forgotten Fae nymphs found some very interesting books in the forest and brought them to me. After that, everything else fell into place. All we needed was the remaining texts and someone who could decipher them. Luckily for me, the Forgotten Fae succeeded in framing the monsters for the attempted assassination of Prince Azaren. It was just what we needed to convince King Chalir to leave the kingdom and allow us to finally get our hands on our greatest weapon.”
“The Forgotten Fae formed because you all opposed the needless deaths of the fae soldiers during the battle two centuries ago!” Cara cried, indicating to the bodies strewn around us. “You’re supposed to be fighting for the fae who had been forgotten by the king. Why would you want this?”
“King Chalir always wanted this war!” Xander spat. “We tried reasoning with him the peaceful way, but all he understood was violence. He never cared about making change in Zalei and never would. Without him, we can appoint a new leader. Once I end this, the fae can have a new beginning.”
A howl ripped from Kade, and I turned to see his bones crack. He wasn’t turning into the beautiful wolf I loved, but something else entirely. Locke’s wings twisted and folded unnaturally, and Asher’s back curved, his spine protruding as spikes speared from his skin.
“You need to stop this!” I shouted, my voice deepening as I fought against the urge to shift. My dragon couldn’t help this time.
“The magic—” Prince Azaren started, but the fae beside him pressed the blade harder against his neck, silencing him.
Xander finally turned his attention to me again, like he was reluctant to take his gaze from Cara. “Izla got it wrong, you see,” he replied calmly. “She changed the ancient curse so that the humans of Katakin kept some of their humanity. I’m guessing she hoped King Adrien would see the error in his ways.” His lip curled with disgust. “She always had a soft spot for the humans. If our dear Azaren here is to be believed, she did it because deep down she wanted the human king to learn from his mistakes.” He laughed cruelly. “But she was wrong, and now I’m simply fixing the curse that she twisted. Anyone without fae blood will become a monster with no conscience, humanity, and a thirst for violence. They will destroy each other and the fae soldiers still in favor of the monarchy. Without the monsters and those allied to the royals, Zalei will finally be free.”
“You can’t,” Cara rasped, her voice cracking as the Katakin monsters let out cries of pain.
“Oh, I can, and I have,” Xander cackled. “You could have been by my side, but instead, I’ll leave you here to finally witness the destruction of this world.”
Xander’s gaze went to me, and his lips twitched. “At least, it looks like you found what you were searching for.”
The Katakin monsters’ cries changed, becoming more animalistic, and Xander turned toward the portal. Claws peeked from my fingertips. If we were all going to die, I sure as hell wasn’t letting the asshole leave Katakin alive. Just as I was about to shift into my dragon form, Prince Azaren elbowed his fae captor in the ribs and grabbed the blade.
“Raine, remember what I told you!” Prince Azaren yelled, his blue gaze fixed on me and Cara pointedly. “I won’t be able to hold them for long.” His brow furrowed with concentration, and Xander and the Forgotten Fae bent over, grasping their heads. I could only guess he’d entered their minds.
“What is he talking about?” Cara cried, her panicked words filling my ears. I scoured my mind, rushing to get the words out.
“The secret to ending the curse,” I blurted. “The book said:
One of fae, blood so blue,
One who’s cursed, but bold and true,
Forgive the past, pay the price,
Surrender to the sacrifice.”
I shook my head. “But there aren’t any fae who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the monsters. We’ve thought about this.”
Prince Azaren stumbled past the Forgotten Fae toward me and Cara. “You’re wrong. Because I will,” he said as he reached us.
“What? You can’t do that,” Cara protested. “King Chalir is dead, and the fae need you.”
Prince Azaren stared out at the monsters and the fae watching from across the battlefield, their faces streaked with blood as they stood among the dead. “If I don’t do this, we’ll all die here today. A good leader protects, and that’s what my father had forgotten. At least if I do this, the fae might have a future. And so will those in Katakin.”
