“Stop fighting and look around you. We’ve made it to the Wind Court. That was the goal. We’re here. Let’s see if we can get Kai fixed up and keep going,” Wren said.
“Take care of it, Wren,” Fen ordered, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from them.
I planted my feet after we were far enough away and yanked my hand out of his. “I’m not a child, Fenlas. You can wish for me to follow your orders until I’m dead, and I never will. I’m not going to be caged by your dreams of what you hoped we would be. I told you I don’t want a mate. I don’t want an overbearing lover either. My life, my rules. I get to control something.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from going on as I glared at him.
“Ara, I didn’t order you at all. I asked you. You act like your life means nothing, but it does. Even beyond my own feelings, you’re important to this entire world. And you may not like that truth, but that doesn’t change it. Why bring us on this journey if you aren’t even going to take the only part of the prophecy we do know seriously?”
“I didn’t bring you. You chose to come. I tried to stop you.”
“Guys?” Kai called.
“I do take the prophecy seriously. I know it’s important, but nothing makes my life more important than anyone else’s.”
“Guys,” Kai said more firmly.
“What?” we both yelled.
“We have company.” He pointed behind us.
We turned as one to see two males watching us with weapons out. “Who are you?” one of them shouted.
“Who the fuck are you?” I answered, jamming my hands across my chest.
“None of your business, you high fae bitch.”
Greeve was instantly behind him with a knife to his throat. The other one turned and tried to swing on him, but ferocious Fen was already there, blocking the blow. He heaved in breaths as he forced himself to hold back. He wanted to kill that fae, and there was something so sexy in that protective nature. Annoying, but sexy.
“Not a great time for this,” Wren said, holding pressure to Kai’s shoulder.
I stepped closer and watched as Fen pounded the other male on the ground. He wouldn’t use magic when he needed a punching bag. He was angry with me, but the stranger was taking the brunt of it. That ragey ass male was out of control again. “Stop,” I yelled. “Everyone, stop.”
The lesser fae at Greeve’s knife tip hissed but didn’t struggle. Fen held the other pinned to the ground with his fist in the air ready to strike again.
“Look at their coats. Stop. Release them.”
“Rebels?” Fen asked, looking at the phoenix symbol sewn into the gray coat of the one he had pinned.
“What do you know of the rebellion?” the one Greeve still held asked.
He threw him to the ground and showed him his tattoo.
“You’re a rebel?”
“I’m the prince of the Flame Court, you stupid, mouthy asshole.” Fire erupted in a circle around us.
“Ain’t no Prince a rebel,” the one on the ground said.
Fen lifted his shirt and showed him the tattoo on his chest. “I’ve probably been supporting the rebellion longer than you have. What are you doing here?”
“Temir,” the one on the ground shouted.
The flames dissipated, and several more rebels crested a hill behind my pissy prince.
“Everything okay?” the one with horns called from a distance, presumably Temir.
“You better get over here,” he shouted back.
Greeve shoved the mouthy one away and came to stand beside me. I gave him a look, and he smirked. “Just because I’m mad at you doesn’t mean you’re not family now.” I smiled and he wrapped his heavy arm around my shoulder. “Just don’t go running in to fight dragons without a weapon again, okay?”
