Any that dare getting close, are met with both tails, her back paws, or another bite. She single handedly takes out rows of our enemies alone. My heart shivers from Russ’s gift.
“You used her after all,” says a melodic voice.
Peering behind me, I shout, “Russ!” I shouldn’t be this happy. But to hell with logic, emotions, and magic, his full-on dimples are the warm welcome I’ve hoped they’d be.
“Kitten.” He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my soiled frame. “Are you okay?” I take in his scent, filling my lungs whilst glad he is alive and here.
“Is this a welcoming party?” Ashlyn giggles, then one by one,they all step out through Caspian’s mystical door. Stained in red and black fluids, wearing tattered clothes, I am relieved to see no visible injuries. I greet each of them, including Marcel, who by all accounts looks better than any of us. Not a stain on him. Angie saunters over, hugging me and somehow gifts a little more energy.
“Where have y’all been?” I ask, pulling back to ensure she is fine. “Me and…wait, have either of you seen Niro?”
“Y’all isn’t–”
“Not now, Alex,” I snap his way. But one last member steps beyond Caspian’s sky-blue door, all smiles with a white stick hanging from his lips.
“Hey troublemaker, you missed me?”
“No.” My response is quick, but his smirk grows against my answer.
“You were just asking about him. I’d say–”
‘Not. Now. Alex,” I grit. “Wait, how’dy’allfind me?” Watching Alex huff with my choice of words, I see Angie point towards Ethan, who renders what I describe as an, ‘I’m happy you’re alive so I can kill you myself’ expression. “Explain.”
“A sigil on the back of your neck. Below your hairline. You can thank me later for placing it there. Now if everyone’s done with this ridiculous greeting, we have more pressing issues to contend with,” he says, sounding more annoyed than his usual take.
“Are you fucking kidding me? You did what?” But our reunion is short lived. Crashing through the trees, are hundreds, if not thousands, of our enemies, all fired up and charging.
“Language, Kyra.” Ethan peers over his shoulder through a shade of golden, glowing eyes. “Your break is over. Now–”
“I’m not taking a damn break,” I rebut quickly, but he moves on like he didn’t hear me.Ass. Hole.
“What happened? Tell me you were not foolish, dear brother, unaware you’d be sending us to our doom.”
“My intel has never failed me, Ethan. You’ll be wise to remember it. Though, someone set us up, and I believe I know who.” Theirbrotherly love is not so…endearing. Alex frowns, eyeing Niro, Russ, and Caspian with questions.
Caspian, I know you and Kahlan’s…wait did I say his name right?I pause my thoughts.Anyway, I’m sure y’all are two peas in a pod.
He snorts, glancing my way and delivering one hell of a smile. “You’d be correct.” A wink follows. This is what I was missing, not the awkwardness from our previous encounter.Sweet buns.I note the faintest blush stinging his cheeks as he looks away.
Yasmine steps forward, tossing Niro a middle finger who smirks at her ensemble. “We can figure this out another time. You two seem uncaring about what’s racing towards us.” Dark blue fog circles her frame, and in an instant, the torn battle gear is now back in place. White leather flows over her with a cloak leading towards her ankles.Genie magic!
“Ivy!” Russ yells, and I’m pulled from my inner mind. We all turn, noticing her massive claws trampling our way. “I suggest you call your shifters. Unless you’d rather face their wrath.” Bodies shuffle backwards, and I’m left frowning, but following along.Ivy is his shifter. Holy shit!
An earthquake size shutter trembles beneath our feet, splitting the ground and consuming hundreds of changed fays. The once army finds it difficult to advance. Unbeknownst to them, Ethan had summoned a protective wall, keeping them at bay.
How long it will hold depends on his magic level.
Then, something swift enters the area, wiping out hundreds more glooms behind his wall before ‘it’ and Ethan’s magic disappears. Our enemies chase after it, but again, it flashes back, taking out twice as many. Those who evaded the slaughter raise their arms in another battle cry, targeting us once more.
“Celine!” Ethan shouts. As the dust settles, a large serpent slithers from slain bodies, tearing a trench upon her approach, mauling over any and everything in her path.
My mouth gapes from this revelation. She is his shifter, not his former lover. And I all but disrespectedher when we first met.Great.
Before Ethan can make any definitive strides in her direction, another massive beast tramples from behind. “Yuna!” Alex shouts, in tandem with Angie’s “Terra!” But my jaw can’t drop any lower. Yuna, his friend from Haven’s Hole, is riding on the back of a towering water wolf.
“Now I’ve seen it all.” I blink in disbelief.
Terra leaps, clearing hundreds of yards and eclipsing the moon’s glow before landing beside Celine, snarling with her tail low. Yuna holds on whilst the wolf’s behemoth teeth shred into gloom after gloom, now joined by Ivy’s powerful jaws ripping them in half. My legs wobble from the massive paws pounding into the scorched dirt when Alex’s friend jumps in to help.
