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Commotion outside the room interrupts us. A moment later, the door bursts open and a royal guard steps inside.

“Your Majesty, My Lord,” the breathless guard says, nodding to each of us. “We can’t find the king, and—”

Wait, Des is not on the palace groundsat all?

“What is it?” the general asks, standing.

I stand too. I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. At my back, my wings itch to come out.

“Sleeping soldiers,” the guard says. “More of them have broken through our portal, and now, they’re headed for the gates.”

Chapter 29

Malaki is alreadystriding to the door. He points to me. “You need to bar yourself. Guards—”

He’s not being serious, is he?

“I’m coming with you,” I say, following the general out the doors. “I can stop them.”

Malaki lets out a breath. “Desmond would want me to protect you.”

Des, who’s noticeably absent.

“Desmond wouldloveto see you try.”

Malaki mutters something about stubborn human women under his breath.

The two of us head down the hallway, surrounded by guards.

“I can stop the soldiers with my glamour,” I insist.

“Do you really think I’ve forgotten?” Malaki asks, his voice sharp. “The problem is the Thief knows that too. Whatever this is, it’s most certainly a trap.”

“I don’t care.”

Malaki grabs my upper arm, swiveling me around to face him. “Damnit, Callypso,” he growls, “you will listen to me!”

My skin brightens. “Letgoof me.”

Malaki’s hand drops from my arm.

“No onetalks to me that way,” I say, venom in my voice. “Not even Des, and definitely not you.”

“You are thinking with your head not your heart!” Malaki says. “I’ve seen hundreds of men killed for doing similar.”

My voice heats. “Do you really think I’m eager to run headlong into battle? That I want to be killed or captured and reunited with that monster we’ve been hunting? You forget—I’ve been his prisoner once before. I’ve seen what he does to the fairies he plays with.”

So long as I live, those memories will never leave me.

“What the fuck is going on now?” Temper’s voice carries from down the hall.

Startled, Malaki and I turn to face her.

My friend looks sleepy and disgruntled, but despite that, her hair is on point, and she still managed to slip on a glittering black dress.

She fairies it way better than I do.

I relax at the sight of her. The thing about being best friends for as long as Temper and I have is that half of our conversations don’t need words. All she has to do is take one look at my face and my exasperated expression, and her sharpened gaze slides to Malaki.