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Now Melina had no choice but to play along with her. Even though Enid suspected Melina enjoyed having a sister, too.

They came to the town square, not too far off from The Tipsy Tavern and Inn, when the sky darkened with enormous shadows circling overhead. Enid’s heart hammered in her chest, a premonition sounding in her mind. Maybe not even a premonition. She’d been waiting for this moment for over a month now. It was shocking it had taken this long.

The sky filled with demons. Their great leathery wings blocked out the sun, swarming about like bats in a cave. Cries rose from the square as the people rushed indoors.

Enid groaned.

That dumbass.

Melina clung to her, trembling at the sight. “Go get Kaemon, will you? Tell him I need backup.”

Melina nodded and rushed off. Enid widened her stance and crossed her arms as she gazed at the sky. The square was clear now, the only sound the ominous flapping of wings.

Four demons circled in front of the others, then they tucked their wings and dipped down, rapidly descending. They landed in a typical diamond formation, making the ground rumble from the contact. The atmosphere darkened, and not from the demons blotting out the sun this time. Shadows pressed around the air, twisting in a wild darkness.

The male in the middle stood, inky blackness swirling around him like a tempest. His dark brow scowled at Enid, those familiar verdant eyes fixed on her as he stalked like a predator to prey. His hand flexed at his side, tension running up the lines of his forearms, covered in black tattoos.

“I give you three out of ten stars, dear brother,” Enid said, examining her nails. “The theatrics are played out, but you stuck the landing quite well.”

“What. In the darkest pit. Are you doing here?” he hissed.

She frowned. “I—Dryston, did you get my letter?”

A growl erupted from him, the sound violent enough to make Enid shake in earnest. His anger thickened the air with the pressure of magic. She slipped her hands behind her, clasping them together so he couldn’t see them tremble.

“Why are you here? And no lies about leaving a letter, Enid,” Dryston said.

Oh shit.He really hadn’t received her letter.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, waving it. “Tell me why I received a letter from King Leeth of the elves about an alliance with him that I certainly didn’t set up.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Before she could respond, another head popped around from behind Dryston, giving her a pursed lip smile and a small wave. She tried to suppress her grin, but Dryston turned and glared at Mandel, her old friend. She hadn’t told him when she’d left because he was honorbound to her brother so he would have told him and he would have been right to. The stark lack of anger on his part said he understood what she’d done and was glad she hadn’t burdened him with the truth.

And behind them all was the one with an even stormier expression than Dryston. The annoying Kalen. His face was just as angry, but his petulant lips made the effect comical. “I was on guard the night you fled, Enid.”

Kalen had been assigned as her personal guard since she was thirteen. He was barely older than her, but he was an expert brown noser, so Dryston trusted him above all others. He had shadowed her for the better part of a decade, making certain she didn’t step outside The Darkened City without an escort—making certain she was a caged bird. Dryston said it was to ensure she did nothing stupid. Like running away to Nemus. Without telling anyone. And maybe, possibly, letting them think she was dead for a while.

“Well, the good news is,” she said with a grin, “since my brother didn’t have you drawn and quartered, I’d say he truly values your contribution to our divine realm.”

A growl rumbled from Kalen’s chest. These males and their growling!

“We spent weeks searching for you,” he said, his tone lined with acid.

Enid knew they had. They’d been close to finding her, too. But her mastery of shadow casting was superior to anyone in the entire Realm of Wind. They had stood in front of her once, arguing about how to find her, and never once saw or scented her.

She stuck her lower lip out in a pout. “Only weeks? I’ve been gone for months, Kalen! You would give up so easily on me?”

“I would give up in a few hours if it were my choice.”

She could see the truth in his words. Part of her felt a twinge of guilt. She knew Dryston would have held Kalen unfairly accountable for her disappearance. But she had found Kaemon. It was worth it.

“Do you want me to say I’m sorry?”

His nostrils flared. “It won’t be enough, but yes, it’s a good start.”