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“Because as long as there are Maraans here, Achaz has a way in,” Mordecai supplied. Callan had forgotten he and Nuri were still there. “Arius and Serafina have heavy protections around their children. It is why Achaz has not been able to come here yet, but Alaric is close to finding another way to let Achaz in. The only way to stop what he has planned is to kill all the Maraan Lords and the Maraan Prince.”

“Are you saying that to truly end all of this, Drake, Hale, and I have to die?”

The silence that greeted him was answer enough, and yet he didn’t care. All he cared about was that they had his wife, and it had just become infinitely harder to get to her.

Chapter40

Talwyn

The flight from Hazel’s castle to the Wind Court Citadel took from sunup to after sundown. It was well into the night before Thorne was landing on the cliffside overlooking Ashtine’s home. Talwyn had flown with Jetta and a small unit of Witches. All together there were thirty in their company. They were the first unit to come this way. More would follow as they prepared to help in the Court.

There had been no other news from Arantxa about the attack they’d been warned of, but it had been days now. Knowing what she did of Alaric, he was patient until he wasn’t. Scarlett was pushing him to an edge, and he’d take out innocent people to punish her. Talwyn hoped he waited until more Witch units could join them, but luck had never been kind to her, so she didn’t count on it.

“This is the place?” Jetta asked, looking around the ledge they’d landed on.

“Down there,” Talwyn answered, pointing to an area of stables near the main building. “But we’ll need to relocate the horses. I doubt they will tolerate griffins.” Thorne twisted his neck around, snapping at her ankle, and she shoved at him with her boot. “I barely tolerate you,” she muttered.

But they had come to some kind of truce. They flew multiple times a day now, allowing Talwyn to get a feel for being in the air and staying in the saddle when Thorne decided to randomly dive after a rodent or small animal for a snack. The first time he’d done it, she’d screamed so loudly, Jetta had come running. She was fairly certain if griffins could laugh that’s what Thorne was doing with the odd trilling sound he made. But he’d started coming to her without making her chase him all over the aerie, and he’d stopped pecking at her until they were done flying, so she counted it as progress.

She and Jetta flew down to the stables, leaving the other griffins and their riders on the cliff ledge until they had helped move the horses. Once the griffins were all settled, they started making their way to the Citadel. Ermir met them at the front entrance hall, a smile on his weathered face as he bowed to Talwyn.

“That is not necessary any longer,” she said, looking around the foyer. Nothing had changed.

“It is my understanding you have been taking care of Princess Ashtine,” Ermir said. “I will certainly bow to you for that.”

“Who told you that?” she asked, distracted by what appeared to be mortals milling about.

“Prince Luan.”

That had her attention snapping back to the Wind Court Second. “You have word from Azrael?”

Ermir smiled. “He is in one of the council rooms with the General formulating defense strategies.”

“Can you show Jetta and the others their accommodations?” Talwyn asked, already striding for the hall that would take her to the meeting rooms.

“Of course,” Ermir replied.

She forced herself not to run, but her steps were hurried as she made her way down the corridors. The first three council rooms were empty, but the fourth—

Everyone’s eyes darted to her when she threw the door open, but her gaze was fixed on the Earth Prince, who was already striding for her. “I will be back in a moment,” he said to the room. His black hair was tied up atop his head, and his patented stoic expression was on his face. But the relief and want and shock she saw glimmering in his eyes made her breath catch in her throat.

She was backing up as he neared, and he pulled the door shut behind him before he had her back against the opposite wall, hands framing her face and lips on hers. Her hands fisted in his tunic, keeping him close, as his tongue swept against hers greedily. She let him take control. She always had. He had always been the place she didn’t need to have control. This thing between them had always been the one place no one was looking to her to make decisions or have opinions. She’d always left it all up to Az, taking the momentary freedom it had always offered. And now, even when she had control over nothing anymore, she still wouldn’t have it any other way.

“What are you doing here?” he murmured against her lips, his tongue delving back in before he let her answer.

She was all but panting when he finally let her come up for air, his fingertips brushing across her brow before tucking stray strands back that had come loose from her braid during flight.

“I am here with the Witches. To fight with them,” she answered breathlessly. “What are you doing here? I thought you were fighting with the mortals.”

One of his forearms was braced above her head. His other hand was settling on her hip, thumb making sweeping circles. “When I was informed that there would be a siege on the Wind Court, I came to help knowing Ashtine was in the Witch Kingdoms.”

“Briar as well,” Talwyn said, realizing her hands were still clenched in his tunic. She quickly released them, arms falling to her sides.

“They know of the coming attack?” Az asked, eyes dipping to her lips again.

“Yes. Ashtine has not been well. Briar will not leave her side right now, and I do not blame him.”

“Nor do I,” Azrael said.