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“Yeah, Darling,” he said, dropping an arm around her shoulders as they followed Ashtine out. “I’m perfect.”

They made their way through the prison to where Briar, Sorin, and Cassius were waiting for them. Cassius reached for Cyrus the same way Sorin and Briar reached for their females, all of them clinging to each other.

“It’s over?” Cass rasped, his voice hoarse.

“It’s over,” Cyrus answered, taking a small step back and holding up the nearly empty vial of his blood.

Briar took them out of the prison, and they Traveled back to the Fire Court. Cyrus opened his mouth to say he was going to bathe, but Sorin spoke first.

“Scarlett.”

“Wh—” she started before she inhaled sharply, causing everyone else to turn.

To where shadows were shimmering like mist.

“Callan,” she breathed.

Chapter46

Callan

“Make sure all the herbs and tonics are brought with. We do not need to be wasteful with those,” Callan said as he helped a woman struggling to fit all of her belongings in a pack.

“Yes, your Majesty,” answered the man Callan had been addressing.

Callan gave him a warm smile. “Thank you.”

The man bowed his head, hurrying off to carry out the task.

They were moving. Finally. Scarlett and the others were coming in the morning to move everyone to the Fire Court. There would be no slow meandering through the forest. They would make portals to quickly and efficiently move everyone in one clean sweep.

Callan had made sure the other kingdoms were taken care of first. When the Wind Court had been secured, Ashtine had moved Toreall refugees across her borders where Hale was there to greet his people. When the Earth Court had been secured, Azrael had taken in the Rydeon rebel camps.

Callan had had to go to the other kingdoms to convince the people that the Fae were allies. He’d had to introduce Hale to the Toreall people, their faces full of distrust and wariness. He’d only just returned from the Earth Court a few hours ago. The Rydeon people had been a little easier to convince. Somehow word had spread among their rebel camps of what he and Azrael had done at the Necropolis.

And now it was his own people’s turn. Finally.

Then they could focus on getting Tava.

It had been a week. A torturously long week since they had moved her to the castle. Drake hadn’t gone back. He’d stayed here, using all his contacts and connections he’d built over the years to learn as much as he could about happenings in the castle and trying to work out a way to get Tava out, but things had been silent.

Too silent.

If Callan had learned anything over the last year, it was the feeling before everything changed. It had taken him a while to figure out what it was. To recognize it when it came calling. As if the world had stilled and the stars were watching to see how things would play out. As if even fate had pulled her hand back, allowing the pieces to fall where they may.

He’d felt it when he’d followed Scarlett to the Fire Court.

He’d felt it when he’d come back and started the ruse with Tava.

He’d felt it when they’d gone to the Lairwood house to search for an Avonleyan Key.

He’d felt it on the ship to Avonleya. In the Necropolis when they’d taken down the wards. When he’d fought to come back to this continent.

And he felt it now.

Then he heard the screams.

Callan lurched to his feet, the pack he’d been trying to close spilling out everywhere. He glanced down at the woman he’d been helping, her eyes wide.