Page 185

His eyes widened in shock as I let loose, the arrow driving straight through his chest and hitting its mark.

Power erupted from where he stood, sending out shock waves and knocking back the shifters and fae alike. I managed to hold my footing, the trace amounts of pure Aetherium keeping me steady in place.

Alaroth dropped to his knees, blood trickling from his open mouth, gasping for air like a fish on land.

“No…” he garbled, reaching to pull out an arrow that had long since disappeared, its mortal wound irreversible.

I stepped closer, nocking another arrow.

“Yes.”

It flew straight into his neck, and I watched as he convulsed slightly before finally bucking, falling forward and hitting the ground with a largethunk.

The light left his eyes, and his body immediately began to decay, his magic pouring out of him like a fog that covered the ground. The shifter army howled in victory, chasing out the fae soldiers as they made a hasty retreat through the front gate.

I turned quickly, ready to celebrate our victory, when I found Ezra and Cam, laying still on the ground.

“No!” I screamed, running towards them. I fell, reaching out to place a hand on each of their bodies as I called forth the same magic I’d used to heal Wasabi.

“Please, please, please,” I whispered, tears running in steady streams down my face. “Please don’t be too late.”

I heard the footsteps of my pack approaching me in their wolf forms. Julian whimpered, pushing Cam’s arm slightly with his muzzle as Elias sat beside me, alert and protective. Archer and Nolan stood next to Kian, the three of them covered in blood and their own injuries.

Please…

A pixie flitted by, landing on the ground and tiptoeing towards Cam. My breath stopped as she leaned forward, blowing dust into his face. He immediately sneezed, groaning as he rolled over.

“Cam!” I cried. Julian shifted back, checking on our pack leader while I turned my attention towards Ezra. The pixie flew to me, buzzing around my face.

“Help mean alpha?” she asked.

I let out a small laugh, finally wiping my cheeks. “Yes, please help him. I promise he won’t be mean anymore.”

She flew in a few circles before covering Ezra’s face in more dust, and then taking off as he coughed, swatting the air above him.

I let out a garbled gasp and clutched his face. “You don’t get to die on me twice, you big jerk!”

Moaning and wincing from the residual pain in his head, he cracked open an eye and managed a smirk. “Sorry, bitch,” he replied, his voice weak.

Relief washed through me, and all the adrenaline from the fight and the pure Aetherium I’d funneled through me was hitting me all at once, and I began to waver from where I sat.

The sound of shifters snarling against fae soldiers lowered to a quiet din as my vision darkened. “Hey, anyone mind if I take a nap?”

And then the world went black.

78

MARLOWE

Ipopped another grape-like fruit in my mouth, reclining in the chaise and watching in amusement as Ezra scowled. He took in his reflection in the mirror, messing with the stiff fabric of his fancy outfit, until Canna slapped his hand away when he tried to adjust the sash crossing his chest for the third time.

“You’re making it crooked, stop it!” she growled.

“It doesn’t matter, because I’ll look like a giant douche no matter what.”

He shot me a glare through his reflection as I covered my mouth to stop giggling, and Canna gave an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know what a ‘doosh’ is, but if it means handsome and regal, then you are correct.”

“Yes Canna, it means exactly that!” I cried, wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes. “Please call him a ‘douche’ whenever you’d like. It’s a sign of great respect on our planet!”