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Jace stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug, then released her, his hands on her shoulders.

“Take care of the injured, Jace. Keep yourself safe,” she whispered, pulling him into another hug as the other men grabbed weapons.

Declan took her from Jace’s hold, his hands upon her cheeks as he pulled her face to look up at him.

“I don’t like this. I know they say you’re a war goddess, but I want you somewhere safe and sound,” he growled, holding her face close to his own.

“I’d say I am sorry, but I am not. I was born for this, so let me fly, Declan,” she whispered back to him, watching his jaw clench. She thought he would demand her to stay near him, but he shocked her instead with an apology.

“I am sorry for everything I’ve done to hurt you, Bryn. Regardless of our romantic history, I care for you as a close friend and hope to earn back the trust I lost.”

Placing her hand over his, she gave him as much of a smile as she could muster with everything that was happening around them.

“Live through this and we will work on our issues. Promise.”

With his own painful smile and a nod, Declan hugged her again before releasing her.

“Live, Bryn. Promise.”

Declan did not wait for her response as he took a pistol from Justin. The men gave her one last look, Jace’s eyes watery, before each of her friends moved off the street and back into the buildings.

Bryn was surprised Declan had done as she asked, but maybe he was growing and allowing her to grow as well.

“I feel like I should warn you away, but I am pretty sure nothing will or can touch you.” She gave the same small false smile to Kian that she had just given Declan as she turned to face him.

“Let that part of yourself rise, Bryn. You have more control over yourself than you think,” Kian whispered into her mind.

“How do I know she won’t take over?” Her fear was obvious in her words.

If Niamh thought it at all weird that Bryn was talking to a shadow, she kept it to herself.

“Because you have her knowledge, but she is not separate from you. You are one and the same. The same soul, same person. Just with human memories this time.”

Closing her eyes, she nodded, not quite believing him.

“Are you ready?” Niamh asked, her hand giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Bryn gripped her dagger tighter as she nodded.

“Thank you, Kian.” She opened her eyes and stared into those violent swirls of silver as he stepped back into the shadows.

“This will be good practice for our own epic battle should you live,” he promised, his words carrying more meaning than she had time to unpack.

Turning away from the emotional onslaught her group, her tribe, and her family caused, she readied herself to take on a cloud of killer wraiths.

“I am going to die,” Bryn whispered, earning a cackle from Niamh.

“Not on my watch, darling.” Niamh winked as she stepped up beside Bryn sans weapon.

“You should go with Sage and help her find a safe place,” Bryn ordered, but Niamh only gave her a smile.

“Darling, I amverydifficult to kill.”

“I’m holding you to that. Now, let’s save the day and get the hell out of Dodge,” Bryn replied as she started toward the cloud.

Danu was losing her hold on freezing time, the wraiths slowly starting to move again, so Bryn nodded for her to let go.

She tried to keep her mind calm as it was quite obvious that she was walking into a battle with little to no training.