Page 202

They’d trapped themselves. They had to fight. Fight or give in, and Arianna knew not a single one in their group would surrender.

“Stay with them,” Talon ordered, jerking his chin toward Eimear and the child.

Stay. Let me protect you. They were always protecting her.

It was her mate they’d kidnapped. It was her mate these males wanted. And it was her mate she’d stand beside.

“No,” he turned at the sound of Arianna’s voice as she walked right past him. “You stay with them.” Talon looked ready to protest then stopped, seeming to understand as she closed the distance to stand beside Rion.

Rion eyed her, looking her up and down as if assessing a comrade, then let the chain fall from around his wrist. Rion had never tried to push her aside when it came to a fight. They’d stood beside one another before, and she’d stand beside him now. Because if they were going down, then they’d go down together.

Talon’s magic formed around them first, tiny droplets of ice that hovered in the air and coated the ground at their feet. The child clung to Eimear’s legs, but Eimear didn’t cower, even with the iron holding her magic at bay. So much like Rion.

Their enemy was nearly upon them now. Three dozen at least. Arianna let a slow breath fall from her lips. She hated killing now as much as she had all those months ago, but the act didn’t cripple her as it once had. She knew what she was fighting for. For herself. For Rion. And the freedom of the oppressed.

Instead of outright attacking, the group slowed. One male separated himself and prowled forward. Fire rose up to surround his body, writhing as if offended by the rain.

His gaze roamed over the lot of them before resting on Arianna. “We’re here under the orders of the Regent of Ruadhán. He has commanded us to escort you home.” His gaze flickered to Rion.

“You can tell Niall I will return when it suits me. I have other matters to address first.” Like getting Rion out of those shackles and freeing the others left in that prison. She wanted to hear everything they had to say about Niall, then plan the best course of action for removing The Regent from the city altogether.

The male gritted his teeth and when his gaze landed on Rion’s mother, Arianna knew the talk was just a show. A last hope to try to appease her. He glared at the High Lady of Brónach as if she were a nuisance instead of a victim.

“I’d rather not resort to violence,” the male tried again. “I encourage you to come peacefully—”

“Or what?” Eimear challenged. “You’ll drag your queen back in chains?”

He sneered at her. “If that’s what it takes.”

Arianna bristled at that. “Go ahead,” she said, her voice low and daring. “Try.” She flashed her teeth and jerked her chin toward his belt. “Pull that iron out and see what happens.”

He sighed, but before his hand could reach into his satchel, Arianna’s magic flew at him. It froze every droplet in its wake, one by one, until it slammed into his arm. Frost spread across the male’s limb, then down his torso, and finally around his legs. She didn’t bother listening to the string of curses that fell from his mouth.

Rion eyed her momentarily, then the warriors behind their leader howled in fury. They drew their weapons and launched forward.

Arianna’s magic erupted and hoarfrost shot across the ground in an angry wave. She gripped the raw energy and commanded it, just as she’d done while facing the creatures who had attacked her and Talon.

The warriors ran right through the frost, but it crawled up their legs, freezing several in place. Others broke loose and her magic answered theirs in an explosion of smoke and debris overhead. Spears of ice and boiling water launched from behind her, and when a warrior drew too close, Rion sprang into action.

There was no need for talk or strategy. They understood each other’s movements and trusted their comrades to fulfill their roles.

Flames sparked too close to her mate and Arianna’s heart jolted, but he rolled out of the way and shot the length of his chain outward. The iron wrapped around a warrior’s blade and Rion pulled it free.

She refocused.

He didn’t need her to worry. Rion was a general, she reminded herself. A strategist who’d rarely been bested on the field. He knew how to fight, whether he possessed his magic or not. And now he wasn’t hurt.

A warrior with flames spiraling around their body charged next and Arianna let water crystals dance around Rion’s form. They circled him as if he were the one controlling the tiny shards. The warrior didn’t balk from her magic or Rion’s charging body.

The male’s blade swung down, but instead of dodging it, Rion raised his arm toward the weapon. She sucked in a breath, her heart nearly stopping, but metal rang through the air and Rion shoved the sword away. He ducked into his opponent and landed several blows to his torso before wrenching the weapon from his grasp.

Talon shot a spike through the male next, then Rion circled back, placing his body between Arianna and the warriors silently strategizing amongst themselves. Their expressions told Arianna they hadn’t expected the small group to put up much of a fight.

Another lunged, but Rion didn’t use the blade he’d acquired. Instead, he lifted his arm again and ducked around the warrior’s magic. Another strike on the metal, then another. The movement looked so strange and labored.

Another strike.

Another.