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Nyx shook his head, keeping his attention on Luka. “Who is this?”

“My childhood best friend. He’s safe.”

“Has he seen my brother?” Nyx asked. He should have had a hundred questions about how Luka was here, but only Kol mattered. We both turned on Luka expectantly. “He looks just like me. Have you seen him?”

Luka studied Nyx. “No, but they have a hide-out up the coast a ways where they are turning them.”

Ice pumped through my heart, freezing my veins. “The fae who were holding this fort?”

“I only arrived two days ago. I don’t know who they have or where they got them. I’m being held myself and just glad I’m not in the pit.”

“Where?” Nyx demanded.

“North, maybe six or seven leagues. If you follow the sea, you can’t miss it.”

Nyx turned, storming up the stairs.

I ran after him. “Are we going there?”

“We have to.”

“Do you think there is a chance he’s still alive?” I asked. I didn’t want to assume the worst, but how long had it been since Kol had gone silent? Too long. I felt sick.

“I don’t know, Sol, but I have to see.”

We found the other dragons, and Augustus agreed to let Luka ride on his back. Luka was apprehensive, though. I didn’t blame him. Fear flickered in his eyes when we suggested it, but he’d rather face death on a dragon’s back than be left alone to have the undead come back for him.We made him a tether to hold on to since he was not made to be a ryder.

We made a plan for Augustus and Nyx to head for the pit while Jaxus and Xavi worked on destroying the Dragon’s Bane weapons and disabling as many of the undead as possible. They wouldn’t die, but it would slow them down or take them out until their masters could reanimate them.

We flew north, and the sun dipped closer to the horizon. Vivi Mortui were more powerful after dark, but so was my mate.

Luka pointed out the pit he’d described a league before we were on it.

My gut dropped when I made out shapes. I didn’t need a full view to know what I saw. Fae were being held in a giant pit, chained to posts. It wasn’t clear if they were alive or dead, but there were too many. More than would have been at the fort.

“They have to be taking them from villages, too.”

“They must.” Nyx’s voice, even in my mind, was void of any emotion.

“Are you sure we should go in there?” I was trying to keep my fear in check.

“Do you want me to put you on the ground here before we do?”

“No!” I wasn’t scared for myself. I was scared they’d turn Kol and he’d become the dragon in my dream, but I couldn’t say that to Nyx. Not when he was like this. “Our magic works better together. Where you fly, I fly.”

“Okay.”

We flew over the pit, and Nyx dove, only snapping his wings out when we were close enough to the ground to make out the faces of the fae. I scanned them one by one, trying to see every face. The worst game of eye spy. We flew too fast, and I felt like I didn’t get a good enough look at half of them.

A gong sounded. My head snapped up as the undead swarmed. They crawled out of every shadow and crevice. They’d been laying in wait. Bile rose in my throat. All the fae on the ground would be turned before we could bring an army back here.

There were so many of them. Thousands.

I screamed and threw power at the undead who stampeded over the walls of the pit. The sounds they made were monstrous. My power blasts knocked them down, but they got up and continued on their path, barely missing a beat.

I needed something more.

Nyx turned, and the sun glinted in my eyes. An idea struck me. I focused my power above them, channeling the sun’s rays like a child would with a piece of focal glass. They burned, and I nearly squealed with glee. I focused, picking them off as I searched.