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Most of the halls were empty now, allowing me to sneak back to the front doors of the castle without being noticed.

Serefin’s voice commanding the front line became audible as I crept closer.

My power practically buzzed beneath the surface of my skin.

If these deadlings were attacking the castle, they likely had a target.

I wasn’t going to sit back and wait for them to find me.

My feet bounced over the ground as I crept closer to the wall, closer to the fight.

I knew there was an opening at the–

“I’m more than certain Malachi didn’t approve of this.” Serefin’s voice cut through my thoughts.Shit.

He stormed forward and grabbed me by the arm. “Let’s go. You’re getting out of here.”

“I can help, Ser!”

“No! You can’t! Now get back inside before you cause more trouble!” He spoke to me in a voice I had never heard of coming from him. It was stern enough to shut me up. Serefin had always been kind to me, but I wasn’t in any position to get on his bad side.

His fae strength forced me away from the gate.

“Serefin!” Malachi whispered in the darkness, just around the corner. “Serefin, where did you–”

He was cut off by the sight of us.

“Jade?”

“Don’t be mad!” I yelled. “I only want to help!”

“Serefin, go finish them off. The numbers are dwindling. Make sure there are no more hidden in the trees,” Malachi demanded. Serefin nodded and ran into the darkness.

Mal grabbed my arm where Ser had just let go, dragging me in the same direction. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I could blast some of those damn deadlings with my power, just like I did in Trithen!”

Malachi yanked my arm again. “And you didn’t stop to realize how ridiculously stupid that plan was?”

“Wanting to help myhusbandinwaris not stupid!”

He stopped walking to face me. “First of all, this is not war. This was an irresponsible attack sent to shake us up. Likely to see what power we had hiding behind these walls. If you were to walk out there and blast them all away with your magic, we would have given away our one secret to whichever one of our enemies is behind this.”

Shit.I hadn’t thought of that.

“I know you want to help,” Malachi said.

“I do!”

“Then please do the kingdom a favor, and stay inside.”

He pushed me toward the castle and stormed away, not bothering to look back.

Malachi had spoken to me like that dozens of times, but this time, his words stung more than usual.

He was my king. I knew that. But he was also my husband.

Did he not see that I was reaching out? That I was trying?