Page 12

Durin

Vaegon said to return to the spot where the seer dropped me in exactly one week. I’ve been trying to get there for hours.

I wasn’t able to find Farris to illusion me, so I’ve been stuck navigating the forest in plain sight. I glamoured my hair to make me less noticeable, but it wasn’t enough.

Riggus, the queen’s tracker, must have been reassigned. He tracked me down, then sent for the winged bastard Nydal to do the hard part. I’m sure Nydal has been looking for a chance to get back at me after I scorched his ugly feathers in the dining hall. But he knows he’s not strong enough to take me down, so he brought a small group of elementals with him. I’ve been trying to outrun them, but Nydal is flying overhead and keeps calling out my location.

I could probably take them all out with a few flicks of my fingers. My magic has grown considerably since the celebration. My blood flows hotter. My flames burn brighter. But I need to conserve it. Inevitably, I’ll have to face the queen. I’m not sure if what I’ve gained can run out. And even if she’s weakened, I don’t know the extent of her abilities. I’ll need all the power I can get.

So far, I’ve dodged everything the elementals have thrown at me. Luckily, I’m faster than they are. My years of training have made crossing miles of forest easy. A few of them have already given up. The rest have fallen behind.

Except for Nydal. His flying ability keeps him ahead, hovering above and trying to spot me through gaps in the trees. I’ve been looking for thicker ones that will block his view. The dryad’s trees are the biggest, with their deep blue trunks and thick branches. They are my best hope, and I’ve been darting between them as I see them.

Now, I’m close, but the meeting spot is in a long, narrow clearing. It’s like someone took a big scoop out of the forest. I’ll be completely exposed if I take a step past the tree line. But the light of the day is fading. My only option is to just plow through and trust…

Trust what?

Fate? The dryads and elves? My own magic? I have no idea. I just know I need to get back today, and today is almost gone.

I don’t think I’ll have a choice but to use some of my magic. But I’ll use only enough to get away. I let it gather in my hands, but I don’t waste it on building a barrier. My attack needs to be quick and precise to conserve my power. I grit my teeth and take off toward the clearing, hoping someone is there to transport me away from the nobles.

When I emerge from beneath a dryad tree, Nydal catches my movement and shouts down to the others, “Over here! Subdue him!”

Some of the nobles must have caught up as I stared out toward the clearing because snapping bollus plants instantly spring up around my feet. Their stems thrash around as they snap their drooling mouths at me. The clicking of their sharp teeth makes me shudder, but they’re not worth wasting my magic on.

I stomp on the ones directly in front of me and leap over the row behind them. One clamps onto my boot as I pass. It screeches as its roots are torn from the soil, but it doesn’t let go. I don’t have time to reach down and pry it off. It will either chew through my boot or be snagged by something and fall off. I focus on putting as much distance between myself and the bolluses as I can.

I barely get a few steps before thick vines shoot up from the dirt, reaching for me from all sides. These plants aren’t rooted in one spot. And they’re too quick to outrun. In seconds, they’ve latched onto my waist and ankles, almost tripping me to the ground.

I’ll have to use my power. There’s no way around it. I cut through them with small bursts of my magic, leaving the severed pieces to flop around in the dirt. More grab hold, and I have to slice through them as well before searching for the elemental behind the attack.

A thick vine wraps around my waist as I look, pulling my attention away. I cut through it and pry it away from my body while scanning the forest again.

I finally find the lanky fae crouched behind me with his fingers buried in the ground. His eyes shoot wide open when he sees me, but that’s the only reaction he has time for. I drop the severed piece of vine and shoot my hand out in his direction. He goes down with one searing bolt of magic to the chest.

With the ground no longer a threat, I pick up my pace.

“Behind you, idiot!” Nydal calls down to someone, giving my location away yet again.

A few seconds later, the air thickens, wrapping painfully around me. I push against it with my heat, but it only tightens its grip. It quickly becomes difficult to breathe. My limbs grow heavy. My steps slow to a crawl. I grunt and drag myself forward, reluctantly unleashing bursts of my magic around me from my paralyzed fingers.

It does nothing. The pressure is almost deafening. The ringing in my ears drowns everything else out. I’ll have to rely on my sight to find my attacker. I scan the part of the forest I can see, but he must be behind me. I strain to turn my body around, but the squeeze is too tight. I’m stuck.

Just as I’m about to shout in frustration, a loud crack echoes through the trees. A body falls from the branches and crashes to the ground at my feet.

It’s Rien, an air elemental. He lands hard on his head, and the pressure instantly releases me. Air rushes back into my lungs. I can breathe again, and I can move my limbs.

I didn’t realize how strong Rien’s magic is. I can’t leave him for later. That kind of power would cause a lot of trouble for us. I crouch down and watch his chest for signs of breathing. He doesn’t move. His head is unnaturally cocked to one side, and blood is pooling around his temple. He seems to be dead. I check his wrist for a pulse to be sure he’s gone. Thankfully, he is, and I won’t need to waste any more time or magic.

The tree he fell from creaks and shudders. Its branches shake, ridding itself of any trace of the noble it just cast down. I thank the dryad for knocking him out of its branches as I take off once again.

I can’t see Nydal through the thick canopy, but he must have caught sight of me. “The coward is over here!” he yells. “Get him!”

If I weren’t in a time crunch, I’d ask how a fae hiding in the air can call anyone a coward.

Shouts echo through the trees, followed by the thunder of boots pounding against the ground. Shards of ice hurtle toward my face, and the forest becomes completely swallowed up by shadows. I throw up a wall of fire just in time, melting the ice before it reaches me. But the bright light from my magic blinds me to what’s happening in the dark beyond its glow.

I cut my magic off and dive behind a thick bush, narrowly missing another shower of ice. Once my eyes have adjusted to the dark, I peer through the branches in search of the water elemental and shadow caster.

A vicious growl followed by a wet, gurgling sound draws my attention to my left. Two glowing, yellow eyes pierce through the darkness, staring right at me. Seconds later, the shadows retreat, revealing the full form of the massive, white Alpha wolf the eyes belong to.

The shadow caster lies at his feet with a mangled throat and a geyser of blood spilling out onto the ground.

The wolf leaps aside, letting a wave of ice shards whiz past. The Alpha’s senses are too sharp. Not only did the water elemental miss, but he also gave up his location. I quickly spot the bright white of the queen’s uniform against the deep blue tree trunks surrounding him.

I step out from behind the bush and drive a fiery bolt of my magic deep into his stomach. His body erupts into flames. He rolls on the ground in a frantic ball of blue fire, desperately trying to save himself.

A larger gray and tan wolf bursts through a thicket of fillana bushes behind him. He’s gripping Shylah, a weak fire elemental, firmly in his jaws. I’m surprised to see her here. She knows her fire is a mere spark compared to my own.

Or rather, it was. The chunk missing from her side tells me her scorching days are over.

I move toward the wolves to thank them but freeze when I hear Nydal shout at someone in the clearing. The wolves take off, leaving me behind with the dead nobles. Whatever is meant to happen in that clearing has begun. I need to get there before Nydal fucks everything up.

I race toward the edge of the forest and burst into the clearing. My eyes find Rue immediately. She’s standing with Allina just inside the opposite tree line.

Her arms are empty.

Rue would never let go of Vaegon once she got him back. Where the fuck is he? Has something happened, and I’m too late?

I start toward her, but a blue glow in the center of the clearing draws my attention. A tall, confident fae stands with the two wolves, staring up at Nydal with his hands lifted to the sky. His bright blue hair matches the blue bolts of magic shooting from his fingertips.

The same blue hair that grows on my own head. The very same magic that I shared with my son. This fae could well be me if it wasn’t for the sharply-angled eyes he’s using to peer up at Nydal. Those are unmistakably Rue’s.

This fully grown, powerful fae is Vaegon. It’s impossible, yet there he stands.

My heart sinks. I have to strain to keep my knees steady. I picture my son the way I saw him last–peaceful, innocent, fully dependent on his parents. I don’t want to believe it, but the truth is right in front of me.

Our little growling pup is never coming back. When the elves took him away, they took him away for good.

I glance over at Rue, wondering how she’s surviving this. Her body is hunched and weary, but her eyes are full of pride. I turn my gaze back to our son, who’s watching Nydal flit through the air, dodging the scorching blue bolts erupting from his hands.

He’s brave and confident. He’s powerful. He wants Nydal dead. I feel quite proud of him, too.

Vaegon grows tired of the chase and presses his palms together. One thick rope of his magic shoots from his fingers, wrapping tightly around Nydal’s body. The rope scorches his skin and feathers. He screams in agony and tries to pull his arms free. Even if he managed to succeed, there’s nothing he could do to save himself.

Nydal’s body whips back and forth in the air as Vaegon jerks the rope around. Blood seeps out of Nydal’s flesh, sizzling against the rope as it digs in deeper His pristine, feathered wings vanish as the pain overwhelms him.

I stride up beside my son and meet the eyes that slide over to assess me.

“Finish him off,” I order, wondering if he’ll challenge my direction. I’m fully prepared to end Nydal myself if he has a problem with it.

Vaegon turns his head and looks me over. One eyebrow rises, then he simply shrugs. He jerks his hand downward, slicing the rope cleanly through Nydal’s torso. The pieces of his body rain down on the grass in a sickening mix of loud and soft thuds.

My son looks at me, waiting for a reaction. Instead, I rush over to Rue and scoop her up against my chest. “Are you okay?” I whisper against her cheek.

“I’m fine,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck and holding me tight.

I keep my back to everyone as we draw strength from each other. I’m still in shock, but she must be completely destroyed. She buries her nose in the hollow of my throat and sighs. The tension in her body quickly falls away. I don’t know how she managed to remain in one piece, but it settles the emotional chaos inside me. If she’s okay, I’m okay, too.

Once I’m sure we’re both ready, I set her gently on her feet. Then, I turn us both around to face the harsh truth of what happened while our son was away.

Vaegon meets my gaze and holds it. Before we can find words to bridge the silence between us, the two Alpha wolves shift back. One is as white as bone with piercing dark eyes. The other is a bulky Alpha with brown hair and a short beard framing his strong jaw.

I’m thrown off when they stop at Vaegon’s side instead of joining me. I’d assumed the shifters were in the forest and heard my struggle, but it seems they might be here with him.

“I think that’s all of them,” the larger Alpha says, introducing himself as Lucas.

“Thank you,” I reply, looking at the other Alpha. “Sadly, there are many more throughout the realm.”

“I’m Anders,” he says. “From what I understand, we’re here to help with that.”

Vaegon says nothing, waiting for me to speak. I’m not sure how to introduce myself to my own son, so I turn back to the Alphas instead. “Durin,” I say. “We’re grateful to have you.”

They both nod and head toward the trees to grab their discarded clothes. I glare at Allina, but I’m quickly distracted by a strange distortion rippling in the air beside her.

“What’s that?” I ask, just as a group of shifters appear in its place and stumble forward.

A tall Beta shifter holds a tiny, golden-haired Omega close to him. Beside them stands a mixed fae shifter with purple hair and a rounded belly. A young Alpha with short, black hair keeps a protective arm around her as he scans his surroundings.

“It’s a gateway to the realm where they kept Vaegon,” Rue says.

I turn my attention back to Vaegon, proud to sense the magic swirling around him. I do believe it rivals my own, just as the seer claimed it would. His annoyed expression softens as the Beta and the green-eyed Omega approach. He wraps his long arms around them and nips at each of their necks.

Mates… he has two.

My heart warms to know he found love in that foreign place. The little Omega steps away from him and fearlessly approaches me, pulling the Beta along behind her. Her boldness reminds me so much of Rue. I can’t help but smile at her.

“I’m Jade, and this is Brody. We’re Vaegon’s mates,” she says before pointing to the other two shifters. “This is Paren. She came over from this realm not too long ago. That is one of her mates, Frederick.”

She looks back and forth between Vaegon and me and adds, “I can’t believe how much he looks like you.”

“I can’t believe he’s older than you,” the Beta, Brody, says, rubbing his jaw as he tries to wrap his head around it.

“Me either,” I reply, turning my eyes to my son. “It’s been only months. I don’t understand.”

“Time passes differently in your realm,” Vaegon says, flicking his eyes over from his mates to address me for the first time.

It’s not the reunion I’d imagined. That hope melted away the second I saw the grown fae for who he was. Hearing him call Faerie my realm stings, but I get it. He doesn’t even remember being here.

“Rue filled us in on what’s been happening,” Jade says. “We’re here to help.”

“We’ll need specifics, though,” Lucas rumbles, lifting Jade into his massive arms. “I won’t bring my family in blind.”

Family? I glance down at Rue, who gives me a weak smile.

“They’re a mate-group,” she explains. “Vaegon has a very big family.”

I look around, wishing I knew more about shifters and their customs. It seems like all of them, even the mixed fae and her mate, are part of one large family unit. As tough as all of this is on Rue, I can see she’s comforted by this part.

I lean down and kiss her gently on the head and whisper, “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not sharing you.”

She snickers and swats at my chest, making me grin despite the tense atmosphere. I tug her closer to me and turn my attention back to Lucas.

“I’ll give you all the information you need, but we must get to safety first. Especially you,” I say to the mixed fae Omega, Paren.

I wonder why they would bring her in such a vulnerable state. But if time really does pass differently in their realm, they’d likely want to avoid what happened to Rue and me.

“Why should we trust you?” Vaegon asks as if the very thought is amusing to him.

“Vaegon,” Paren says gently. “I heard many stories of him helping our kind before I left. And full fae can’t lie. Just ask him. It’s like an Alpha bark over everything they say. They’re incapable of deceit.”

I know the routine, so I jump in. “I hate the queen and her nobles. My mission is to eliminate them, along with anyone who shares their twisted mindset. I’m prepared to die if that’s what it takes to make Faerie safe for everyone.”

Vaegon scoffs and crosses his arms. “You’re younger than any of us. Why should we follow someone less experienced into battle?”

I step around Rue and stand squarely in front of my son. “Less experienced in what, exactly,” I challenge. “This realm and every living thing in it? Like the poisonous plants and the ones starved for flesh? Or do you mean the deadly creatures that strike from the shadows and how to defend oneself against them? Are you more experienced with the nobles and their magic? Or the castle’s layout and all its hidden secrets? Perhaps you’re referring to the indestructible queen herself?”

I scoff back and step away. “Do you really believe you’re superior to the fae who gave you the very power you’re so confident in?”

I raise my arms and let my magic surge forward. A wall of blue fire, charged with the queen’s energy, erupts from my hands, towering over the tallest trees and stretching wide across the clearing. Vaegon tenses, his eyes darting to the family he’s now separated from.

A flicker of worry crosses his face. My point has been made. I draw my magic back in before using too much of it, leaving only a scorched line in the grass between us.

“Follow me, or don’t,” I say flatly. “But don’t slow me down or get in my fucking way. If you can’t handle that, go back to your own realm and leave me to fix mine.”

Rue tugs at my tunic, but I keep my focus on my son. He lifts his chin and considers me for a moment before a smirk spreads across his lips.

“Fine,” he says. “Lead the way.”

The dryads immediately rustle their leaves, urging us into the woods. I turn to them and pull Rue along with me. We lead the group into the cover of the forest, leaving the clearing behind. Allina wisely stays silent and trails behind the group. Once we’re safely enveloped by the trees, the landscape shifts into the familiar elven territory I’ve come to know over the past few months.

Vaegon, the elf, appears and strides ahead of us. “Come,” he orders as he ventures deeper into the forest.

Gasps ring out behind me. I glance back and catch Paren whispering to Jade. “It’s another elf!”

They grin at him while the Alphas glare at the back of his head, sizing him up. I look down at Rue, recalling her own excitement when she first met him. How drastically that has changed.

I have hope she’ll forgive the elves for what they’ve done, although I’m not convinced it will happen any time soon.