Page 53

Khaos

I watch her run into the trees. Then I sit for a long time, staring at the spot where she disappeared as the sun falls lower in the sky.

Inside me, Fury growls. He doesn’t approve of the way I dealt with that situation.

He’s right. I fucked up. But Trystan’s arrival has sent my mind into a bad place. I’d been pretending the outside world doesn’t exist, pretending that I don’t have a choice.

Except I do.

I just have to accept the consequences of the choices I make.

Fury wants to go after Amber now.

He wants me to grovel.

But I suspect this time words will not be enough.

She’s gone to see Hecate, so she’s safe while I go and get rid of Trystan. I need to clean up this mess, and tossing Trystan out on his ass is the first step. Then I’ll determine the next.

For that, I need to talk to Hecate. Because I have a confession to make. That’s going to be an interesting conversation… and one I may not survive. If I do somehow survive it, then I want her advice.

Someone shouts in the distance. It’s Thanouq, and I jump to my feet and race toward the sound, toward the village. Night has fallen, and the moon has not yet risen, but I move easily through the darkness.

I meet Thanouq halfway back.

“The wards have been breached,” he says. “Shadowguard.”

“Shit.”

“It’s the western edge.”

My first thought is to get to Amber. I turn toward the village.

“Hecate is getting everyone to safety,” Thanouq says, and I stop.

“They’re prepared for this,” he continues. “Hecate knows what she’s doing. She said we’re to clear the area. Kill any inside, and she’ll get the wards back up.”

Fury growls. If Amber is in danger, he wants to be there, beside her, to protect her. But I know Thanouq is right. Our best way of protecting Amber is to eliminate the shadowguard, make sure they get nowhere near the village.

“Let’s go kill the fuckers,” I say. Though apparently we’re not actually killing them. Something else I didn’t know.

I shift, and beside me, Thanouq does the same. We don’t need discussions—we’ve done this before. I’ve taken orders when I was younger, and I’ve given orders, but I’ve never worked with someone as a team. It’s good to know he has my back.

Fury leaps forward as Thanouq launches into the air. Within minutes, I see the first of them. There are maybe thirty. No problem.

I attack from the front while Thanouq swoops down from behind. Fury has always loved to fight, and I hand over the reins to him, slipping into the background while he does his thing. My world is a haze of blood and claws.

Soon they’re gone. Back to Hell, no doubt.

I stand, panting slightly, sniffing the air for any further threat, but there’s nothing. We spend the next couple of hours searching the area, Thanouq from the sky, me on the ground.

When we’re sure there are no more, Thanouq lands beside me and shifts back into human form.

I don’t shift. I can get back to the village faster like this. I need to get to Amber, make sure she’s all right.

Tell her I choose her. That I want to be better.

Do I tell her everything?

Not now. I’m afraid she won’t understand.

Soon.

I find Hecate standing outside the house, watching me approach. I shift as I get close.

“Where’s Amber?” she says.

I swallow. “I thought she was with you. She’s not here?” I can hear the panic rising in my voice. “She said she was coming to see you.”

“When?”

“A couple of hours ago. Maybe.” Shit. “Have you seen Trystan?”

“No.” Fear flashes across her face. “What has your friend done, prince?”

More shit. I have a bad feeling about this. Fury whines. What the fuck has Trystan done? Rage rises inside me. Is he taking her to my father?

He’s always been ambitious but with little talent to back it up. Maybe he sees this as a way of currying favor. Damn him. I’ll rip him limb from limb if he’s touched her in any way.

Thanouq appears and looks between the two of us. “What’s happened?”

“Amber is missing. So is Trystan. I think he might be taking her to my father.”

“Bastard.”

“I must go. I’ll find them.” I look at Hecate and see the pain in her eyes. “I’ll bring her back. I promise.”

She nods.

“I’ll come with you,” Thanouq says.

“One of us needs to stay, in case there are more shadowguard around.”

“I’m faster,” he replies.

Fury lets out a low growl, and Thanouq raises a brow. I force Fury down, but he’s livid, raging. There’s no way I can wait here. “You might be faster, but if there are just the two of them, it will be easier to track them from the ground.”

He gives me a long look, but something convinces him—maybe Fury peering out of my eyes. “Go,” he says. “Find her. Kill him.”

“I will.” Anything else is not an option.

Without another word, I shift and race off. I head in the direction the shadowguard came from. Something tells me Trystan leaving and the attack are connected. Maybe he thought to buy himself time by bringing the wards down.

I pick up their scent close to the wards, both Trystan’s and Amber’s. And blood. Luckily, it’s Trystan’s. There’s evidence of some sort of fight. Then outside the ward, I find Nightfall, Amber’s sword, stuck in the ground. Fury throws back his head and howls.

But there’s no time to waste. They’ve got a big head start.

Nose down, I find the trail. Fury whines. The telltale stench of shadowguard mingles with Amber and Trystan’s.

There’s not a moment to lose.

I leap forward and race into the night.