Page 78

MARLOWE

Beta shifters rushed out of the gaps in the outer wall that my pack had made, fleeing towards the safety of the trees in the distance.

“We have to cover them, Wasabi,”

I said to the vryscral, who trilled in agreement.

I pulled magic into my hands, shaping it into a bow and arrow. If I was supposed to be the “arrow that will pierce the hearts of men and fae alike,”

I might as well take my prophecy literally.

Had I ever shot a bow and arrow before? Just in gym class in high school. But trying to remember the mechanics of it all only brought forth memories of my creepy gym teacher who had insisted on “helping”

all the girls by grabbing them from behind to adjust their postures.

Gross.

I looked down, searching for my first target, when I spotted him—a fae soldier, using a whip of magic to wrap around the leg of an escaping beta. I allowed my instinct to take over, letting the magical arrow loose and praying it didn’t just fall pathetically three feet in front of me.

Much to my delighted surprise, it found its target perfectly, piercing straight through the fae’s armor into his heart.

Wow, maybe the prophecy had been literal.

I created and notched another arrow, shooting a fae guard who was chasing after a young child.

The arrow struck again, and I gave myself a little fist pump, guiding Wasabi to another area.

“…Or you can fight. Not for him. Not for me. But for us. For our kind, for our brothers and sisters rotting behind these walls.”

Cam’s words were carried by the wind, and I flew closer to the gate to watch as he attempted to wrest control of the king’s alpha army.

“…we will tear down this kingdom that has wronged you—brick by brick, bone by bone.”

Growls erupted through the crowd, Cam’s position as their new leader now cemented in their shifter psyche.

Even I was ready to follow him into the depths of hell. I mean, I had been before this whole mess. But damn, he was just so sexy…

Okay, focus!

I found another couple of fae soldiers, dispatching of them pretty easily. From up here, Kian and I were making quick work. But I knew the real battle was still ahead of me, and by the looks of how things were progressing between the king and Ezra, it was almost time for me to step in.

Ezra went down, my chest constricting as Alaroth tortured him with his magic, trying to regain his control over my brother’s mind.

What if Cam’s alpha command didn’t work? Would Ezra be brainwashed into fighting Cam again? If so, would he be able to take back his “dominance?”

I needed to end this quickly.

I directed Wasabi to fly towards them when I felt a harsh jolt through her body, and she let loose a tormented roar. Warm liquid gushed down my foot and I looked down to where a silver arrow had pierced her side, missing my leg by inches.

“Wasabi!”

I screamed, trying to hold on as my magnificent vryscral faltered in her wing beats, succumbing to the injury and letting gravity take over.

We fell, and I grasped at nothing, too stunned and scared to think or yell, knowing that from this high up, the impact would likely kill me.

Was this really how I would die? It was a blessing, I supposed. Whether it was Ezra losing his ranking as “alpha of alphas”

or my untimely demise, Alaroth wouldn’t be able to bring his plans to fruition. I was just sad I hadn’t had more time with my pack.

My tears floated above me and I closed my eyes, waiting to hit the ground, when two arms wrapped around me and I jolted to a sudden stop, my fall suspended in mid air.

“I’ve got you, Marlowe,”

Kian gasped, his chest heaving.

I grabbed onto his neck, shaking in fear and sobbing. “Wasabi’s been hit! We have to help her!”

He nodded, shielding us in iridescent light as we landed in the middle of the haven. Kian used his shadows to choke any lingering fae, and I rushed towards my vryscral lying still on the ground.

“Wasabi, no…”

I cried. She opened her eyes a crack, mewling softly. Dark blue blood spilled on the ground, and I ripped off part of my skirt to press against the wound. “I don’t know what to do…”

I whispered to myself, my voice shaking. “I don’t know what to do!” I yelled.

Two wolves bounded towards me, shifting as they arrived into Archer and Nolan.

“Marlowe!”

Nolan gasped, holding my face in his hands. He looked me up and down. “Are you alright? I saw you fall, I thought… I thought…”

“Kian saved me. But Wasabi, she’s hurt…”

Archer placed his hands on mine where they lay on Wasabi’s flank. “Have you tried magic yet?”

I sniffed, trying to make sense of what he was saying. “Magic?”

Archer nodded. “We don’t know the full extent of our powers. Who’s to say you can’t heal?”

Kian kept us behind his shield, using whips of black shadow like he’d been training to do this for years.

I was in total awe of his abilities. He’d been able to learn new ways to manipulate his magic since the beginning, experimenting constantly. Why was I still shying away from it?

I released a shuddering breath, trying not to let Wasabi’s slowing heartbeat scare me. I closed my eyes, and focused. So far, I’d used my magic in anger. When I’d called it forth, it had been to hurt someone or protect myself.

But now I pictured love. Wholeness. Completion. I pictured my vryscral healthy and running towards me, rubbing her big, green, scaly head against my side and trilling happily.

A pleasant feeling flooded my veins, and soon a warm, white light began to glow from the palms of my hands. I concentrated on moving that light into my Wasabi, imagining it stopping the bleeding and healing the damage the silver arrow had made internally.

Wasabi’s skin began to slowly knit itself together beneath my touch, and her breathing deepened.

“It’s working,”

I whispered, my voice raspy. “Archer… look!”

He kissed me on the cheek. “I can see. You’re magnificent, Marlowe.”

“The best,”

Nolan confirmed.

I didn’t have a second to spare as a guttural scream erupted from the direction of the front gate.

Marlowe! He released those rabid alphas!

“Cam!”

I gasped. Not only was he no match for the Berserkers, but if he was busy dealing with them, that meant Ezra was on his own against the king. I had to hurry over there, but there were dozens of soldiers blocking the path.

Archer took the bloody rag from my hands. “Go, Marlowe, I’ve got Wasabi. Kian, Nolan—clear her way!”

The vampyr and the shifter looked at each other and then back to Archer, followed by Kian’s cheeky smile and sarcastic salute. “Yes, alpha!”

Nolan helped me to my feet and then shifted with a snarl, leaping over Wasabi and through the shield that still protected me, tearing down the closest fae by his neck.

Kian ran ahead, using his darkened wisps like a mass of writhing tentacles, grabbing and strangling any and all oncoming threats.

Meanwhile I ran. Thank God for adrenaline, because for the first time in my life, I had the energy I needed to propel my legs to move and my lungs to breathe without collapsing into a gasping mess.

Maybe Archer had been right about me going jogging more often, but it was too late for “coulda, woulda, shouldas.”

I jumped over debris, side stepped bodies, and bounded straight for the gate. By the sound of snarls and screams, it didn’t sound like things were going our way, and I dreaded the scene I would arrive onto.

My mind flooded with images of Cam torn to bits, of Ezra’s body bent to unnatural angles…

Focus! I screamed internally. I couldn’t think about that now, I just needed to hurry.

Thighs pumping, lungs heaving, I continued to sprint my way through the haven, ignoring the moans of the guards and shifters alike who lay on the ground. I couldn’t stop for anything.

I’m coming, just hold on!

I screamed as a guard leapt at me from behind a small shed, but Nolan’s jaws wrapped around his bicep, tearing him down before he could even touch me.

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

A whole row of soldiers descended upon us, until the ground shook and a wave of alpha shifters stormed through the line, cutting down foe after foe, fae after fae. Nolan joined the fray, and with a wave of his arm, Kian placed another shield around me, making sure an errant shifter couldn’t knock me off course.

“We’ll cover you from this side!”

he yelled.

I didn’t even have time to acknowledge him as I skidded through, my blood freezing as I took in the scene in front of me.

Cam was managing to hold his own for the moment despite the deep cuts along his chest, while Ezra writhed on the ground, his face contorted in pain. Blood trickled from his eyes, ears, and mouth as Alaroth stood over him, his hands outstretched.

“What use do I have for an insubordinate dog?”

he sneered, sending another wave of torment through him. His body, laying prone on the ground, stilled.

“Stop!”

I yelled, my fists balled and shaking at my sides. My chest heaved from the exertion it had taken to get here, but my gaze was deadly calm.

The king stilled, turning around slowly to face me. “Ah, my beloved. Come to watch me destroy your brother? I’ll move on to your alphas next, if the Berserkers don’t take care of them first.”

Before I could form another bow and arrow, he appeared right in front of me, his hand snapping out and grabbing me around the neck.

“Call the rest here,”

he said with a vicious taunt. “I’d love to finally meet them all. To gaze upon the males my future queen preferred over me.”

I gasped, trying in vain to rip his hand off me but he was too strong. He kept a firm enough grip to restrict the air flow, enough where I couldn’t think clearly, but not enough where I would pass out.

“Use that bond of yours. I want to see the look on your face when I turn your packs’ organs to mush right in front of you.”

I shook my head, concentrating on my breathing. I couldn’t lose consciousness now, we were so close.

“And where’s that vampyr boy? I see you’re still cozying up to those bloodsuckers. I thought you’d been smart enough to learn your lesson by now, but apparently not.”

He looked over his shoulder in disgust at Ezra, now seizing on the ground. He tsked and shook his head, turning back to me. “Honestly, I’m not sure I have any use for either of you at this point. As far as omegas go, you’ve been a grave disappointment.”

His grip on me tightened. “The question now is which will satisfy me the most—killing you in front of your pack, or killing your pack in front of you?”

My face felt cool, and stars lined my vision, my hands barely moving as I struggled to get myself free.

No, it couldn’t end like this!

Pained howls sounded behind me, and Kian let out a scream, soon drowned out by the yelling of fae soldiers.

All I could see was Alaroth’s cruel face, the hatred and malice seeping through every pore of his pale skin.

He lowered his nose and took a deep breath, his body shuddering slightly. “Yes, it would be a shame if I never fully tasted you. At least once.”

A sad whimper made its way from my chest, and the sound carried to the Berserker melee Cam was still fighting in.

The feral alphas all stilled, turning towards me and sniffing the air.

“Come…”

I whispered.

Alaroth leaned closer. “What was that, beloved?”

“Come,”

I said louder.

“Why, yes,”

he laughed. “I fully intend to…”

The smile on his face faltered once he heard the approaching snarls.

The Berserkers stampeded en masse, ripping Alaroth away and grabbing me roughly. “Him!”

I screamed, pointing at the king. “Go after him!”

They paused in their mating pursuit, their wild eyes widening in understanding, and they redirected their manic energy towards the Starborne fae. Deep growls sounded from their chests, their fingers flexing and ready to slice.

“Back!”

ordered Alaroth, a crazed look falling across his features. “I am commanding you to stand down!”

They snapped their teeth as they descended, snarling and swiping, and he was quickly swallowed up by the pack.

I knew he wouldn’t be down for long, though. From the center of the brawl, a bright light flashed, and the Berserkers, one by one, were thrown several feet away. Their bodies landed with a thud on the ground, their faces burned clear off.

I wanted to check on Cam and Ezra, but I couldn’t allow myself to miss my chance. I clenched the stone on my necklace, feeling its power absorb into me. Pure energy flooded my veins, my body heating and starting to glow beneath my skin. I felt invincible. Divine.

Damn, was this Aetherium or PCP?

Finally in one big burst, Alaroth emerged from the fight, the Berserkers falling around him in pieces as his chest heaved. He was covered in blood, his clothes ripped to shreds, and he extended his hand towards me to deliver my punishment.

But it was too late for him. Strength surrounded me like a whirlwind, and I summoned my magical weapon once more. The bow grew and I pulled back its string, nocking the arrow as I aimed.

Finally he gasped, his anger slipping away to fear. “What are you doing?”

he rasped.

I concentrated on the tip of the arrow, channeling all the Aetherium into that one point.

“You’re the one who was obsessed with that stupid prophecy,”

I spat with untold hostility. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m just living up to my destiny.”

His eyes widened in shock as I let loose, the arrow driving straight through his chest and hitting its mark.

Power erupted from where he stood, sending out shock waves and knocking back the shifters and fae alike. I managed to hold my footing, the trace amounts of pure Aetherium keeping me steady in place.

Alaroth dropped to his knees, blood trickling from his open mouth, gasping for air like a fish on land.

“No…”

he garbled, reaching to pull out an arrow that had long since disappeared, its mortal wound irreversible.

I stepped closer, nocking another arrow.

“Yes.”

It flew straight into his neck, and I watched as he convulsed slightly before finally bucking, falling forward and hitting the ground with a large thunk.

The light left his eyes, and his body immediately began to decay, his magic pouring out of him like a fog that covered the ground. The shifter army howled in victory, chasing out the fae soldiers as they made a hasty retreat through the front gate.

I turned quickly, ready to celebrate our victory, when I found Ezra and Cam, laying still on the ground.

“No!”

I screamed, running towards them. I fell, reaching out to place a hand on each of their bodies as I called forth the same magic I’d used to heal Wasabi.

“Please, please, please,”

I whispered, tears running in steady streams down my face. “Please don’t be too late.”

I heard the footsteps of my pack approaching me in their wolf forms. Julian whimpered, pushing Cam’s arm slightly with his muzzle as Elias sat beside me, alert and protective. Archer and Nolan stood next to Kian, the three of them covered in blood and their own injuries.

Please…

A pixie flitted by, landing on the ground and tiptoeing towards Cam. My breath stopped as she leaned forward, blowing dust into his face. He immediately sneezed, groaning as he rolled over.

“Cam!”

I cried. Julian shifted back, checking on our pack leader while I turned my attention towards Ezra. The pixie flew to me, buzzing around my face.

“Help mean alpha?”

she asked.

I let out a small laugh, finally wiping my cheeks. “Yes, please help him. I promise he won’t be mean anymore.”

She flew in a few circles before covering Ezra’s face in more dust, and then taking off as he coughed, swatting the air above him.

I let out a garbled gasp and clutched his face. “You don’t get to die on me twice, you big jerk!”

Moaning and wincing from the residual pain in his head, he cracked open an eye and managed a smirk. “Sorry, bitch,”

he replied, his voice weak.

Relief washed through me, and all the adrenaline from the fight and the pure Aetherium I’d funneled through me was hitting me all at once, and I began to waver from where I sat.

The sound of shifters snarling against fae soldiers lowered to a quiet din as my vision darkened. “Hey, anyone mind if I take a nap?”

And then the world went black.