Page 22

Helian

A fter a filling meal of vegetable stew and bread, I stared at the heavy curtains drawn to block out the midday sun while Tari, Finn, and the children curled up on a rug beside the hearth for a nap. The inn was full, and Nikkos occupied the only bed in the room. I didn’t have the heart to toss him out when the tang of his blood still filled the air. Besides, Tari looked comfortable in Finn’s arms, the children sleeping beside them while the hearth fire warmed their bones.

So I kicked off my boots and rested in a big chair opposite my sleeping family. The only awake soul in a dark and stuffy room, I was left to stew on a thousand different thoughts, from worrying about the advancing demon army to my tenuous position as heir of the Caldarian throne. If I wanted to claim it, I would have to do so soon, and I knew it wouldn’t be without a fight. The question was, did I want it? Not particularly. But then who would rule Caldaria, and was it fair for me to reject the throne and deny my unborn son his birthright?

The dragon army was close to the city, for their roars had been rattling the tavern all morning. They sounded agitated. Was it because the town had disappeared? I’d been mentally calling to Radnor, but so far, he’d only given me short, rude replies.

Prince, the dragon’s dark voice finally echoed in my head. What are you doing?

Ahh, so now he wanted to talk? Waiting for Tari to wake.

Why, when you could be flying?

I watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. She wasn’t waking for a while. I have to guard her and the children.

The shifter can guard them. There’s something you need to see.

I perked at that, tired of sitting in this stuffy room. I decided not to comment on how Radnor still refused to acknowledge my brothers by name. They would always be “the shifters” to him. I would’ve expected nothing less from Radnor. Dragons were notorious for scorning all Fae, except their riders. Sometimes, they despised their riders too. I considered myself lucky Radnor respected me—usually. Besides, I did want to go riding.

Finn , I projected to my brother through thought.

His eyes flew open, then narrowed to glowing, wolfish slits. What is it?

Radnor needs me to see something. Are you okay to watch Tari and the girls by yourself?

His low growl vibrated the worn rug beneath my feet. I’m not going to justify that question with an answer.

I’m coming , I projected to Radnor while throwing on my boots and sheathing my sword. What’s happening?

You’ll see.

Great. Another cryptic response. Whatever it was, I had an uneasy feeling it wasn’t good.

I quickly exited the inn, avoiding the arguments in the street. Some townspeople were complaining that the merchants couldn’t find the port. Others were arguing they’d rather that than be overrun by demons.

The strangest thing happened when I stepped off the boardwalk and into the sand dunes. The bustling town behind me vanished, the sounds muted, and all I saw was a vast beach with a high tide lapping along the shoreline surrounded by undulating sand dunes. I squinted at a rocky inlet that was naturally carved into the beach, where the water was deeper, and the docks were somehow hidden, but I saw not a single mast or sail. Wild. I would use that as a marker when I was searching for the town, but I hoped I could find my way inside.

Radnor met me on the beach. His mate and hatchling soared overhead, their agitated roars telling me something was definitely wrong. As soon as I jumped onto Radnor’s back, he shot into the sky like an arrow, leaving his mate and child behind while flying across the dunes. I relished the sun on my face and the wind blowing back my hair. I didn’t get enough flying time at Malvolia’s castle, and I grew restless when I couldn’t fly. I was honestly surprised I hadn’t started drinking again, but glad that I didn’t give in to the temptation. I’d become a better Fae after I stopped drinking.

The dragon army was farther down the beach, spread out in a cluster of large nests made up of moss, sticks, and discarded sails surrounding a tent city that was thrice the size of Cyrene. Riders and dragons converged on the other side of the tent city, separated into two groups, as if divided by an invisible line in the sand. Ivar and his goons stood on one side, and another group of dragon riders stood on the other. Dragons hovered over their riders, snarling at each other. Both groups were on the verge of a brawl that would no doubt end up with many crushed and burned riders and scarred dragons. No wonder Radnor had left Isa and Triss behind.

What’s going on? I asked Radnor as we circled around them.

Dissent among the ranks , he answered. Many dragons and their riders want to return to Peloponese and battle demons, but their leader is a coward.

The captain who led the attack against innocent women and children is a coward? I shook my head while scowling at the riders below. One with a stump for an arm stood out among them. I’m shocked.

Radnor made a sharp turn, soaring low across the ocean and cutting through the waves with his talons. Salty water sprayed my face and cooled my thighs as I hugged the saddle. I held on tight, moving with Radnor as if we were a single being, when he pulled up sharply and made an abrupt turn.

He aimed for the throng of dragons and riders. They need a king to unite them.

And there it was. The real reason Radnor had called me outside. He wanted me to claim my throne and assert myself as the leader of the army.

I can’t abandon Tari. The excuse fell flat, even to my own ears. Why was I resisting? Why hadn’t I claimed my throne? Was I a coward too?

You wouldn’t have to. Don’t forget, she’s a dragon rider now too. Tari needs the dragon army to help her defeat the demons , he rumbled. You have the best claim to the throne, but you need to seize it now before the army unravels.

Curse the Elements, he was right. Now was my chance to assert myself as their leader. Goddess protect me, I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I heaved a resigned groan. Okay.

What? His chuckle echoed in my skull. No fight?

I’m about to be a father , I answered, wondering if I’d finally lost my mind. It’s time I grew up and accepted my responsibility.

He dipped hard to the right, then circled back toward the crowd. Then let’s go bite off a few heads.

* * *

Tari

I WOKE TO THE DISTINCT sound of dishes clanking and what sounded like a chair being dragged across the floor. Slowly sitting up, I rubbed sleep from my eyes. Pink streams of sunlight filtered into the room and a warm fire lit the hearth beside me. The girls were following the young shifter, Bridget, around like they were her personal shadows as she pulled a small table to the center of the room. Bridget’s face was screwed up tight, as if my children were bothersome fleas. I didn’t see Helian or Finn, though I heard the sound of Nikkos’s steady snores coming from the bed. My nostrils flared and my tummy rumbled at the delicious smell of garlic, onions, and warm butter. I rested a hand on my abdomen. Fortunately, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of nausea, only the pangs of hunger.

Aurora was the first to notice I’d woken up. “Mommy!” She bound up to me like an excited puppy.

I grunted when she slammed into me. “My baby!” I tried to smother her with kisses as I took her into my arms.

She quickly pulled away, her face flushing, her gaze darting to Bridget. “I’m not a baby anymore.”

My heart faltered at her rejection. I shouldn’t have been offended. It was obvious she was trying to pretend she was a big girl to impress Bridget.

Ember sat in my lap while clutching her doll to her chest. “Are you okay, Mommy?”

I pushed back my emotions and stroked her arms, pleased when she didn’t pull away. “Where’s Papa and Uncle?”

“Uncle Helian is with the dragons,” Ember said. “Papa Finn is downstairs.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I need a hug first.”

She gladly hugged me, and then Aurora surprised me with a hug too. Guess she could still be a big girl and love her mommy.

Aurora motioned toward Bridget as the shifter stoked the embers in the hearth with a scowl. “Did you know Bridget is a shifter like us?”

“I did.” I dared not look at Bridget. It was clear something was bothering her, whether it be my children or something else. “I’ve met her before.”

“She just learned how to shift, and she’s twelve,” Ember said, frowning. “Papa Finn said we have to wait eight more years to shift.”

Aurora crossed her arms with a pout. “That’s a very long time.”

“I know, darlings, but that’s okay.” Despite the tightness in my throat, I managed a smile. “You don’t want to rush.” I wasn’t ready for them to grow up, especially not when I’d already missed so much of their childhood.

“Why not?” Aurora stomped a foot, as if I’d denied her a second tart.

Ugh. I hadn’t realized this would be so hard. It took all my willpower to fight back tears. “I want you to stay my babies for as long as possible.”

Aurora vehemently shook her head. “I want to be a grown wolf, so I can fight demons.”

“No!” A jolt of panic shot through me. “You saw what the demons did to Papa Ash and your uncles. I don’t want you fighting demons.” I checked their necks to make sure they each wore their tau stone necklaces, so the demon mistress, Megaera, couldn’t teleport them to her lair again. They were lucky they’d survived their ordeal, but they might not be so fortunate if it happened again. I fixed them each with a stern look. “Understood?”

“Yes, Mama,” they said in unison.

I hugged them both, refusing to release them when Aurora squirmed against me. If anything happened to them, I’d burn down the world to get them back—one more reason Shiri was a better Fae than me, because I knew she’d be behind me, putting out the fires.

Startled by the loud clanking of glass, I released the girls, then narrowed my eyes on Bridget. “Is everything okay?”

She refused to answer as she set out platters of food on the table.

“She’s upset because her brothers and papa went fishing,” Aurora whispered rather loudly, “and now they can’t find their way back.”

“They have been gone a long time because there’s no more fish here,” Ember whispered.

“Oh?” And the young shifter was taking it out on me. I should’ve expected this. Never mind that I was trying to protect the town from being eaten by demon spiders.

“Papa Finn and Uncle Helian explained to everyone that you were protecting them,” Ember said while combing out her doll’s silky curls with her fingers, “but they’re still mad that you hid their town. They say the traders can’t find them.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell them the spiders probably ate all the traders. I schooled my face into a mask of indifference. “They’ll thank me later.”

Bridget gave me a sharp look but didn’t say anything as she stormed out of the room. My girls jumped from the bed, chasing after Bridget while begging her to wait for them.

Finn poked his head inside the room, his sharp shifter eyes focused on me. “Hey.”

I bit my lip, then patted the warm blankets beside me. “Hey.”

He crawled onto the blankets, a mixture of emotions, from desire to concern, swirling in his silvery eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Rested,” I said on a sigh when he pulled me into his lap. I draped my arms over his shoulders, looking into his eyes. “So the town hates me now?”

His brows drew together as he rubbed warmth into my shoulders. “They don’t hate you.”

I wasn’t convinced. “They need to understand I did it for their protection.”

“Most do.” He shrugged. “Only a few are upset.”

“Yeah, like the shifters who handled my food.” I wondered how much spit was in the soup.

“The food’s fine. I watched them prepare it,” Finn said with a wink while tapping his nose. “Besides, I’d smell if they put anything foul in it.”

That was good to know. And it smelled heavenly.

When a moan sounded from the bed, I struggled to stand. “I need to heal Nikkos.”

“He’s stable,” he said, motioning toward the small table laden with food. “No magic until you get some nourishment.”

He led me to the table and pulled out my chair. The girls came in, and Finn and I helped serve them. I was surprised and delighted to see four bowl-shaped loaves of bread with creamy soup inside each one.

“These look better than tarts!” Aurora exclaimed.

“We must ask Cook to make us these,” Ember added.

By Cook, I knew they meant the chef who worked at Abyssus. I wondered if my children expected to live there after this war. I hoped not. They’d be sorely disappointed, though I was certain we’d make arrangements for them to visit frequently.

The soup had no meat, only vegetables, a result of the dragons eating all the town’s fish and game. The dragons needed to return to Peloponese, though I worried they’d continue to overstay their welcome unless Helian intervened.

By the time we finished our food, I was feeling much stronger. Finn leaned back in his chair while flexing his muscular, tanned arms covered with tribal tattoos. He was so incredibly sexy with his messy mop of hair and those dimpled cheeks. Though his body was as hard as granite, inside he was as soft as uncooked bread. I missed his sweet smile and unwavering loyalty. I also missed his gentle touch when we made love. It had been a week since he’d taken me to bed, but it felt like I’d been waiting a lifetime. If the girls and Nikkos weren’t in the room, I would’ve pushed him back onto the fur rug and had my way with him.

Finn loudly cleared his throat, and I blushed when I caught his fiery gaze. What are you thinking? His deep rumble echoed in my mind.

I licked my lips as a dull ache pulsed between my thighs. You know.

I wish I could get you alone.

I sighed aloud. You and me both.

Later , he said on a rumble while pushing away from the table. Helian will watch the girls, and I don’t give a damn who protests.

“Do you think you have the strength to conceal a few more places?” he asked aloud while helping me from my seat.

“Yes,” I said, sitting on the bed beside Nikkos. I frowned at the burns covering his body and his wings, which reminded me of ragged sails. His breathing was steady, but he looked horrible. “But what about Nikkos?” I whispered as I placed a hand across the injured firemage’s forehead. Shiri wouldn’t be happy if I left him in this state.

“He’s asleep,” Finn said, squeezing my shoulder, “and not in danger of dying. But our friends and family are in danger of being eaten by demonic spiders.”

“May we go to Abyssus first?” Aurora pleaded while tugging on my gown.

I winced at her loud tone, though Nikkos didn’t stir.

Ember vehemently nodded. “We need to protect Miss Euphemia.”

“And the shifter stronghold,” Finn added.

I chewed on my lip while feeling Nikkos’s steady pulse. “Of course.”

They were right. Nikkos did need a healer, but he was safe for now. Our friends and family weren’t. I would hate for anything to happen to them.

I smiled down at Aurora. “Do you remember how to get there?”

She nodded.

“What about Helian?” I asked Finn.

“He’s flying with Radnor.” Expelling a breath, he dragged his hands through his hair. “And I don’t want to wait for him. I have an uneasy feeling.”

My heart leapt into my throat as I stood and held out a hand to him. “Then let’s go. Just give me a moment.” I worried Helian would return and wonder what happened to us. Helian , I called to him through thought, though I didn’t get a response. I wasn’t surprised. That tether that connected us telepathically felt as if it had stretched too thin. He and Radnor had flown too far away.

Isa , I called to my dragon through thought, as I sensed her nearby.

My shoulders sagged in relief when her deep rumble echoed in my skull. How do you feel, Goddess?

Rested. We’re going to conceal the shifter stronghold and Abyssus. Will you come with us? I realized it was a big ask, but I’d need her to fly me above Abyssus, and I could also use her strength, if she let me.

Of course. You know I’m here for you, but Triss must come with us, and I’m not dragging my child into a war.

Don’t worry. I smiled down at my girls. The safety of the children will always come first. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that, though my gut twisted and turned with worry that we would be too late to help our friends.

* * *

Tari

A URORA WAS CONFIDENT that she could teleport all of us to Abyssus. After the girls, Finn, and I climbed onto Isa’s back, Isa clung to her hatchling. In the next moment, we were in the courtyard at Abyssus. I heaved a relieved sigh when I saw the castle grounds were unchanged. We startled the guards, but luckily, they didn’t attack. After explaining the threat, the silver-winged mage called Romulus led us above the castle.

The magic came easier and flowed faster when I rubbed Isa’s scales. Either the tea was wearing off, or Isa’s strength was more powerful than I realized. We floated back down through a sea of mist that shielded the castle grounds, ending up in the courtyard that appeared to be nothing but a sea of trees from the sky. I warned the guards to be on the lookout for the demon spiders, just in case the spell didn’t work, though I hoped it did for my family’s sake. Abyssus was important to Shiri and the girls, so it was important to me too.

I hated denying Aurora and Ember when they begged to go to their nursery, but Finn was anxious to go to the shifter stronghold, so we bade the guards goodbye and landed in the center of a muddy courtyard of what I could only describe as skeletal buildings, remnants of walls without flooring or roofs. I squeezed Isa’s scales, my breath catching when I saw a stone staircase heading to nowhere, the walls having disappeared from the structure.

Finn tossed back his head with a howl that shattered my heart.

Triss whimpered and the girls cried.

I smell evil. Isa let out a hiss. We need to go.

I clung to Aurora, whispering in her ear. “Take us back to Cyrene.”

She nodded while letting out a blubbery sob. I blinked, and we were on Cyrene’s beach, the waves lapping at Isa’s paws. A boat was dragging nets through the current, the confused fishermen gaping at us with wide eyes.

I turned to Finn, who had gone completely still, the stricken look in his eyes a blade through my heart.

I’m sorry, darling , I projected while rubbing his arm, not knowing what else to say. I thought of all the towns between the shifter stronghold and Cyrene and wished I could hide them all, but we couldn’t teleport to towns that Aurora hadn’t visited.

He swiped tears from his eyes and looked away. It’s not your fault.

So why did I feel to blame? Maybe they got away in time , I said, though my confidence faltered. I’d seen how fast and lethal those spiders could be. They’d nearly overpowered my family. It had taken two white witches and Radnor to defeat them. What chance did a pack of injured shifters have against them?

We need to go to Fallax , Finn projected to me, the agony in his voice a blade to my soul, and protect the satyrs there.

“Can you take us to Fallax?” I whispered to Aurora.

“Yes, Mommy,” she said with a sniffle.

In the next moment, we were situated in front of the big pyramid. Triss let out a squeal of delight, running circles around her mother as satyrs ran toward us with bleating shouts of joy.

The satyrs were already outside, as if they’d been expecting us. Perhaps they had been. They also had seers, after all.

High Priestess Esther, an elderly satyr with tawny skin and a long, silver braid, bowed low before us. “Goddesses, Isa and Triss, and Prince Lykaios, it is so nice to see you.”

The satyrs helped us down from Isa’s back, and I couldn’t contain my relief when Priestess Kaida approached me with two familiar pairs of rabbit ears poking from the sack around her neck.

“Demon and Angel!” the girls squealed, taking the sack from Kaida as if they held fragile eggs.

We sat on the ground in front of Isa while the rabbits happily hopped across my lap. They each stopped to give me several butterfly kisses while I rubbed their long, silky ears. How I’d missed them. They quickly forgot about us when I grew them a lush carpet of flowers and grass, their little ears and butts twitching as they moved from flower to flower. The girls giggled while crawling after them, directing them toward the brightest flowers.

I swiped tears from my eyes, taking Finn’s hand when he sat by me. How are you? I projected to him.

Numb , he answered.

I squeezed his hand when I felt his sorrow radiating from him like a fog. I feared he wouldn’t get time to grieve until this war was over.

Triss and I must go find food and water. We will return shortly , Isa said to me.

Of course , I answered while squinting up at my dragon, the setting sun casting her winged form in shadows.

She and Triss jumped into the sky, the wind from their wings blowing the hair off my back. When they flew toward the ocean, thousands of wyverns jumped from the trees, following them with a thunderous cacophony of excited squawks.

The girls shielded their ears and hunched next to us until the wyverns had left. Then they resumed playing with the rabbits.

“I’m happy to see the girls are safe.” Esther wiped moisture from her eyes as she sat across from me, stretching out her fawn legs, her hooves poking from beneath her silver robe. “Our seers believed you’d find them in time.” She smiled at the girls. “What news do you bring from the mainland?”

I wondered why she asked, since she seemed to know everything else. “So much has happened,” I answered while plucking a pink flower from the grass and twirling it between my fingers. I patted Demon’s forehead when he snatched it from me, glaring at me while munching. There was the bunnitude I’d been missing. “I don’t know where to begin,” I said on a sigh. “The demon mistress is getting ready to attack. That’s why we’re here, to conceal your island, so her menacing spiders can’t find you.” Though I wondered if they’d be able to traverse the ocean to reach them. Still, it wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.

“We’re not worried about the demons finding us,” she said as her fawn ears rotated like hands on top of her head. “Our race has been preparing for the return of the demons for four hundred years. We are ready to fly to the mainland and fight.”

I shared a shocked look with Finn. They were willing to leave their sanctuary? “The satyrs and the wyverns?”

“Of course.” She motioned toward the wyverns circling Isa and Triss in the sky. “Our army is yours however you need us.”

“It’s not safe,” Finn said, frowning. “The dragons ate the wyverns you sent with us. Nikkos and I barely escaped with our lives.”

“Yes,” she said, her voice taking on a somber tone. “Our priestesses saw it in our mists.”

Wow. The satyr priestesses saw more than Malvolia’s seers. Or maybe they just divulged more.

“We have mourned our sisters and brothers,” Esther added, “but they knew the risks. There are more than ten thousand wyverns here. The dragons know many of them will die if they attack our numbers.” Her features hardened. “Tell us where to go.”

I nodded, my stomach twisting and pitching. “We fear the demon mistress will attack Thebes.”

She arched a bushy brow. “Have you reconciled with your aunt?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer. Had I? “Not really, but we had an uneasy truce until she started flirting with Helian,” I said. “She knows now that Thorin tricked her. She’s still evil, but she listens to Shiri—usually.”

Her brows dipped beneath her silvery hair. “Our priestesses say the demons will converge on Thebes.”

My heart beat an unsteady rhythm. As much as I dreaded returning, we had to get back to Thebes. “The older satyrs at Dunhull awoke from Thorin’s spell this morning, so we’re assuming he’s dead,” I told her, “and the demon mistress took his powers for herself.”

She grimaced. “Our seers have said the same. The demons are preparing to attack.”

“Can you tell me what your seers saw?” The seers here seemed to be more open than the priestesses in Thebes. I wondered if it was because they didn’t trust their queen with their visions.

“They saw you coming today,” she answered. “They said the human race south of the Periculian Mountains has been wiped out.”

A gasp escaped me as I gaped at Finn. “All of them?”

“Yes.” Shadows eclipsed her eyes. “They were either turned to demons or demon food.”

“Elements.” I swallowed back bile. The human race feared and persecuted Fae and witches, but I’d lived with them for two years while disguised as a human. Many of them I’d considered my friends, though those friends would’ve probably hung me from the nearest tree if they’d discovered my true identity.

“They also say the demon mistress was weakened when Lady Arabella attacked her,” she continued.

Finn squeezed my hand tight, giving me a hopeful smile. One more reason to be obligated to Arabella, though if it gave us an edge in this war, it was worth it.

“Interesting. Weakened, how?” Finn asked. “Is she injured?”

Esther nodded. “She was forced to cut her recovery short and take Thorin’s memories because of a threat from another demon.”

A jolt of venom coursed through my veins. “What demon?”

The satyr visibly swallowed. “The Lord of all Hell.”

“Elements,” I breathed. For some reason, that demon living inside Drae came to mind.

“He is here,” Esther continued.

“Where?” Finn asked.

I tensed. I already knew, for I remembered how easily that demon inside Drae had taken over his body, leaving no trace of my sister’s mate. The demons in Arabella and Helian hadn’t done that to their hosts, but this parasite was far more powerful.

Esther and I shared a knowing look. “Inside Drae,” I whispered, my heart sinking when Esther nodded.

Finn cursed. “I hope Shiri can get it out of him.”

I didn’t like the way Esther averted her gaze. Had she seen otherwise? I was too much of a coward to ask. Losing Drae would devastate Shiri.

“Have you been drinking the tea?” Esther asked, wisely changing the subject.

“No.” I inwardly winced, knowing I was vulnerable to this demon mistress, but I was susceptible either way. I’d rather have access to my magic. Seconds counted when battling demons. “It slows my magic too much. We almost lost our lives because of it.” I stifled a yawn. “And I swear it’s made me more tired.”

“I understand,” she answered while letting Kaida help her stand. “The tea has that effect. It slows magic, but sometimes it can also cause fatigue.”

I gaped at her. “How long does the fatigue last?” And why hadn’t she warned me before?

“Usually only a few weeks.”

“A few weeks!” I blurted. “I don’t have time to be tired. I have a war to win!”

Esther frowned. “I apologize. A stimulant like coffee or a strong tea should help, though no more than a cup a day.” She motioned toward my stomach. “Too much isn’t good for the baby, though don’t forget the pregnancy could also be making you tired.”

“I know. Thank you,” I said. I had never been much of a coffee drinker, but I was desperate. I hoped it worked.

“I will prepare the wyverns,” Esther continued, “and we will meet you in Thebes in about four days’s time.”

Elements. Ten thousand wyverns converging on Thebes. “You take great risk.”

“We’re aware of the risks,” she said grimly. “The wyverns are ready to die for you, Goddess.”

My stomach churned. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” For I’d feel personally responsible for each one lost. I still hadn’t gotten over losing Beau.

I let Finn help me stand while the girls coaxed the bunnies into their sack.

“Thank you for taking care of my bunnies in my absence,” I said to Kaida, for I had a feeling she’d been responsible for them.

She smiled and bowed. “It was my honor to take care of them, Goddess.”

I thanked Aurora when she hauled the sack up to me, grunting as if she carried a full-grown wyvern. “As much as I want to stay,” I said while slipping the sack around my neck, cradling the bunnies in my arms, “I’m afraid we must get back to Cyrene.”

Esther nodded. “And we must prepare.”

I cast my gaze across the crowd of satyrs while holding my sack with the bunnies against my chest. “You have no idea how thankful I am for all of you.”

They bowed, neighing.

The dragons landed, and we climbed onto Isa’s back, giving the satyrs and wyverns one last wave before we appeared on Cyrene’s beach. I squinted into the setting sun as Finn helped the children and me from Isa before turning away from us and walking into the frothy water. I stroked Demon’s soft ears while wondering if I should change his name, as “Demon” was no longer an endearing term.

“Where is Papa Finn going?” Aurora asked me.

I rubbed her back, my heart aching for Finn. “He needs a moment alone, darling.”

Finn waded until he was ankle-deep in the water and fell to his knees with a keening howl. Tossing back his head, he howled and howled, a shard of my heart breaking off with each wolf’s cry. I let the girls pull away, and they ran to him, resting their hands on his back while they let out human-sounding howls.

I don’t know how long they mourned the lost shifters, and I didn’t dare interrupt as grief pulsed from him in waves.

“I promise to fight these demons with every ounce of magic I have,” I whispered in the wind while wiping tears from my eyes. “Until my last dying breath.”