Tysion’s rasping plea tugged on my heart. I didn’t have time to wonder at that blip of insanity. Dimitri charged at us.
Frazer bared his teeth, stepped back, and in one clean swipe, severed Tysion’s left wing. Drops of ruby red sprayed forth, splattering the forest floor.
Dimitri faltered. A flicker of shock crossed his face. In one breath, I saw it die and shift to disgust.
We all seemed powerless to watch as Frazer threw Tysion, bleeding and screaming, to the opposite end of the glade. Frazer bared his teeth again, spinning his sword, beckoning our enemy forward. Dimitri’s black wings fanned and he flew at my brother. He got close enough for me to see the whites of his eyes. Life—no—love thrummed through my veins. Protect. Protect. Protect.
“Dimitri.” I whispered his destruction and let the arrow fly.
He ducked, but the arrow still lodged itself in his chest. He floundered, and Frazer moved. In one brutal motion, he opened Dimitri’s throat out onto the ground. The male slumped and fell, dead. I wanted to retch, but Liora’s sudden scream kept me going, seeking my last mark.
Goldwyn was a whirlwind, kicking Adrianna into the dirt and sending Cai flying toward us.
Thank stars for Frazer. He caught Cai before he could barrel into us and set him on his feet.
I drew another arrow, but it was too late. Liora and Goldwyn’s swords had been lost in the fighting, but that two-faced bitch had a hidden dagger and was currently pressing it to Liora’s throat.
My bow finger twitched. From the corner of my eye, I saw Frazer holding Cai back, whispering something in his ear.
“Take one step, make one move, and I’ll start poking holes,” Goldwyn said in an ungodly purr.
I could loosen the arrow, but it would be the ultimate test of faith. Goldwyn had Liora pinned against her. There was nothing to hit except my friend.
No, Frazer projected.
My eyes shifted to his, seeking explanation.
The glade’s a void; the bow’s magic could fail.
Of course, the fletching’s path might falter. I could kill Liora.
Goldwyn snarled over at Adrianna, who’d begun to inch toward them. “Unless you want dear sweet Liora’s blood on your hands, go stand by your friends. Now!”
Liora’s wide eyes found Adrianna’s. It’s okay, they seemed to say.
A noise between a groan and a growl came from Adrianna and she conceded. With a gigantic effort, she moved to join us, picking up her sword on the way.
Panic and frustration pounded through my veins, pushing my heart to race. Goldwyn stood alone. I had one last mark, but I couldn’t fire. Gods, help me.
Goldwyn peered down at Tysion. He was bleeding out, crawling closer to her. She barked, “Get up, you shit!”
A whisper of a choked laugh escaped Liora. “You should be worried.”
At that taunt Goldwyn’s mask slipped, hatred burned, and her knife dug a little deeper. Liora winced and Cai’s hand rose.
Laughter echoed. “Try if you like, magic can’t enter,” Goldwyn mocked.
Cai tried anyway, summoning and unleashing a blast of air. It caused a cyclone, whipping leaves and debris asunder, but the destruction didn’t disturb us or the heart of the glade. It only ravaged the outskirts upon which we stood. Those currents kept moving, pushing, testing the void until Cai fell to his knees. The windstorm vanished, and he was left looking exhausted—burned out—while Goldwyn and Liora remained untouched.
“How pointless,” Goldwyn said lightly. Her sharp eyes darted to mine. “Now, I’m not leaving here without the key to Wilder’s obedience. Come.” A clear command. Her voice deepened to a guttural rasp. “Or, I’ll make your witch friend suffer agonies you couldn’t imagine.”
“You can’t carry us both,” Liora muttered up at her.
That made Goldwyn place her free hand at the side of Liora’s cheek and dig her nails in, dragging them down, marking her. Liora’s eyes filled with tears, her lips pressed tight. She didn’t cry out. My heart swelled with love and pride.
“I won’t need to,” Goldwyn said, dipping her lips to Liora’s ear. “I have friends, loyal spiders who will come when called. Until then, Serena’s going to walk beside us like a good little pet, aren’t you my dear? Unless she wants to watch as I break you?”
I relaxed my bowstring slowly and let the kaskan and arrow drop to the ground. Before I could walk over, Frazer and Adrianna restrained me. “No,” they snarled together.
Cai groaned somewhere to my left, but he didn’t object.
I kept my stare fixed on Liora’s. Don’t, Serena, she begged me with her eyes.
“Keep your idle threats,” Adrianna snapped at Goldwyn. “You need Liora. I’m guessing you want to lick Morgan up the ass? That’s why you’re bound and determined to bring her presents.”
“Have it your way then.”
Goldwyn pulled Liora’s head back and brought the dagger up.
“Stop!”
“Why should I?” Goldwyn crooned.
“Serena, don’t,” Liora gasped out, squirming.
There wasn’t a choice. The dagger’s tip was poised, ready to take her life. “Take me instead of her. She’s bound. You need me more.”
Goldwyn sneered at that. “We can always break the chains binding her. Now, come! No more games, or else Liora bleeds.”
As if to prove her point, she lowered the dagger and swept it across Liora’s collarbone. A necklace of ruby drops gleamed so very, very bright against her soft skin.
A resistance within finally crumbled, and this time I didn’t ask. I demanded that my magic come forth. A gigantic wave of cold, glittering rage crested and paused for a moment as Auntie’s voice thundered in my ears. Child, no! You’ll rip yourself apart!
I was beyond reason, beyond doubt. You’re just a voice in my head.
I’m much more than that.
It didn’t matter—not now. Yet, I hesitated for Frazer’s sake.
My eyes snagged on Tysion as he looked up at Goldwyn. Shock and pain—such endless agonies—haunted his eyes. I didn’t care, but I heard myself say, “What’ll happen to Tysion?”
Goldwyn’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What business is it of mine?”
“So you’d leave him to die?”
She cawed harshly as if to say, of course. Meanwhile, Tysion crept along on his belly and reached for her.
In one smooth move, Frazer wrenched me aside, out of Adrianna’s grasp; eyes burning, he hurled words down the bond. Whatever you need to do, do it. We’ll survive. I won’t let you die. I’ll be your anchor.
And so with only a thought and my steel will, I threw open all the doors and let the power and the light take over. Just let me save her, I whispered to the magic.
If you’re doing this, wait one more minute and let me help, Auntie said, her voice pleading.
How?
I was only vaguely aware of Tysion grabbing Goldwyn’s ankle, murmuring something while Auntie rattled on. The necklace’s power sustains leylines of salt, iron, and obsidian in your blood. It smothers the magic now in your system, so fae can’t sense it, and it’s what prevented your power from destroying you instantly. But the leylines are incompatible—they act as a void and put a dampener on your magic. I’ve been slowly erasing them so you can access more of your power, but I’ve held back from cleansing you, hoping to preserve their protection.
If it’ll save her, burn it away.
It’ll drain me. I won’t be able to speak to you again. Just promise me you’ll get to Ewa as soon as possible. You’ll be relying solely on Frazer’s strength—on the twining—to stop the magic from burning you up, so don’t delay. Once there, give the necklace to the undines. They’ll be able to release me.
I didn’t bother considering the strangeness of her request. I promise.
This will hurt, she warned.
The droplet warmed. I clenched my jaw and fists in expectation.
“Get away!” Goldwyn abruptly kicked Tysion in the head. He groaned and rolled away.
“I’m waiting, Serena!” she barked. “Or do I need to slice Liora’s ear off before you’ll listen?”