Davina (Davy Harwood #3)

Pippa’s bottom lip trembled. “Davy’s gone?”


She wasn’t. He felt her inside of The Immortal, but he said, “There’s little hope of getting her back.”

“Your brother.”

They all turned to Wren. She raised her chin up and squared her shoulders back. Her hands went behind her back and her legs stood apart. She took on a soldier’s pose. “He used witches to separate the thread from Davy. He could help, perhaps, in weakening her now.”

Christian’s nostrils flared. Anger pitted deep inside of him. “Are you joking? He’s the reason this entire war is happening.”

Wren stiffened, but she didn’t back down. “He wants the thread. Now that she’s loose, he’ll be scared of her. He caused her pain. I heard the screams. I’ve no doubt that he’ll be more fearful of The Immortal than he will be of us.”

“It’s a shot.”

Christian’s head jerked back to Lucas. “You can’t be serious?”

He was, so very much so, but there was more Roane needed to say. He couldn’t. She would sense his intentions. As it was, he was trying to keep his thoughts clear. The Immortal couldn’t know what he was planning, but while she was in his head, he was in hers. He was there. Davy was there too. It was something, at least.

“Roane.”

His name was being called and Lucas looked over. What he saw had him closing his eyes as a surge of hope filled him. He shoved it down, almost as soon as it appeared. Bastion pointed behind him, to Gavin, Tracey, and Gregory. There were two others and he could smell the humanity on them. Before going over to greet them, he turned away. The less The Immortal knew, the better.

He said to Wren, “Fill them in. I will lead a charge to where the Romah and Benshire wolves are holed up. That was their first wave. I know there’s more farther in the forest.”

“After that?”

After that . . . Lucas hesitated. “After that, I will venture to my brother, but you must head there yourself. Without me.”

“Why?”

“The less all of you have to do with me, the better.” He could feel The Immortal still flying. She was nearing wherever she wanted to go. She was intent on her target, and he was taking advantage of his distraction, but he knew there were limits. He couldn’t risk too much. He held onto Wren’s hand and whispered urgently to her, “I will fight. We can win now. The Immortal is seeking The Mother Wolf. After that, I will seek out my brother. He’s our only hope in getting Davy back.”

Wren went still. Her eyes sought and held onto his.

He saw the fear appear and he swallowed hard. Wren was never scared. She was only angry or hurt, seeing that vulnerability in one of his most loyal now caused his anger to flicker alive. He had it contained, along with all of his emotions, but as it broke free, that was one emotion he wanted to feel. It would blanket the rest. If he was furious, The Immortal would accept that. She wouldn’t search for what else was in his mind.

He started to step away. His head lowered, and he was going to leave without speaking to his friends. He didn’t want to, but The Immortal couldn’t know they were alive. The less she knew, the safer everyone was.

“Roane.” Wren grabbed him again.

He heard the dip in her voice, how it grew husky, and his chest tightened at the sympathy he knew would be in her eyes. He couldn’t look at her.

“I have to go.”

“But Da—”

He pulled away and rasped out, “I know.” He had to stop her. She couldn’t say Davy’s name, because Davy wasn’t really lost. She couldn’t be . . . he couldn’t think that way. His voice hardened. “I have to go to kill our enemies.”

She started to reach for him again, but he went to the edge and dropped to the bottom. Sensing their leader, his men that had been on the battleground turned toward him. They didn’t know yet, but they soon would that he was no longer their leader. He was compromised, but until he really was under The Immortal’s power, he had one more battle to wage.

Pulling out his sword, he started in the direction that he saw The Immortal fly. She was seeking The Mother Wolf, that was where the rest of their enemies would be. He didn’t look behind him, but he registered that the Christane wolves were turning to follow him. Christian and Pippa had followed him, as everyone did.

Wren, Bastion, and the new arrivals remained behind. They had their own mission.





It was done. Roane felt it in his gut. The Immortal had won, and he hadn’t even known there was a fight for Davy until she was smack in front of him, kissing him. He knew she was different, but he didn’t care. It was Davy. She was finally in front of him. He could hold her. He could taste her, touch her, inhale her. But, it had been too good to be true. There’d been something off about her, he felt that in the back of his mind, but he turned it off. He didn’t want to question how Davy came to be. He was just glad she was there . . . and then the other shoe dropped.