She paled. “Yes, of course.”
I let my wolf peer out of my eyes when I gave the command: “Then it’s my order that if things go bad, you ride this cart as hard and fast as you can to get Violet healed. You find Dalia, you get to the Summer Court, and you do not stop for anything or anyone. Including me. Can you do that for me?”
She gritted her teeth, her body shaking, her wolf peering out through her eyes. “But—”
There was no time for her hesitation. “Monica, she’s hurt really bad. Like may not make it through the night bad.”
Monica nodded, her spine straightening as she took the weight of the burden I had dropped on her. She understood, and I was confident she would follow my orders.
We were close enough to hear the guards now. “Move along!” one of them shouted to a cart in front of us.
I fixed a pleasant expression on my face as they moved on to us. A giant of a fae stepped forward, his heavy furs making him look unnaturally large. His eyes roamed over Monica and I, then he walked to the back of the cart. My body tensed. I was ready. If there was a struggle I would jump off and fight.
Nikoli must have spelled an illusion though, because after a few minutes poking around in there, the guard strode back to my side and nodded. “Move along!”
The way in front of the cart was clear, and Monica kicked the horses into gear. I smiled at the guard, keeping up the illusion, but a sliver of hope was thrumming inside of me. We were almost in the clear. Now we just had to get to Dalia before Violet got any worse. Hopefully Nikoli was doing something back there to help her while we traveled, although I had no doubt he was completely spent from fighting off the other magic born.
Any speck of hope I had dissipated when a shout was let out close by. “It’s her!”
The voice had been female, and following it was a blast of magic that hit me in the back of the neck, knocking me from the cart.
I tumbled to the rough ground, my neck burning from whatever had hit me. I was stunned but not incapacitated as I jumped to my feet. “GO!” I shouted to Monica as I unsheathed my sword.
A woman in long, dark furs, her hair midnight black, offsetting bluer-than-blue eyes, lifted both hands and flung magic at the cart to stop it. Holy crap. She was magic born, but there was no lack of pigmentation going on with her. She was a wash of both dark and light.
Her first shot missed the cart, and as she geared up for the second one, I was readying a shield.
Finn reacted then. I felt him connect to me and I knew he was about to jump out and help. Finn! I need you to stay with them, to make sure Violet is okay. Promise me. I’ll keep this magic user busy and then find a way to get out.
He howled in our bond, his pain tangible, but he didn’t fight me. He trusted me to look after myself, and that belief in me was like a burst of energy.
I will go with them, Ari, and make sure Violet is safe. But if you’re not out after that, I’m coming for you. I will kill them all.
I love you. Stay safe.
I missed his reply as the woman threw a second mecca ball of magic toward the retreating cart, and that’s when I dove to intercept it, shield up.
It crashed against my energy shield and dissipated. Hah! If I wasn’t fighting for my life, I would have been excited to have finally mastered that technique Kade had taught me.
Crap, Kade! In my rush of adrenalin I had stopped shielding my mind from him, which meant…
Nix’s cry rang out from the sky and suddenly a warm familiar presence was at my back. I should have known he would not leave my side, never leave me in the enemy’s hands. Guards were closing in on us, and one quick peek over my shoulder told me that Monica was past them and out the gates. They would make the rendezvous point with the summer fae no problem. Violet would get the help she needed.
Turning back to my enemy, the magic born was sizing up Kade and I. In a flash we were surrounded by at least twenty guards, all armed to fight. The dark-haired fae spoke to the closest one. “Inform the queen that we have her. Put the female in the dungeons and sell the male at the market tonight. He will make someone very, very happy. Big and muscled, a perfect workhorse.” Her grin was broad and creepy, with teeth that were slightly pointy, like they had been filed.
Don’t reveal your power. They will kill you if they think you’re a threat, I said to Kade. Go with them now. We’ll figure out how to escape and meet up.
If this magic born knew he could manipulate mecca, he was done for.
A rumble sounded in his chest. I’m not leaving your side.
Kade!
I heard the ripping of muscles and knew he was shifting into his bear form. He was going to try to take them all out. Dammit. Maybe he could. If I could take on the magic born, he could get the guards.
Just as I was feeling hopeful, a chill rose up and a fog rolled in. Riding on a sparkling white horse was the most beautiful and terrifying woman I had ever seen. Long white hair floating behind her like a silk sheet, huge eyes that were so dark they looked black. She was thin but muscled as she gripped her horse, riding bareback, no need for a saddle.
Kade was nearly in his bear form now; his shifts were getting faster every time. One of the guards advanced on him. I stepped forward and sliced the guard’s arm, then his chest, and he fell back. Spinning around, I prepared myself to fight the white-haired demon woman. She was almost to us, and a hush fell over the entire area as every single guard went to one knee, including the magic born.
Kade, as a bear, roared so loud it made my eardrums shake. The woman, who I assumed to be the queen, raised her left hand and pointed it at Kade.
“Freeze,” she whispered, icy fog misting from her blue-tinged lips. Kade’s roar was cut off mid-bellow; he stopped moving as his dark fur was slowly covered in a film of ice.
My next move wasn’t my brightest, but I was a hotheaded woman and she’d just frozen my mate. I gave a battle cry and lunged for her and her horse, sword raised, mecca crackling along my skin.
“Brista,” the Queen said, and thick blue magical bands wrapped around my arms and legs, shutting my mecca power off like a light switch. I went down, hard, my legs pulled out from under me. My face hit the ground with a solid thud, sending a shooting pain through my skull. The world went a little dark around the edges as I fought to remain conscious.
The queen came closer, her voice still breathy, like it was made from flurries of ice and snow. “A bear shifter … he will fetch me a fortune at auction. Take him away and then put her in the same cell her friend was in.”