“L, perimeter is safe, only two bites but the cure has been taken. They have been moved back to the faction!” he yells to me as he rips the head off the creeper in front of him. Black blood spurts from where the neck used to be, as he tosses it to the side, not giving it another thought as he attacks the next one.
I don’t see an end in sight, just more creepers. I take a deep breath and behead the next one, silently reminding myself to just take them as they come.
I look over to Callum, I see him running over to King Metis. He has gotten himself surrounded. He is holding his own, but they are closing in on him. Eli and Ender have distressed looks on their faces, but they have groups of creepers to dispatch.
Callum rips one head off after another, clearing his way to the King. I have to look away for just a moment to behead the one in front of me when I hear a howl that stops my heart.
I take down the creeper in front of me, then in a flash I’m off to where Callum is fighting.
I kill two more creepers, leaving their bodies in my wake. I’m not thinking, only reacting. All I can think is I have to get to Callum, he needs to take the cure.
I make it to him in record time. I wrap my arms around him and teleport him to my bedroom.
He has a crooked smile on his face. “If you wanted to get me into bed, you just had to ask,” he jokes.
His normally tan skin is starting to pale. I search him for the bite or scratch, and I find it on his right forearm. The black veins are already starting to climb his arm.
I jerk the vial off of his necklace. I dump the cure straight into the wound. I wrap the wound with one of my t-shirts that was laying on the floor.
I kiss him on his forehead, “I hate to leave you, but I need to get back to the battle. I love you. Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.”
He smiles weakly and says, “Who me?”
I teleport back to my spot in between Anton and Evans. They both have grimaces on their beautiful faces. They too are worried about Callum.
“He has been given the cure. Let’s get these creepers taken down and get back to him,” I command.
I look up at the horde, I still can not see an end in sight. Then I see them start flying left and right, propelled by gusts of wind.
That can mean only one thing. Deezy.
“Air Fae, I need your help!” I yell.
I see a handful of Fae join me at the front line.
“We need to make an air shield. We have to stop that wave of air dead in it tracks. Can you help me do that?” I ask.
In unison, they all reply, “Yes.”
“On my signal.” I command. “Steady, steady, NOW!”
I will my power to form an air pocket to cushion the blow of the air coming towards us.
Once the blast hits, the Fae and I are pushed back a few steps, but the shield is holding.
As soon as Deezy appears, the gust stops. He still looks like the crazy leprechaun, an evil smile on his face.
“Aww, Princess, we meet again.” He smirks.
“Yes, and I will return you to your cereal box where you belong,” I spit back.
He conjures water and attacks the air wall. I nod to the other Fae, they step back and continue the fight with the horde.
I keep the air pocket up, but conjure fire with my other hand. I will it towards Deezy, which he wasn’t expecting. The fire hits his left arm, and he hisses. It doesn’t stop him, he keeps advancing closer.
“You stupid little girl! You think you can win against me? I have more power in my little finger then you can even dream of!” he yells.
“Why don’t you fight me like a man?” I taunt him. “Or are you too scared to fight this little girl?”
Evans gives me a look, like, are you crazy?
Maybe I am crazy, but I am ready to end this. I’m tired of the fighting, the loss of life. Deezy cursed all these people he wanted to rule. He killed them as he changed them into the monsters we now fight.
I feel the water flow stop, so I release the air pocket.
“Yes, I will fight you, Princess. Just you,” he says while eyeing Evans and Anton.
I pick up my sword from my belt.
“Let’s finish this.”
We advance towards each other.
I take the stance Evans taught me. Waiting for him to attack.
Just like I knew he would, he runs at me. He swings his blade lazily, I block it with a parry and hit his arm.
He curses at me, attacking me again. I block again and strike him, this time I rake it across his middle.
We trade blow for blow, neither of us are gaining any ground on the other.
Wildly swinging his sword, he cuts a gash on my left arm. I scream out in pain, but suck it up. I knew what I was getting myself into when I challenged him.
Growling, I attack him back harder and hit the same arm I already spilled blood from.
I can see the panic on his face. So, he decides to try and get the upper hand with using water magic, hitting me in the face. I sputter and spit it out.
“ASSBUTT!” I scream.
I’m not one to fight dirty, but this isn’t a game, this is real life.
He advances, trying to strike as I dry my face. I teleport to the left, and he runs right past me.
“If you want to fight dirty, I’m just starting to show you mine,” I tell him.
He looks confused, unsure how he missed me. He run at me again, and I teleport behind him, glancing a blow to the back of his knee. He drops for just a moment but gets back up and tries to attack again. We are both breathing hard, and our blows aren’t as hard as they were. We are both wearing down.
He raises his sword to attack as I take that moment to teleport to a spot right next to him. Just close enough to use my sword. I arch it down, hitting the base of his skull and pulling it through to the collarbone. His head rolls off his shoulders and lands by the body of an already fallen creeper.
Sighing in relief, I take a moment to let it sink in that I just defeated him. I look to Evans and Anton, and they have stunned looks on their faces. I ready myself to fight more creepers, I notice there aren’t any more.
Evans and Anton rush to my side.
“Once you took the crazy king’s head, all the remaining creepers just dropped dead.”
Fear fills me, “Callum,” I whisper. Taking them in my arms, I teleport us back to my room.
Callum is still laying on my bed, his tan skin ashen. He is warm to the touch, and I rip the t-shirt off the wound to see that it still looks the same, not better nor worse. How can this be? Why hasn’t he healed? I can’t lose my ornery shifter.
“Mom?” I yell.
She busts through the door, “Liauna are you okay?”
“Yes, it’s Callum. Can you care for him? I need to go to the Fae Realm and brief my father. I also want to bring the Fae that made the cure here to look at Callum. The cure should’ve worked already.”
“Of course! Go now,” She orders.
“Evans and Anton, please tell the faction that it is safe. Oversee the clean up and burning of the bodies. Also tell the Fae and shifters once that is done, I will start to teleport them home if they are ready” I tell them.
I teleport straight into the throne room. My father runs down from his throne and throws his arms around me.
“Daughter, you’re bleeding. Kalli come,” he orders.
Kalli steps forward and helps my arm in a flash.
“Thank you, Kalli. Evans is well and leading the cleanup from the battle for me.” I tell her, I turn back to my father. “I need Jaime, Callum was bitten. The cure has stopped the spread of the infection, but he’s not cured.”
“Go, daughter, I will be here if you need me. Thank you for all you have done for us and the world,” he states proudly.
I don’t reply, I teleport to Jaime’s labs. Not saying a word, I grab her and take her back to Callum.
“Jaime, help. Callum was bitten, and I poured the cure straight on the bite, and it
stopped the spreading, but he’s not cured.”
Jaime steps up to Callum, she tests his forehead for fever with back of her hand. She leans in close inspecting the bite.
She turns back to me and says, “Don’t worry, Princess, we will cure him.”
Epilogue
Seven years later.
I am sunbathing by the pool, it’s nice to have a moment to relax. It’s a big day! Rae and Kyle are getting married.
I reflect on how far we’ve come in seven years. After the clean up, I rushed back to Callum’s side. No matter what Jaime tried the cure wasn’t working. She told me that the only answer was to take the arm. As tears fell from my eyes, they found their mark and the bite slowly healed itself. I told my faction that once I made sure all was well in the Fae kingdom and I returned everyone home, I would come back. Some of the shifters opted to stay, saying they would fix up some of the damaged houses nearby. Once I told my father all that happened, I told him that right now, I would stay with the faction during the summer and the Fae Realm in the winter. He was happy to compromise, saying he’d take any time with me.
A shadow steps into my light.
“Liauna, do you need me to rub some sunscreen on you?” Anton asks.
I shade my face with my left hand and look up at him.
“Yes, the twins and I would appreciate it.” I reply, my lips tipping up into a smile.
He starts with my swollen belly, and as he massages the lotion in, my belly begins to move.
“Are you ready for the babies? I think they will be a handful like their daddy.” I wink at him.
“Of course, little Brandy and Mary will be good girls for me,” he states.
From the moment I told Anton I was pregnant, he had a feeling they were girls. He reminds me of this every chance he gets.
After he is done with the sunscreen, he pulls up a chair, and we enjoy the commotion in the pool.
Evans is teaching five-year-old Easton to swim, it’s comical because Easton is using his air magic just to float above the water. He refuses to touch it. You can tell Evans is losing his cool. So, I will my water power, soaking him.
Easton spits water out, “ Momma,” he whines, looking up at me with the same blue eyes as his father.
“Easton, you need to do as your father is instructing you. We are almost out of time. Enjoy the little time you have left in the pool.”
“Yes, Momma” he replies, splashing Evans with a wave of water in his face.
Stifling a laugh, I turn my attention to Callum and three-year-old Corvin, named for Callum’s brother. Corvin is a little Callum mini-me, not only in looks but personality as well. They are two peas in a pod, and you would think they were fish shifters not wolf shifters with as much as they love the water.
Pushing up from the chair I was laying on, I tell them I’m going to shower and get ready for the wedding.
“Liauna, do you require assistance?” Anton asks.
“That would be amazing,” I reply.
Anton takes my hand and leads me to our house, which is next to my parents. I get one step into the laundry room, and I feel a trickle down my leg. I look to Anton and say “I think my water just broke.”
Also by Jenee Robinson
The Creeper Saga
Fate of the Fate
Curse of the Fae
Redemption of the Fae
For Melissa Anthology
Typical Hunter Day
All Hallowed Tales Anthology
Couldn’t Keep Her
Forest of the Dark Anthology
Outcast
Scream: A Collection of Fears Vol. 1
Lost Love
Deadly Night: A Twisted Anthology
Within the Wardrobe
My Bloodiest Valentine: A Paranormal Valentine Anthology
Polymorphic Passion
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my family. Your unending support is just what I needed to complete this series.
To all my friends, thank you for checking up on me and not letting me lose sight of what I needed to do.
To all my indie author friends, thank you, for always being there to answer any question I may have. Your love and support has been amazing.
To my betas: Caitlin, Becca, Trina, Shannon and Sam! You ladies are amazing! I’m so glad to have you girls in my life.
Kassie, A.K., Genni, Sandra, Amanda, Pike, Caitlyn, Sosha, Leslie, Madison and Crystal. Thank you for taking this wild ride with me! I love you all!
Thank you, Michelle Hoffman for editing it for me.
Thank you, Kassie Morse for formatting.
Thank you Fran with Reaper Designs for this amazing cover.
About the Author
Jenee Robinson released her first novella, Fate of the Fae, May 1st, 2018. This book completes her first trilogy.
She has completed several short stories, and has more releasing soon. She is busy writing more, as well as more novellas and books.
She is married and has three ornery girls.
Other than writing, she loves reading and photography.
She’s a Harry Potter Nerd and loves the show Supernatural and Captain America.
Find Jenée Here
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