Thames took a seat in his throne and closed his eyes.
Dakota felt pressure in his mind, and he once again tried like hell to block it out. No, no, no.
Moments later, though, the pressure exploded into pain, and Dakota was pushed back, a new mind taking over.
“You will come to understand why this must be,” Thames said in Dakota’s voice as he made his way down the hall toward a flight of stairs.
“What are you doing?”
“I think it’s time for a family reunion, don’t you?”
Throwing open the doors of the castle, he stepped out onto the stone steps. Groans of the Luxe trapped between life and death grew louder the closer he moved toward them.
“It’s time, my subjects!” Throwing his hands up, Thames opened a portal. “The time has come to take back what’s rightfully yours! Wait for me, do not let anyone leave. By nightfall, Terrenia will be nothing but a pile of ash.”
“No! Stop this!” Dakota pleaded as he watched, unable to do anything, as the creatures stumbled and crawled toward the portal.
“Stop!”
Thames laughed. “I’m only just beginning.”
32
Terrenia
Elizabeth
“There, sweetie, you’re all done.” Elizabeth lifted the little girl from her table and handed her over to her mother.
“Thank you so much, Elizabeth.” The woman kissed her tear-stained daughter’s face.
“Anytime. I hope your knee feels better, honey.”
“Thank you,” the little girl said, offering Elizabeth a smile and showing off where she’d already lost her two front teeth.
“You are most welcome.”
Elizabeth smiled, watching them leave. Carmen stepped in and, after a greeting to the woman and her daughter, made her way over to Elizabeth. “She okay?”
“Just a knee scrape.”
“How are you doing?”
Elizabeth sighed. Wasn’t that the million-dollar question? “I’m taking it day by day. I know that if anyone can bring Dakota back, it’s Anastasia, but if anything happens to him—” Her voice broke as it did whenever she talked about her son.
She’d lost Thames the day Lyrant was born, and lost Lyrant the day Thames lost himself. If she lost Dakota, too, she wasn’t sure she’d survive.
She’d already lost so many people.
Carmen touched her shoulder gently. “They will bring him back.”
Elizabeth smiled softly and nodded, then continued cleaning up her medical supplies. “Any news?”
“None yet. But there will be soon, I’m sure of it.”
The door opened, and Gage rushed in, face flushed.
“What is it?”
“We’ve got a problem. I’ve already told Zarina. She and the elders are waiting at the gate for you two.”
“Is it Anastasia? Dakota?” Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Gage shook his head.
Adrenaline pulsing through her veins, Elizabeth stepped outside with Gage and Carmen. The village had gathered near the gate, Zarina and Harold leading the group of elders.
Their faces were grim, mouths pulled in a tight line, eyes narrowed on her as she made her way forward.
What the hell happened?
“Zarina believes you may know what’s going on,” Harold said to Carmen dryly. “Since our Sorceress abandoned us, you are the only one with any capabilities.” He addressed Carmen with disgust, and it pissed Elizabeth off.
“Maybe you should change your tone,” she warned him.
His eyes darkened. “You are an outsider; you’d do well to remember that.”
“No need to be rude,” Selena said as she stood beside Elizabeth.
Harold didn’t respond, just turned his attention back to Carmen. “What is out there?”
Carmen headed for the nearest ladder and began to climb—slowly—to the top of the watchtower.
Elizabeth climbed up behind her.
“Open the gate!” Carmen ordered.
“Why the hell would we do that?” Harold shot back. “You don’t know why they’re here!”
Elizabeth reached the landing and got to her feet. “Oh my.” Standing just beyond the fence were well over three-dozen large felines. Some the size of Kaley, others even larger, in varying colors.
They stared back at her with intense orange-yellow gazes, completely focused on her.
“They’re friendly, you ass-hat!” Carmen called down. “Let them in!”
“Not until we know for sure!”
“Shit,” Carmen muttered and headed back for the ladder.
“Let me go first,” Elizabeth insisted and started down so she might be able to at least break the older woman’s fall, should she lose her balance.
Once her feet were firmly on the ground, Carmen followed. Elizabeth followed her as she marched straight for the gate.
“Let me out,” she told the Fighter. He shot a nervous glance at Harold, but when Zarina nodded, he opened the gate just enough for Carmen and Elizabeth to slip outside.
Nerves danced in her belly, but she stayed focused. Kaley certainly was no threat to them, and the felines had done nothing but help in past instances, but she’d never seen this many.
And she didn’t miss the way they studied their surroundings, ready to pounce should danger present itself.
So, what was going on? Did they somehow know about Thames?
Carmen walked right up to the largest one, who bowed his head against her palm.
Elizabeth glanced back at the gate and choked down a laugh. Harold stared at Carmen with a mixture of fear and disbelief on his face.
Coward.
“Let them inside,” Carmen said again.
Harold finally nodded, and Carmen and Elizabeth headed back to the gate with the large cats behind them.
Just before they reached the gate, the felines stopped and turned. Bowing low, the largest let out a roar loud enough to cause her to jump.
The other cats did the same, and before long, the air was filled with feline war cries.
“What is happening?” Harold yelled over the sound.
“I don’t know!” Carmen yelled back. “They must sense danger somewhere.”
Within seconds, a purple portal opened. Elizabeth’s heart jumped into her throat. Anastasia’s portals were blue, which could only mean one thing.
“It appears we have company,” Carmen muttered as black, tar-like, humanoid-shaped beings stumbled through the portal into their world.
“Get inside the gate!” Zarina called. Elizabeth gripped Carmen’s arm to hold her steady as they made their way back inside and the Fighters sealed the gate behind.
Elizabeth raced for the watchtower, climbing as quickly as she could to see what was happening on the other side.
The felines stood their ground as dozens of Thames’ army stumbled through the portal. They stopped roughly five yards in front of the felines, hoarse moans escaping their throats.
“What is going on?” Gage asked, making Elizabeth realize he’d climbed up beside her.
“I have no idea.”
They continued to pour out, now in the hundreds, and spanned so far back Elizabeth could see nothing but a sea of dead.
The ground sizzled where the tar dripped from their bodies, killing the plants that were thriving only minutes before.
“What the hell are those things?”
“They used to be the Luxe people.”
“Those things were people?” Gage asked, his eyes widening with shock.
“They were. Good people too. Until Thames destroyed them.” Tears burned in the corners of her eyes as she looked upon what was left of her people.
“We don’t stand a chance without Anastasia. Even with Carmen’s magic, we don’t have the numbers to hold off an attack this size.”
“No, we don’t.” Elizabeth agreed. Without Anastasia, they wouldn’t survive.
The portal closed, and the beings didn’t move any closer. Th
ey began to spread out, surrounding the village, and the felines did the same, their numbers significantly lower than the enemy’s.
“What the fuck are we going to do?” Gage asked.
Elizabeth shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. “We pray that Anastasia gets back in time to save us.”
33
Terrenia
Anastasia
“How much longer is it going to be?” Anastasia asked once she’d finally tracked down Armes. They’d been waiting at least three hours since he and Coral disappeared from the cavern. Three hours that could have been spent tracking down Thames and putting a stop to his onslaught.
“We are nearly ready,” he told her.
She’d tracked Armes down in the cavern with the pond where the other Centaurs were gathered, saying their goodbyes to the Faeres residing inside.
“We don’t have time for this, Armes. We should’ve left already.”
Armes turned to her. “My people have been preparing for war their entire existence; it is quite possible many will not make it back. We have time for them to say their goodbyes.” His tone was curt, telling her there was no room for argument.
Since she now held the life core inside her, he wouldn’t let her leave without him, but he was a king first, protector second, it seemed.
The logical side of her understood; the emotional side wanted to scream out in irritation. The good news was she could simply portal them back to where Tony waited, which meant they wouldn’t have to make the trip on foot, saving them at least three hours.
Vincent walked up beside her, studying the Centaurs and Faeres as well. “Any update?”
“He’s giving them time to say goodbye.”
“And that angers you?”
She bit down on the inside of her cheek. “Yes, it does. We don’t have time for this.”
“What if they never make it back?”
“If Thames makes much more progress, that won’t matter. We’ll all be dead.”
He put his hands on her shoulders, and Anastasia met blue eyes that were so much like her father’s. At least it no longer hurt her heart to compare the two men. Vincent had been a tool—used for his magic just as Dakota was.
Now, he had a second chance at life, and she had a chance to get to know her uncle.
“When everything seems dark around you, it is up to you to provide the light others need to make it through. They are marching into what could possibly be their final battle; giving them a chance to settle their minds so they may accept the possibility of death isn’t a waste of time—it’s what gives them something to fight for.”
She nodded as the tension in her shoulders subsided a bit. If she’d been given a chance to say goodbye to Dakota, there was no one in any world who could stand in her way.
Armes approached, Coral at his side. “We’re ready, Sorceress.”
Taking a deep breath, she conjured a portal to where Tony waited for them. “We can send the rest of the creatures through once we reach the other side,” she told him, and he bowed his head softly in understanding.
The mountain would do little to protect them if Thames destroyed the life core inside her, but they would be safe from any war that might reach the depths of the Terrenian forest. Not that she was planning on letting it get that far if he showed up.
Stepping through, Anastasia breathed the fresh mountain air.
“Thank God,” Tony said, rushing to gather her into his big arms. “It’s been long enough.”
“I agree,” she said with a soft laugh and stepped aside.
Vincent came through next, and the level of intensity of the glare Tony shot him had Anastasia stepping in front of her uncle.
“What the hell is this?” he asked, gesturing to the man who’d been nothing more than a ghost the last time Tony saw him.
“The life core was too much for me to take on my own.”
“So Vincent just volunteered his services? To what end? Was this your plan all along? Use Anastasia to get to the power that would bring you back?”
“Easy, Fighter,” Armes said, stepping from the portal.
Tony’s eyes widened even further, and he stumbled away from the Centaur that stood nearly two feet above his own height.
“The world wouldn’t have chosen the Sorcerer if his intentions weren’t pure.”
“Who the hell are you?”
“This is Armes,” Anastasia explained, “king of the Centaurs and guardian of the life core.”
“Well, this world just keeps getting bigger, doesn’t it,” Tony retorted. “First Faeries and Volcrise, and now Centaurs.”
The Siren queen stepped out, her four warriors beside her.
“And who the hell is this?”
“Excuse me?” Coral demanded. “I am Coral, queen of the Sirens.”
Tony simply stared, and Anastasia wondered just how much more change the Fighter could take before he snapped.
He was looking pretty damn close to losing it already.
Someone cleared their throat behind her, and Anastasia turned to face Nix.
He gave a slight nod. “I’m glad you didn’t perish.”
“Thank you.”
“I apologize for any blame I put on you, Anastasia. It is not yours to bear.”
“Nix, I understand why you blamed me, I blame myself, too. If only I would have come to you sooner—”
“It would have made no difference. Nallia would have gone out fighting for her people whether we were warned or not.” His eyes filled with tears, and Anastasia stepped forward to embrace him.
“I just don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”
“We’ll get him, Nix. I swear it.”
She released him and stepped back as the remaining Centaurs came through the portal. “Anyone who wishes to stay inside the mountain until this is over is welcome to go now,” Anastasia told them. “We will shut the portal before we head for Terrenia to make sure you aren’t followed.”
The heavy flapping of wings from the Volcrise as they shot down from the trees was only barely outmatched by the screams of delight from the Faeres as they danced their way past the Centaurs and into the portal.
“We stay with you, Sorceress,” Em said. She was flanked by the remaining Fawnis, as well as the rest of the Mamset race.
“Thank you,” Anastasia replied and turned back to her followers. “Who’s ready to kick some ass?”
Cheers erupted through her group, and Anastasia smiled. First stop, Terrenia. Next, they would find a way into Luxe, even if it meant beating the fucking door down.
“I’m going to portal into the village first and let them know you’re coming. I’ll let you know when it’s time to come through.”
“As you wish, Sorceress,” Armes replied.
Waving her arm, Anastasia conjured a portal, but just before she stepped through, it fizzled like a light burning out and died right before her eyes.
“What the hell was that?” Tony demanded.
“I don’t know.” Terror wove its way into her mind. What if the life core damaged her magic? What if, for some reason, she was losing power rather than gaining it?
“Try again,” Vincent said.
She did, and the same thing happened.
“You try,” she said to him.
He nodded, and the light lasted only a second before disappearing just as hers did.
“What is happening?” Nix asked, panicked. “Can we not get back?”
“No, this—something is wrong. Carmen may have blocked the village from magic to protect them from Thames,” she lied. Carmen would have never prevented her from portaling in. “I’ll try taking us to the trees just outside.”
Waving her hand, she breathed a sigh of relief when the portal flared to life and stayed that way.
She stepped through and cried out.
The village was surrounded by the Luxe creatures who’d attacked them in Seattle. They moaned, moving from one foot to the next as if uneasy.
Even with their Centaur army, they were severely outnumbered.
“Oh no.” Tony grabbed for his sword, but Anastasia stopped him with a shake of her head and a silent plea. If they made too much noise, the monsters would turn around, and they’d lose any element of surprise.
She stepped back into the portal and closed it quickly.
“Why did we leave?” Tony began to pace angrily. “We should have stayed and fought!”
“We need to open a portal further back, that way we all have a chance to get through.”
“We may be able to surround them quickly,” Vincent offered.
Anastasia pondered this for a moment, trying like hell to think rationally when everything inside her was screaming for action. “Queen Coral?”
“Yes?”
“How much control do you have over water?”
The queen scoffed. “Full control.”
“Can you create a wall of water, a barrier to encapsulate the enemy and free a path to Terrenia?”
“With ease.” The annoyed look on her face told Anastasia the queen thought she should have already known the answer, but she ignored it.
“Then that’s what we do.” She opened a portal in the same location she had before, only this time, she gestured for the queen to come through with her. Vincent stepped up to her side as well, Tony and Nix on the other.
Coral closed her eyes and lifted her hands. Water roared behind them, shooting through the portal and directly toward their enemy.
The creatures turned, but weren’t fast enough, and were swept up by a solid wall of water moving faster than they could have even if they’d been alive.
The water split in the middle, separating the two halves as the creatures struggled in the current.
“Now!” Anastasia called back to the Centaurs. Thundering hoofs shook the ground as they poured from the portal. Anastasia ran beside them but was quickly lifted by one of Armes large hands. He placed her on his back, and she held on as he raced for the village.
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