“I know,” I grinned.
Just then my phone buzzed and I knew who it was. Sebastian.
“The Fae realm is closed!” He barked through the line. “You did it, Mackenzie.”
“Get the troops ready. I’m coming home.”
I spent the drive back to the city explaining what had happened in the metaphorical Gate of Horns and Ivory. It hadn’t been a gate at all, but a cleansing of the mind. I needed to face my own demons and insecurities before I could rebuild what was broken inside me. It was the fresh start I needed to face off with Drusilla and Andrew. It was a clean slate.
When we arrived at the SIU, the noise level had reached new heights. Leaders from all the supernatural clans in New York were in attendance—awaiting our arrival.
“Briggs,” I called out as I entered the squad room.
“It’s about time!” the short, bald man barked as he stepped out of his office. “What took you so damn long?”
“I’m here now,” I said.
He ignored me—as usual—and we went straight to the conference room.
“Why are we here?” Charles Cadwell grunted. At this point, even Briggs was in the dark, but Sebastian had done this well—he’d gotten them together.
I’d been about to announce the news when someone yelled, “FAE!” in the squad room. Everyone turned to look through the window to see Malakai come through. I went to the door and waved him over.
“False alarm,” I told the other detectives, but they watched him with disgust and suspicion.
“What is the meaning of this?” Charles demanded.
“This is an insult!” the leader of the Gargoyles announced. “Arrest him! Now!”
“We will be doing no such thing,” I said as I closed the door of the conference room. Amara raised her hand and placed a privacy screen over the room. “This is Malakai, a representative of the Fae rebels.”
The sneers aimed his way intensified and I inched closer to him, in show of solidarity. We needed him and his band of people.
“My people and I do not stand with Drusilla—” Malakai started.
“All Fae are the same!” The Head Witch of Long Island proclaimed. “You naïve child, he’s deceiving you!”
And this was where my recent quest came in handy. It reminded me to not only go with my gut, but the people who appeared to be an enemy, might just be an ally.
“The child is you,” I snarled. “If you think I’m so stupid, why the hell are you here?” I scanned the room waiting for someone to respond, but not a word. “Exactly. You’re here because you know I’m just as invested in putting an end to this war that has been brewing for ages. You’re here because you’ve heard rumors about me—of what I can do.”
“I’m starting to think they’re that…rumors,” the leader of the Djinn murmured.
Sebastian growled in the back of the room, but I didn’t need his heads up. I heard it loud and clear. My hearing was back, just like everything else. I wasn’t moon-bound any longer.
“If that is what you believe,” I opened the door. “You are more than welcome to leave. If not, sit down and shut up.”
Silence fell as each one waged an internal battle on whether to blow this popsicle joint, or hear what I had to say. They could underestimate me if they wanted to, but I didn’t think any of them were willing to gamble.
“That’s what I thought,” I started. “We invited you here because we have news to share—as many of you know, the Fae realm was opened because I was linked to it by blood. Some of you even attempted to kill me because of it,” I looked at the witches. “As of less than an hour ago, the realm was officially sealed.”
The murmurs washed through the room as they looked at one another in victory. I rolled my eyes. As if they had anything to do with it.
“The gates to the Fae realm might be closed, but it doesn’t mean the threat is gone. Drusilla is stuck in our world with an army of Fae at her disposal. I assume that they’re currently scrambling to figure out how the hell I managed to unlink myself and find a new game plan. That’s where we come in.”
“We don’t know where they are,” the leader of the Gargoyles said. “We just round them up like we’ve been doing when the realm originally closed.”
I shook my head. “We know where they’re hiding.” I avoided the icy glare of Briggs as he shot daggers at me. I’d get my ass chewed for keeping this from him later. “The time to strike is now. Not later, not tomorrow, but now. Their plan has been halted. We’ve surprised them. Attacking when they’re unprepared, when we’re steps ahead of them, is an advantage we cannot lose.”
“Where are they?” Charles asked.
I wagged a finger. “Not so fast there. I’m not telling you so you can run off on your own and ruin our whole plan. I don’t think so.”
“What do you want?” Malakai asked.
“I want your blood oath.” That got me a few gasps. “That you will fight side-by-side with the SIU, and end this threat once and for all.”
The conference room was in uproar as the leaders fought amongst themselves whether it was a good idea to put their people’s lives at risk. As if their lives weren’t being threatened already. We were all in danger if we didn’t stop the Fae now.
I waited outside the conference room when Sebastian and Amy came out. I expected a massive hug from her, but we still weren’t to that point in our new friendship yet.
“How are you?” Sebastian asked. His cold blue eyes narrowed, as if trying to scare me from lying to him.
“I’m great,” I smirked. “I’m ready to kick some ass…if these people get it together.”
“Give them time. You just dropped a huge bomb on them,” Amy said.
I sighed. “Time is what we don’t have. While we’re here bickering, the Fae are reorganizing.”
She bit her pierced lip, contemplating. We stood there for a while, waiting on the arguing to stop and decision making to commence.
“Not even a phone call?” A small voice came from the entrance to the squad room where we stood. I did a double-take as I looked at a girl with a heart-shaped face and her hair split in two braids.
“Scarlet?” I exclaimed as I ran to her. My arms squeezed the hell out of her as we hugged. I hadn’t seen Scarlet Slade since Scotland when she was reunited with her mom Cosima. Her mom was the witch that helped Adaline suppress my wolf so I wouldn’t live a life with a Pack—she was also the witch to undo it per Ivana.
“I can’t believe you didn’t call me for help,” she frowned. “You know you can always count on me.”
I nodded. “You’re in witchy school and I didn’t want to bug you. After everything, I thought another war was the last thing you’d want to be involved in.”
“Yeah, right,” she smiled. “I just finished my first year at The Academy, I’m like a million times better now!” Her eyes grew to golf balls as she looked at me with excitement. Scarlet was a funny girl. Always playing her video games, but kicking ass with the witch craft. Even with all the death she witnessed, there was an innocence behind her eyes that I envied.
“Well I’m glad you’re here. You remember everyone,” I waved my hand toward Bash and Amy and they welcomed her back to the team—filling her in on the plan.
Startling us, the door to the conference room burst open and the leader of the Djinn came out. “I won’t fight along the Fae. Don’t count on my people to help,” he grumbled as he left the squad room.
I threw my head back and sighed. These people were so damn stubborn! I paced up and down the hallway as we continued to wait for more leaders to exit and give up the fight before it started.
After an eternity, Cassidy popped his head outside and grinned. “They’re ready.”
The closest way into the Immigrant Hospital was to enter Ellis Island from New Jersey. And the only way to do so without giving the Fae a heads up, was the witches and warlocks. I’d texted Bobby Wu the location in hopes he’d change his mind, but I wasn’t holding my breath.
>
Once the leaders signed the blood oath, it was an uphill battle getting them to agree to fight alongside the Fae rebels. After a reminder of the Lycan rebellion I led myself, they warmed up to Malakai. Not really, but they relented.
We waited on the shore of the Hudson River for the boats to be filled while the witches and warlocks held up an invisibility cloak around us. Sebastian took the time to come up beside me, and sneaked his hand in mine.
“I’m proud of you,” he said looking straight ahead to Ellis Island. “You’ve showed not just the Lycan, but the rest of the supernatural community who the next heir is. A woman—a wolf—who will burn the world to the ground if it means protecting the ones who cannot protect themselves. A leader who will not just give orders, but one who will fight alongside her people. You’re a force to be reckoned with, Mackenzie Grey.”
“Thank you,” I sighed. I didn’t need validation from anyone, but I needed someone to lean on. To have him here, reminding me that I’m not alone, meant everything. I squeezed his hand and stared off into the river. “I need you to know something, Bash.”
He turned to me and nodded.
“I-I know it’s been complicated and dramatic, to get us where we are right now. These past few days with you have been some of my best. I’m kicking myself for missing out.”
“Mackenzie,” he started, but I placed my palm on his chest to stop him.
“Let me finish,” I whispered as I avoided his gaze. I licked my lips and felt the saltiness of a tear that had escaped. “You are my soulmate. Whether we were meant to be lovers or friends, you stood by me, protected me, and let me be myself. I know it wasn’t easy for you at the beginning, but you adapted. Your loyalty has been unwavering, and I don’t know how everything would have played out if it wasn’t.”
“Why does this sound like a goodbye…?”
I laughed and ignored his comment. “I love you Sebastian Steel. I fuckin’ love you.”
Rough, calloused hands, tipped my chin to look up at him. Those hard eyes glowed sapphire, his face serious and stone cold. His nostrils flared and I wanted to roll my eyes. I wasn’t expecting him to say it back. I would have preferred if he didn’t. I couldn’t go into battle with that on my mind, swaying my decision.
“I’m yours. I always have been,” he said, and I let out a sigh of relief.
We stood there, staring at one another until it was time to go. It was peaceful. It was exactly what I needed to get my head in the right space. I wasn’t going home with him after this, and I think he knew that.
We piled up into a boat with Jonah and the rest of my untraditional Pack. The only human in this whole army was Michaels. I’d begged him to stay behind, but he refused. I’d tasked Finn with protecting him. The Reaper had no qualms, as he had a new-found respect for Michaels.
We surrounded the edge of the island where the hospital was located, dismounting as quietly as possible, but a boat that hadn’t reached the island, had some difficulties that attracted attention. A few Fae stationed on the roof of the hospital looked out the river for the source of the splashing water. They called for assistance, and more Fae began to filter out of the hospital to check what the noise was. They were paranoid and with good reason.
I turned to Ranulf who was in the boat beside us and gave him a quick nod. He had a Shofar tied to a rope and slung across his body. He took the ram’s horn and blew, letting out a trumpet-like sound, letting the witches and warlocks know that the veil could come down. I gave Alexander—who was in the same boat as Ranulf—a reassuring smile. He wouldn’t sit out this fight either. No matter how much I tried to convince him that the Lycan needed a leader if neither of us made it back. He didn’t care.
“It would be an honor to fight alongside ye; my daughter,” he’d said. I was tempted to call him father, but it didn’t feel right, not yet.
“Now!” I screamed and the fighters disembarked from their respective boats. We charged toward the hospital. A lawn stretched between us and the building, giving the Fae a small window of opportunity to gather their forces. Had it not been for our early announcement, we would have waited until we passed the pasture.
The Fae trailed out of the hospital in droves. Their bows ready, and swords glistening. There were a lot of them, but we had an equal amount of numbers. Our advantage? We had fighters on land, in the water, and in the air.
“The main entrance!” I yelled to my team. We’d come in through the side, and we needed to penetrate the building if we wanted to get to Andrew and Drusilla.
Flanked by Sebastian and Jonah, they burst into their wolf forms as we ran across the lawn. Their teeth ripping apart the Fae that approached us, while Lucian and Amy held up the rear. Ranulf, Alexander, Jackson, Cassidy, and Roman ran in a similar formation behind us. Finn and Michaels were ghosting through the battle field, trying to cut down any exit opportunities the Fae had on the island. With Finn, they were a cloud of black smoke.
As we made it to the walkway of the entrance of the hospital, I peered up at the windows, in the middle of the second floor, there stood Andrew and Drusilla.
I growled as I released my canines and claws, my face scrunching like a prune to make way for a human-like muzzle. With a force I didn’t know I had, I slammed my hands on the ground, my claws digging into the concrete. Shards flew everywhere as the sidewalk cracked and rippled until it reached the front door of the hospital. The building shook.
“Come get me,” I snarled.
A gaggle of Fae swarmed out and the teams dispersed.
Alexander shifted into a massive wolf. His pitch black fur bristled with anticipation as his silver eyes glowed, and he snapped his canines at the incoming Fae. He dodged flying arrows with ease—like battle was nothing new to him. He took down a Fae in a split second—his huge mouth biting on its torso, as he shook the body back and forth until it split in half, and he moved on to the next one.
Amy, Roman, and Lucian fought like a well-oiled machine, their speed was their advantage as they tore through Fae effortlessly.
My gaze moved from the battle and I looked up to see them gone from the window—but Andrew was waiting for me—on the roof. Its slanted shingles were old and loose. Not the brightest idea he’s had.
It would take too long if I went inside the hospital to get up there and there was no exterior entrance. He knew what he was doing—delaying me. Except I had other plans.
I bounded toward the hospital on all fours and as I got a few feet from the building, I leapt in the air until my claws dug into the side of the building. I’d made it ten feet off the ground, as I pulled one clawed hand out of the brick and scaled. I couldn’t see Andrew’s face from where I was, but I was sure he hadn’t expected this method.
Brick debris flew around me as I climbed the wall of the hospital. I pulled, using my upper body to hold myself up. My muscles tightened and shook. I growled every time my claws penetrated the wall, pushing myself to continue.
When I reached the top, Andrew was climbing further up on the roof to get some space between us. As my feet touched more solid ground, I scaled the roof and grabbed him by the ankle—just like my vision.
“Going somewhere?” I panted.
“Ye stupid bitch,” he snapped as he attempted to shake me off.
“Aw. That’s not very nice,” I said as I yanked harder, and he slid lower.
He kicked me in the face and I slid down the roof, digging my claws in deeper. Blood trickled out of my nose, and the warmth of pain covered my cheek bones.
I snarled.
He got to his feet and walked up to the crevice of the roof. A narrow, flat beam that held up the front and back side of the roof. That’s where he wanted to play.
“Ye could nae just leave well alone,” he sneered. “Mackenzie Grey, always meddling where she shouldn’t.”
I got on the beam and straightened. “Yes, Andrew,” I said. “I’m so stupid for getting involved in shit that has nothing to do with me like oh, wait for it, some fuckers link
ing me to a damn realm!”
“Ye weren’t meant to survive that once we stopped performing sacrifices. It was supposed to kill ye!”
I snorted. “Well that didn’t go as planned.”
“Why?” he took a step back as I took one forward. He was stalling. “How the bloody hell were ye able to sustain yerself?”
“I ate my Wheaties,” I deadpanned. “The real question is, how could you ever side against your own people?”
“The minute ye came around, they were no longer my people!” he spat. “Ye took everything from me!”
The scowl on his face was comical. He truly believed what he was saying.
“You idiot,” I rolled my eyes. “I took nothing from you. Had you gotten your head out of your ass, and listened instead of blindly following Ivana, you would have known that!”
Andrew stopped moving, his eyes going from brown to glowing red. It was such an odd change—I’d been told it was because his real father was actually Fae.
“It does nae matter now. Ye killed my mum. For that, I’ll kill ye too.” He charged for me.
I ran to him first, claws extended and slashing at him. He flowed across the roof with precision.
He back-handed me and I slid, almost falling over.
“If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me,” I growled. My knee met his stomach and I punched him—right, left, right, left. I swerved out of his uppercut, but his left hook took me by surprise. I fell on my back and he pounced. His hands wrapped around my neck and he squeezed. His weight labored my breaths already and unless I could get from underneath him, I was screwed.
Gasping, I shut my eyes, and tried to stop panicking. It was time I put my other skills to use.
I tapped into the quiet void of my mind, that small part that had been dormant all my life until Adaline’s spirit awoke and stirred me awake. I could feel her. Like a remnant of who she had been—strong, brave, open-minded.
My eyes sprang open, and they were no longer the glowing silver of a MacCoinnich—they were the milky white of the Sisters of the Sight.
“Bloody hell—” Andrew gasped, his grip loosening. I took the opportunity and elbowed him across the face.
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