Maddox was practically spitting in her face, he’d gotten so close, but instead of being mad, Alana’s face softened. She placed a hand on his chest. “Your heart hurts like mine does. I miss my Edgar as well. What is it that you need to get your love back?”
“We need the blood of a siren,” Maddox answered through gritted teeth, barely keeping his shit together, but whatever was happening, he was reaching the sea queen on a level the rest of us couldn’t.
She nodded and closed her eyes. Then, she reopened them and stared at me while moving away from Maddox. Well, maybe I was wrong.
“What are your intentions, Lucinda?” she asked.
“I’m going to kill Zephyr.”
“What about his fiancée? Will you help him?” Alana asked.
I hesitated and that was answer enough for all of them. I hated that I did so, but Ivy knew, and she had even told me. Zephyr needed to die. I couldn’t do both, but I would at least give Ivy the best chance I could at survival.
“I might not be able to help, but Maddox and Finn will. We also have a witch on standby to assist,” I finally answered after trying to ignore her disapproving gaze.
Alana nodded. “Right, but will that be enough?”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to answer that, so I didn’t. I had enough shit on my plate. I wasn’t going to get into anything with the sea queen that didn’t actually concern her. It would be a waste of both of our times.
Finn stepped to my side. “None of that matters if we can’t get what we need. Just let us go, so we can find the sirens. We are not a threat to you.”
“Well, you might have a hard time with that.”
“And why is that?” Finn asked.
“Because all of the sirens are dead.”
Chapter 17
Maeve must have known this. After the poisonous squid and crazy sea queen, I had no doubts that Maeve had sent us into the waters hoping we’d die, so she wouldn’t have to follow through on the blood oath. She’d probably already lost dozens of fae trying to find the sirens. Her “help” and blood oath were nothing more than a ploy.
“What do you mean they’re dead? All of them?” Maddox asked, inching closer to Alana once more.
She frowned, something that seemed awkward on her angular face. “I’m afraid so. A darkness swept through our waters and killed many of our kind. The sirens, selkies, and water dragons were among the biggest casualties, and only very few of the dragons remain. The other two were eradicated. When their souls came to me all at once, I nearly died myself. I believe I was the true target, but Edgar saved me. It was when I first met him.”
Hmm, I wondered if Edgar had actually been the one to send the darkness through the waters. He’d obviously been messing with some powerful magic throughout the years if he’d almost been able to kill Zephyr.
Alana backed up, spun on her three-inch heels, and walked into the shadows.
“Where is she going?” I asked in case I’d missed something during my musings.
“No idea, but she better be quick about whatever she’s doing, or I’m out of here,” Maddox grumbled.
Finn placed a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, brother. We’re almost done. By nightfall, we will be entering the castle.”
Maddox shrugged him off. “At least one of us will be.”
I glanced at Neva. “Any thoughts? You’ve been awfully quiet over there.”
“The sea queen isn’t a bad person. We can trust her, but I don’t know how she will be able to help us.”
I raised a brow. “And why is that?”
“Well, she said they’re all dead. How do we get the blood of someone who no longer lives?”
Alana glided back into the cavernous area like the queen she called herself. “Dead does not mean gone, my dear.” Alana held a ceramic bottle in her hand and shook it. “This is the blood of a siren. Those of the water do not perish without leaving behind something that will help the future.”
“So, everyone here is an organ donor?” I asked.
Finn glared at me, silently telling me to shut the hell up.
“Do you want the blood or not?” the queen snapped, not appreciating my curiosity.
Maddox strode over and took it. “We do. Now, can we get out of here?”
Alana offered him a kind smile. “I hope you save her. Love is always worth fighting for.”
With those words, Finn’s eyes softened toward me, and I wondered what thoughts the queen’s words triggered for him. We might be bonded, but we certainly didn’t love each other. I was pretty sure I wasn’t capable of that particular emotion any longer. Not after all I had been through.
I could care for people, but my heart was closed for business. The only part of me that gave a damn about anything was my head. Those feelings I allowed myself were easy to shut off with my mind, but if I ever let them into my heart… that wasn’t something I cared to experience again.
Alana’s white hair glowed with magic as she spoke next. “I will get you back to the surface, but you have to make me a vow.”
“And what is that?” Finn asked.
“None of you will come or send anyone for Edgar when I decide it is his time to live again. He won’t walk your lands, and you will not come into my waters with ill intentions. Edgar is mine, and I will protect him with my life. No one will win against me if they try to harm my mate.”
“Fair enough. You keep him from trying to kill me or innocent people, and you won’t ever see us again,” I replied.
Alana smirked. “Well, I don’t know about that last part, but I will take your words as your vow to leave my mate be.” She snapped her fingers, and a silver trident appeared in her palm. A wave of power settled over the cave, and I reached for Finn and Neva as Maddox stepped closer.
Water that hadn’t been present seconds before began to swirl around us, causing my iridescent locks to wrap around my face until I couldn’t see any longer. Neva tightened her grip on my arm, and I did the same to Finn. I had no idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t warmth and comfort to envelop me.
A floating sensation took over next, and any unease about the sea witch’s magic slipped away.
“Do not tell anyone of your travels in the sea. I have no business with your people, so they have none with me. Our worlds are better left separate.” Alana’s voice echoed around us while we were still held by the water.
Wind knocked us around until we fell onto the warm sand. I opened my eyes to find the later afternoon sun beating down on us. Squinting, I rolled over and inspected myself to find I was dry and unharmed.
Alana might have thought our kinds had no business with each other, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t be the case forever. If she was bonded to a fae that she intended to bring back to life, I had no doubt we would see her again.
“Is everyone okay?” Finn asked as he stood up.
Neva and Maddox nodded as we all wiped the sand off.
“Where are we?” I asked.
The beach around us didn’t look like the one we’d entered the sea at. The sand was whiter, reflecting off the sun in almost a painful way, and it was hotter here than I’d ever felt on the main islands. The trees behind us weren’t lush like North Island, either.
“We must be on one of the tourist islands,” Maddox answered.
Gods, I’d always hated those. Centuries ago, our kind had created the fae realm to keep our people safe from the shifters and vampires; then, we began letting them in for a price. It was asinine. There was no item worth risking the drama other supernaturals could bring here, in my opinion, but the royalty had always insisted it was a way to bridge the gap between the races. I was certain it was complete bullshit.
Branches snapped behind us, and a growl sounded. I expanded my wings and took a step forward as a big ass wolf shifter stepped out of the trees. His silver fur had a black undertone that deepened his overall color. I met his forest-green eyes and ignored the sharp teeth he snapped at us as he got closer.
&nb
sp; His growls lessened, and he stopped snarling once he touched the sand, but I was still leery while we waited to see what he would do.
“Should we just leave?” Neva asked.
Finn shook his head. “The sea witch might have dropped us here for a reason.”
Probably for her own entertainment, but maybe I was wrong.
The wolf began to shimmer, his fur turning to skin as he rose onto his back legs and turned into his human counterpart. Clothes appeared with him, but not much skin ended up covered. He wore only board shorts, telling me he was likely here for pleasure and not someone we needed to worry about.
“I was told I’d have this island to myself. I paid a hefty price for it.” The shifter’s voice was husky, as if he hadn’t spoken in days.
“Well, we certainly didn’t come here by choice,” I replied, openly appraising him. Not too long ago, his green eyes, trimmed bronze hair, and muscles like a Norse god would have been a turn-on, but my newly acquired mate bond must have shut down that part of me. Instead, the whole situation made me more curious than anything.
He was throwing off some serious alpha vibes, and I wondered if he’d left a pack behind or been kicked out of one. Normal people didn’t vacation alone and pay a hefty price for it.
“Are you by yourself?” Finn asked.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business, fae. Like I said, I paid for my stay on this island. It’d be best if you left,” he said with a tone of authority.
Definitely an alpha.
“Easy, Wolfy. We didn’t come here to ruin your pity party for one,” I said.
“My name is Roman, not Wolfy, and I did not come here to be disrespected. I came to be alone, so I’d suggest you leave now.” His tanned form started to shimmer around the edges as if he was fighting off a shift that he should have had more control over.
“Not much of an alpha if you can’t even keep your wolf in check,” I added, because I also had a problem with control. Except mine was over my mouth.
Roman took two steps closer to me, and Finn stepped between us. “My mate doesn’t mean to threaten you. She just doesn’t know how to keep her thoughts to herself. Our troubles are not with you. We’ll be going.”
When he’d called me his mate, my heart did a weird flip-flop in my chest, but I didn’t pay as much attention to that as I did the ache in the shifter’s eyes.
“Running from something?” I asked, because I’d seen it in my own.
“Something like that,” he replied gruffly.
“Well, if you want to take any aggressions out, you’re welcome to come with us,” I added. Given Roman hadn’t attacked us, he probably really was there just to get away and we’d been the one to interrupt him.
He shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Great. Now that we’ve settled all that, can we leave?” Maddox asked with a huff.
Finn nodded. “Enjoy your stay on the islands, Roman. Just a warning, I’d stay away from the main one.”
The shifter nodded and let his wolf rise to the surface. As much as I hated dealing with the overbearing shifters at times, I was always fascinated by watching them shift.
First, his eyes changed from human to wolf, still retaining their green color, but there was a primal effect to them as they transformed. Then, he bent forward, fur sprouting along his skin, and within a split second, he was back on four legs, standing about four feet tall with his head held high.
The wolf nodded at us one last time, then turned to race back into the forest. I briefly wondered what he was running from but reminded myself we had our own problems to handle. I didn’t really care about shifter ones.
“Well, that was pointless,” Maddox grumbled.
“It was something.” Finn turned to Neva. “We’re going to need your help getting us back to Maeve. Are you ready?”
She nodded, her dark curls even bouncier after having been in the water. “It will be easier now that we know what to expect.”
I glanced up at the sun again and wondered how long we’d been gone. I wanted to be back at the castle by nightfall. We’d started our day early and, if all went as planned, it wasn’t going to be ending anytime soon. Maeve better be ready to hold up her end of the deal.
With one last look around the sparse beach, we teleported back to North Island, arriving at just the wrong place and time.
Guards dressed in all the same garb fought against each other, and flames erupted around us. More of the island was burning. I didn’t know what Zephyr’s fascination with fire was, but it needed to stop. He was destroying the realm that was supposed to be utopia for fae, and that was not okay.
“Why are they fighting each other?” Neva asked, but none of us got the chance to answer as someone spotted us.
“Kill them!” a guard shouted and no longer were they attacking each other. Instead, all of the fae charged for us.
I grabbed Neva’s arm and shoved her back. “Disappear. Now.”
Without confirming she listened to me, I extended my wings as Finn and Maddox spread out next to me. “This is where you let go of that pain, Maddox,” I reminded him, and he grunted.
“How are we going to get around all of them?” Finn asked, taking in the three dozen fae headed our way.
“We’re not. We’re going to go right through them,” I replied.
Chapter 18
Finn didn’t argue with me. Instead, the three of us readied, and I confirmed Neva was indeed gone, preferably in her little pocket realm where she would be safe from whatever was about to go down. I might’ve had no problem encouraging Maddox to become more like me, but after hearing about Neva’s past, I was even more convinced that she needed to stay out of our fight.
Some of the guards began to fight again, but we still had no idea who was who. I assumed at least some of them were the Renegades dressed as royal guards in hopes of blending in. Clearly, that had failed, but until they got closer, we had no idea who was on our side, if anyone was at all.
“Keep that blood safe at all costs,” I called to Maddox and then struck out with my magic.
Maddox beat me to the first few guards, though. He shook with unfiltered fury, his gossamer wings out and pushing him forward faster than I thought possible.
Finn was at my side, and I held him back, wanting to see what Maddox would do. He’d been holding a lot of aggression in over the last day, and we needed him to explode now instead of later.
“Focus on the ones further back,” I said to Finn, even though I still didn’t know which guards were fighting against us.
Finn didn’t hesitate, and I followed him until one of the guards came at me.
“The king wants you alive, but I’ve come to learn he doesn’t always know what is best.” The fae curled his lips in a snarl, and I laughed.
“Then, maybe you should also know his enemies aren’t necessarily yours,” I replied, but he didn’t seem deterred and moved to strike me.
My wing covered the front of me, taking the impact of his magic that vibrated my entire body. The fae was strong, but not more so than me. I lowered my wing and sneered at him, sending a blast of magic that knocked his ass to the ground. He was unconscious, but not dead. Two more fae headed for me, but these ones held their hands up.
“The king is looking for you. He has promised to burn everything until he finds you,” one of them said.
“Well, then. I’ll just have to find him first,” I replied as I raised my left hand and sent a wave of magic into the idiot who thought he could sneak up behind me.
Glancing over, the fae was twitching on the ground, but what held my attention most was Maddox. He was moving in a near blur and beating the hell out of anyone he encountered. Some of the fae began to steer clear of him, and I assumed them to be Renegades. By the time I could turn back to the ones who had approached, there were none of the king’s guards left to take care of. Most dead, the others having disappeared.
Only ten Renegades were left
standing. I had no idea how many they’d shown up with; I doubted they’d had zero casualties.
“Where is Maeve?” I asked.
“She is keeping watch at home base. She protects our most important assets,” a fae with a red band around his upper left bicep answered. His long ebony hair was pulled back into a ponytail, emphasized by a strong widow’s peak, and his russet eyes were focused on me.
“Who are you?” Finn asked, likely noticing the same thing as me.
“I’m Maeve’s second-in-command Orson. From the way she spoke, I’m surprised to see you back so soon,” he said, still keeping an eye on me, which didn’t go unnoticed by Finn who moved a little closer to me.
“Well, Orson. We are back. How about we go see Maeve so she can hold up her end of our deal,” Finn said with a bite.
Oh, how I loved when he got feisty.
Maddox grunted in agreement with Finn, and I noticed he was still breathing hard from the adrenaline rush he likely experienced during the fight. Hopefully, it was enough to satisfy most of his rage at Ivy being taken.
Orson nodded curtly and turned without saying another word. He disappeared along with the others without inviting us along.
“Maeve expected us to die in the sea. She made the blood oath, because she didn’t have any plans of following through on it,” I said as Neva popped back into existence.
“If she doesn’t help us get in that castle, I will kill her myself,” Maddox snapped.
Finn sighed. “Killing isn’t the answer to all of our problems, brother.”
Maddox huffed. “Well, your mate was right about it making me feel better.”
“It’s a temporary remedy. I promise you that,” Finn replied with a pointed look at me.
They were both right. It was why I had continually searched out trouble back in LA. I needed the release of a fight to keep my darkness sated. Inner demons came in all forms. According to Olida, my biggest one had been manufactured and was no longer an issue after my bonding to Finn, but my past was still ever present.
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