And I was pretty certain I’d lost a comb along the way.
This all sucked.
What sucked way worse was that I knew we were all dead.
This was because we were surrounded. I couldn’t miss it even as I battled on, breathing heavy, my heart thumping in my chest, my blood roaring in my ears. I heard Loretta’s terrified pants and Meeta’s grunts of effort.
We were surrounded.
They were pressing us in.
I felt Loretta’s back hit mine. Then Meeta’s.
If just one of them got a good swipe in, they could take all three of us out.
We were done for.
I was going to die with two fabulous women who somehow had come to my aid and who I wished I had a lot more time to get to know.
I wasn’t ever going to see Élan dressed for her first gale.
I wasn’t going to see Christophe become a soldier.
I was never going to feel Apollo’s hands on me again. His mouth. See his smile. Take in all the beauty that was him.
I was going to die in the cold and snow of a parallel universe having tasted a beautiful life I knew I’d grown to love but had not allowed myself to trust. Tasted it for a brief snatch of time and then it was going to be whisked away.
“You guys are the freaking greatest!” I shouted, grunting as I lunged forward and got one in the gut.
He fell back.
Another took his place.
“I die with you in my heart, Miss Maddie and Meeta,” Loretta yelled, Meeta’s name ending in a pained yelp and I knew one clipped her.
“We do not die tonight!” Meeta screeched, her voice so shrill, it was like she was trying to make that be by putting everything she was into her words.
I admired her grit.
But she was heartbreakingly wrong.
One of the things did an overhead slice and I caught it with my short blade sideways, but the strength of the slice took me down to my knee. My arms over my head, struggling to hold my attacker’s blade, the rest of me was ripe for the pickin’s.
But if I let go, he’d slice me in half.
I let out an ear-piercing scream of frustration, terror and heartache and his sword disappeared.
He didn’t. He stood before me but he was looking over his shoulder.
I shot to standing and noted both Loretta and Meeta pressing to my back but I heard no grunts of exertion nor did I feel movement.
This was because all of the creatures were looking back.
I was about to start jabbing at random to create a hole in what looked like a six or seven creature-thick wall around us when all hell broke loose.
And by that I mean I heard barking, growling, yapping, snarling and suddenly a line of sight cleared and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
Wolves.
All around.
Dozens of them.
No.
More.
Maybe hundreds.
All of them attacking the things.
“Oh my God,” I whispered. “What’s going—?”
I didn’t finish.
This was because, behind the wolves, more of the creatures formed out of nowhere just as a line of wolves ran, scampered or crawled on their bellies through the snow and the now battling-with-wolves bird-men toward Meeta, Loretta and me.
We pressed back to back.
Great.
Bird-men and now wolves.
If certain death already wasn’t bad enough.
I lifted my dagger but didn’t use it.
This was because I was staring in shock as the wolves formed a circle around us, snarling, growling, snapping and biting at the bird-men who were pressing in.
Holy cow.
They were protecting us.
More wolves shot to the circle to keep the bird-men back.
Holy cow!
The wolves were totally protecting us!
How cool!
I reached out and grabbed Loretta’s hand. “You okay?”
“Flesh wound, shoulder,” Meeta answered for her. “It’s deep and bleeding profusely, Miss Maddie. We must get her aid. She pales.”
There was my Spock. Logical, for of course Loretta needed aid.
I just couldn’t get it for her when we were surrounded by bedlam.
“Stick with us, honey,” I said on a squeeze of Loretta’s hand. “You with us?”
“Yes, Miss Maddie,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
At the exhaustion, pain and fear in Loretta’s voice, I decided that next time Spock and I went on an adventure, we were leaving the honor roll cheerleader behind.
Not that I had a choice this time.
“We’ll get you taken care of as soon as this calms down,” I assured her, hoping I wasn’t lying.
“Right,” she replied, holding my hand tight, her voice holding no hope.
But keeping an eye on the activity, although our ring of wolf protectors was prevailing, and although I could see in the distance the shadowy shape of more wolves heading our way, the bird-men were popping up everywhere.
And as if to prove that true, two popped into the circle close to the girls and me.
They didn’t even get turned toward us before five wolves jumped them and viciously ripped them to shreds.
Blue sparks flew everywhere and the bird-men disappeared.
Wild.
Scary.
And totally fucked up.
The wolves didn’t hesitate to close ranks and continue snarling and snapping at the pressing bird-men.
And blue sparks were flying everywhere.
Yelps of wounded wolves came fast and thick. I even saw some unmoving wolf bodies on the forest floor.
More bird-men formed.
Lots more.
I squeezed Loretta’s hand.
The wolves around us backed in tighter, their tails brushing our skirts.
This was not good.
The wolves were losing.
Shit!
Then it happened.
Suddenly and with little warning, bedlam turned into Armageddon.
It started with wolves in the forest suddenly turning tail and running.
That did not give me a good feeling.
It continued with the wolf circle around us falling to their bellies and pushing snout first through the snow.
This definitely didn’t give me a good feeling.
But it ended with Meeta shouting, “Down! Now!”
I hit the deck mostly because Meeta shoved me there, on top of Loretta, Meeta coming down on top of me.
Then a fiery blast of heat seared over us as the forest all around us burst into flame.
I just had the chance to peek up from under Meeta’s arm that was wrapped around my head and, I kid you not, no joke, no fooling, flapping their webby wings terrifying overhead, breathing fire all around was not one…not two…but three gigantic dragons.
I stared in shock and awe, my mouth hanging open as they stopped breathing fire. Only one was in sight and I watched it flap down and settle his ass to the scorched earth, forked tongue out and snaking around, eyes intelligent and aimed in the distance.
Meeta got up and pulled me up. I pulled Loretta up.
And we stood there, staring around us.
This was because everything but a five foot diameter of now-melting snow around our feet was totally incinerated. Charred. Leveled. Still smoldering but there was nothing left.
Nothing but three big dragons with thin, lolling tongues and a circle of wolves who were now sitting around us, some cleaning themselves disinterestedly, some just panting, one was scratching behind his ear.
Meeta pressed close and Loretta made a noise of fear.
I looked into the smoldering shadows.
Through midnight and smoke, a man and woman appeared.
The man was tall, built and seriously hot.
The woman had fabulous white blonde hair.
They came to a stop ten feet away and he opened his mouth to speak.
>
But I beat him to it.
“I take it you’re Finnie and Frey.”
He closed his mouth but used it to smile.
Yep, hot.
She grinned.
And she was cute.
Right. With dragons in the mix, I had a feeling everything was going to be okay.
So I smiled back.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Path to Vengeance
Apollo rode Anguish hard through the snow, the needles of the pines whipping unheeded against his face and body, his torso ducking and swaying to avoid branches.
His destination: where he’d seen the dragons’ blaze.
His lungs were burning fire throughout his frame.
His neck and shoulders were solid with tension.
His thoughts were tortured.
He hit the smoking wasteland and saw them.
Meeta and Loretta were there for some gods forsaken reason.
Finnie and Frey were there, which was surprising but not, considering the dragons and their fire.
His wolves were there, which was as he’d arranged.
And then there was Maddie, looking wet, cold and disheveled.
But standing.
Breathing.
Alive.
Alive.
He rode straight to her, not slowing Anguish, and the huddle swayed out of his way as he threw his leg over the saddle and dismounted with Anguish still at a run.
His legs bore the impact of his dismount but he didn’t feel it.
He took two long strides to Madeleine, lifted his hands and framed her face. Unable to stop them, he moved them over her hair, down her neck, under her jaws and back to the sides of her head as his eyes scoured her face.
Standing.
Breathing
Her eyes open and looking into his.
“I’m all right, Lo,” she whispered and he felt her hand light on his stomach as she leaned in. “I’m all right, baby.”
At her words, he crushed his mouth down on hers, thrusting his tongue in, tasting her, drinking from her, devouring her.
Her arms curled around his middle and went tight as she tipped her head back to give him what he needed.
More.
Approaching horses and voices pierced his extreme relief and he tore his mouth from hers. When he did, he cupped the back of her head, shoved her face in his throat and curled an arm around her, hauling her deep so she was tight to his body and he could feel her everywhere. Smell her close. Absorb the fact she was still alive.
His eyes went to Frey.
“What was it?” he barked.
“Hewcrows,” Frey answered. “Minerva,” he went on, telling Apollo something he already knew.
Everyone knew the bird-headed hewcrows were Minerva’s magic.
But the black mist that he’d seen envelope Maddie was something else.
He couldn’t think of his Madeleine being attacked in the forest by hewcrows. Not then. His nerves were frayed, his fury at the surface. The thought of his broken dove battling hewcrows in the snow would cause him to lose control.
Instead, he glanced around at the destruction, taking in the three dragons at rest.
Hostilities had escalated.
“Lo,” Maddie breathed.
He ignored her and looked back to Frey.
“You’re here because?” Apollo asked.
“I’m here because my family gathers,” Frey answered.
Enough said.
“I’m also here to seek Lavinia,” Frey added.
“The others?” Apollo went on.
“We’ve had a message from the Circe of the other world. She wishes to help with our plight and she’s discovered a way to recover her magic. It’s a dangerous process and she would still consume all she recouped if she made the journey between worlds. We need Lavinia and Valentine to transport her here. Once here, she’ll be a formidable addition. That said, she’s explained this process and Circe, Cora, Tor, Lahn and their men journey to the font where Lahn’s Circe can recoup her magic as well.”
Apollo nodded.
“Lo,” Madeline whispered.
He again ignored her and noted that Frey’s men Ruben and Thaddeus had arrived and Annar, Lund, Oleg and Orion were riding to join their group. He turned his head and saw Laures, Remi, Hans and Alek had also made it. All of the men were still mounted, except Hans, who was close to Loretta, holding her while Meeta tied a strip of fabric she’d torn from her dress around a shoulder wound Loretta had sustained.
At the sight of the maid’s blood, Apollo’s mouth got tight and that burn in his chest came back.
“Get Loretta back to Brunskar,” he ordered Hans.
Hans looked to him and nodded.
“Lo,” Madeleine repeated.
“My mother?” Frey asked over her and Apollo looked to him, knowing the question.
That question being why Apollo was there.
And Frey knew the likely reason.
“She, or your father, Franka or Kristian. They’re all here,” Apollo answered.
This time, Frey’s mouth got tight and his eyes slid to Ruben.
“I want them in the dungeons before night’s end,” he commanded.
Without delay, Ruben, Thad, Annar, Lund and the others whirled their horses, dug their heels in and shot through the smoke.
Apollo heard more horses and turned to see Draven and Gaston arrive.
They’d barely stopped their mounts before Apollo caught Laures’s eyes. “One of you, assist Hans with Loretta and Meeta. The rest, aid Frey’s men.”
Gaston approached Hans and the women. The rest of his men dug their heels in their horses and galloped away.
“Lo!” Maddie wheezed into his throat.
He took the pressure off the back of her head and looked down at her. “Dove, what?”
She tipped her head back. “You’re squeezing the breath out of me.”
His arm around her back relaxed but he did not let her go.
She collapsed into him and pressed her face in his chest.
Seeing her do that, feeling it, he felt a muscle tick in his cheek right before he whistled sharply.
Maddie jumped in his arms and lifted her head but Apollo turned his eyes to the wolf who ran to him and stopped five feet away.
He heard Maddie catch her breath but he spoke to the king of the wolves.
“How many did you lose?”
“Twenty-seven.” He heard in his head as the wolf barked.
Twenty-seven.
Twenty-seven wolves.
Gods damn it.
“They will be avenged,” Apollo promised.
The wolf yipped, bobbed his muzzle, turned and ran through the smolder.
“What was that?” Maddie asked, her voice breathy, now for a different reason.
Apollo looked down at her.
She was staring after the wolf.
He lifted his head and gave a different kind of whistle.
Anguish trotted to him.
He heard Maddie gasp as he lifted her up and planted her arse on his mount. He didn’t delay in swinging up behind her, jerking up his chin to Frey, dipping it to Finnie, clamping Maddie close to him and bending into her and his steed.
He dug his heels in Anguish’s flanks.
His horse shot through the smoke.
Destination Brunskar.
And the path to vengeance.
* * * * *
His boots sounding sharp on the black stone floors of the Brunskar dungeons, Apollo was not surprised at what he saw at the end of the hall when he turned the corner.
Madeleine and Frey facing off.
She was wearing what he assumed was one of Melba’s soft, peach gowns. He assumed this as he’d left her to Melba, a guard, one of Calder’s witches, a physician called in from the village, as well as Meeta. They were all seeing to Loretta.
In other words, outside Melba, who’d essentially been elbowed aside by a rabidly protective Maddie and an equally rabidly
protective Meeta, they were generally getting in the physician’s way.
As he had things to do that didn’t include watching a physician stitch flesh as his Maddie fanned Loretta and Meeta threatened the poor man if the stitches weren’t tidy and straight, he’d left them to it.
Now she had found her way to the dungeons, the torches lit along the walls casting spare light into the gloom.
He was finding that was his Maddie. Assassins. Hewcrows. Dark magic. She was a fighter. She most definitely did not like to be kept in the dark and she didn’t shy away from much.
Except emotion.
And she was learning to face that head on too.
And all of this, all of Maddie, pleased him very much.
Which meant the thirty minutes where he knew not whether she was still with him in this world, or she was not in any world, had been unadulterated anguish.
Apollo could not dwell on that however, for as he got close, he saw her face was set.
As was Frey’s.
She heard his boots, looked his way and greeted, “Hey, honey.”
Even as fury and fear still smoldered in his chest, at her greeting, Apollo nearly smiled.
However, he did not.
This was because she turned instantly back to Frey and opened her mouth.
But Frey got there first.
“You will not enter.”
Apollo stopped close behind Maddie but had no chance to speak.
“Finnie’s in there,” she returned heatedly. “I saw her when you opened the door.”
“My Finnie is an unusual woman and princess of this realm,” Frey retorted.
“Well, I’m an unusual woman too. Seeing as she’s of my people, we’re the same kind of unusual and it was me and my girls”—she jerked her thumb at herself with each stressed word then threw out an arm—“who were out there with those things.”
Apollo felt his jaw grow tight at a reminder of the danger Madeleine had been in.
But Frey was not swayed
“What you would see in there is not for women’s eyes.”
“Huh,” Maddie huffed in disgust, and at that noise, Apollo lost his disquiet and rage at the events of earlier that night and again almost smiled. “I’ve seen Lo slit a man’s throat, gut another one, slice another one in the neck and cut off a man’s hand.” She twisted her neck and looked up at him. “What other carnage have you wrought in front of me, sweetheart?”
At that, there was no hope of stopping it, he smiled down at her.
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