She put her hands over mine and closed her eyes. “Let me see if I can use my power to help you.”
My body jolted when she entered my mind.
“I hear it too,” she said. “Let’s try to move toward the sound.”
I didn’t have time to respond. Within seconds, we both saw what had been making all that noise. It was the Ring of Dispel. Valac had removed it from the pathway, and I could sense it once more. The ring was trying to communicate with me. I’d known the ring had a connection to the king of the fire court, but I had no idea it could contact me. I used all my energy to sense its location.
The air court mountain came into view.
Kalin stepped back, breaking our connection. “Did you see it, Rowan?”
“Alert your knights.” I removed the glamour over my weapons. Some of the elementals on the dance floor screamed when the sword and shield on my back appeared seemingly out of nowhere. I released my sword from its sheath. “Valac is here.”
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus
Today was the greatest day of my life.
The musicians had already begun to play an upbeat instrumental song. We watched as our guests strolled inside for the wedding reception. Members of the royal families and high ranking elementals from every court were in attendance. It was hard for me to believe they’d all come to witness the wedding of a hound who had, until recently, been considered a step above a servant. A guardian to the elemental they once called the shadow prince—my best friend and brother.
Before we joined them inside, I wanted first to have a quiet moment with my wife. My wife, two words never sounded so sweet. I’d spent all these years wondering if I would surrender to the fierce creature I struggled to control. But Ariel was the one who made me see I was more than an animal, and that I didn’t have to accept the life assigned to me. No matter the circumstances, her faith in me was unwavering. I held her tightly against my chest.
For maybe the first time, I’d truly felt the warmth of optimism.
Millions of bright stars filled the night sky. From this height, I saw little more than clouds and the edge of the forest surrounding us in every direction. A cold wind blew in from the south, and goosebumps filled the top of her forearms. “It’s time to get you inside, my wife.”
“Lead the way, my husband.”
A scent I wasn’t expecting wafted through my nostrils. I inhaled deeply. It was the familiar smell of burnt ash. There were members of my court here. But this odor was strong like hundreds of fire elementals were suddenly all around us. My muscles tensed. With one arm, I thrust Ariel behind me.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, with worry laced in her tone.
I wasn’t ignoring her. I had to make sure I was right before I responded. Closing my eyes, I drew in a slower breath. What I’d feared was confirmed. “A crowd of uninvited guests will be here in a matter of minutes. You have to go inside and alert everyone.”
I surveyed the area around the castle. All of the royal families brought knights with them. There had to be at least two hundred. I’d been around long enough to know they’d only accept a command from their king or queen. If they weren’t ready, we’d never survive the ambush.
Her eyes widened. “What are you going to do?”
Anger built inside of me. I had to hold off whatever attack was coming. The beast inside of me stirred. “Slow them down.”
As she turned to leave, I held onto her wrist. “Why are you stopping me?”
I bent down, leveling our eyes. “If this is about to get as bad as I think, I need you and your family to get to safety.”
She pulled her hand back. “I’m not going to abandon my friends.”
“Please listen to me, Ariel,” I begged, my stomach already in knots. I wanted to be angry, but her fierce loyalty was something I’d always admired. That’s what made her who she was. “I can’t fight them off if I think you’re in danger. I’ll end up getting myself killed.”
Her eyelids lined with tears. “Marcus—”
My heart pounded in my ears as sweat poured down my back. A familiar sensation came over me as the change started. I reached out for her. My large hands completely covered her biceps, rattling her tiny frame. “Please promise me.”
She looked away into the distance. “I—”
“Please,” I repeated, trying my best to hide the pain. A fire burned in my core. Bones in my back popped as they broke. I dropped to my knees. “Promise me.”
“Okay.” Her voice trembled. “I promise.”
Muscles tore as the bones shifted into their new position. Skin stretched to accommodate my growing size. Hair fell out in clumps, replaced by dark fur. I glanced up. Her hands covered her mouth. It had been a while since she saw me shift. It was something I preferred to do alone. As hard as it was on me, I imagined it was always more difficult to watch without being able to help. The cartilage in my nose cracked, blood dripped down my face. My snout formed. “Go,” I growled.
She ran full speed toward the castle.
Not long after she was gone, the transition was complete. Now that I was in my hound form, my heightened hearing and infrared vision allowed me to see into the darkness that surrounded the castle. The thick forest was about a mile away. I hurried over and prowled the wooded entryway. The scent of ash grew more potent as each minute passed. As they drew closer, I got a whiff of elementals from the other three courts. They must’ve joined with Valac. It was the only way to explain the combination of smells.
A thunderous roar shook the ground.
I circled. The other hounds were coming to assist me. Knights had positioned themselves all around the castle. Each one stood with a sword and shield. They were ready for battle. Which meant Ariel had done as I asked. I hoped she’d followed all of my instructions and kept herself out of danger. I quickly brushed those feelings aside and refocused on what was happening. The ten hounds I’d traveled with appeared on either side of me, forming a large barrier around the forest.
The bulk of my pack remained within the fire court castle.
“Valac has come for the shield,” I told my pack. In this form, I was able to speak to them using telepathy. Rowan had the sacred object strapped to his back. “We must protect our king.”
“Our king has readied himself for war,” Ethan replied.
That wasn’t a surprise. Rowan never shied away from a battle. He certainly wouldn’t start now that Kalin’s life was at risk. If I had to bet, he was with her. I preferred to be protecting Ariel, but I had to stand with the pack. We were the first line of defense. As a group, we could kill most of them before they had a chance to reach the castle. I wished I’d brought more hounds with me. I should’ve expected an attack, but I assumed Valac wouldn’t risk an all-out assault while all the courts were together.
He was more brazen than I anticipated.
I sent out a distress call, howling loud enough to shake the trees. Any members of my pack in their hound forms heard the vibration, no matter the distance. The other royal families had likely sent for backup, as well. I had no idea what to expect from Valac. My nerves remained on edge as we waited. The low growls from the other hounds echoed in my ears. When I heard the pounding of feet, I dug my claws into the grass-covered dirt and bared my teeth.
“Get ready,” a voice said, shifting my attention away from the woods.
Rowan stood behind me, clutching his sword. The shield wasn’t on him. He must’ve given it back to Kalin to protect. This place wasn’t where he needed to be. I wanted him inside with her. Together, they could’ve defended the shield if some of the rogue elementals managed to get past us. Now, he was putting himself in danger. I wasn’t able to speak to him in this form. Instead, I released a venom-filled growl that let him know exactly how I felt about his presence.
“I know you’re pissed.” He tried to pat my head, but I turned away. “I need to try one last time to reason with him. See if I can end this before more of us die.”
His m
otives weren’t unreasonable. Any worthy king wanted peace before war. But Valac was long past logic. He was willing to die to see this through, and I firmly believed the only resolution we’d find today would happen on the edge of a sword.
A heavy gust of wind blew through while leaves rustled and twigs snapped.
They were here.
I faced the edge of the forest. Lowering my head, I was ready to pounce the moment they charged. The rattling ground gave me the impression they planned to come in fast. One by one, Valac’s rogue elementals appeared out of the brush. Each halted as soon as they saw what waited for them. Most were once members of our court. The power of the sacred artifacts likely seduced them, and whatever else Valac had promised.
There was a commotion among their ranks, and then I recognized Valac’s voice. He fought his way to the front of the line to see why they’d stopped. He wore the Green Armor. Excalibur was in his hand, as well as the Ring of Dispel. Valac spotted Rowan, and a wicked smile formed on his face. “Have you come to surrender?”
“This is your last chance.” Rowan pointed the blade of his sword at his throat. “We can resolve this without any more bloodshed.”
At the sight of Rowan’s sword, the rogue elementals raised their weapons. Some had iron swords, knives, and axes. Others ignited a fire in their palms. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. The second one of them made a move I’d lunge at their throat.
“This ends when I rule over all four courts,” Valac replied, intently. “I’ll return the order to Avalon and restore honor to the House of Djin.”
My muscles begged to pounce on him. Valac was Prisma’s adopted son. He was never a member of her house. That right belonged to Rowan alone.
“You can’t restore honor,” Rowan shouted, loud enough for all the rogues to hear. “You have to earn it by making selfless choices.”
“I’ve made my choice, false king,” he replied, with disdain in his tone. “Attack.”
Rogue elementals swarmed us with weapons raised. Valac disappeared within the crowd. We fought against elementals we’d once considered our allies, tearing into their flesh with our teeth. Rowan was right in the middle of the violence. He slashed through any stragglers that managed to fight their way through our line. Knights from the other courts had also entered the fray. Swords clashed against one another, and I heard pained screams all around.
In no time at all, the ground was littered with bodies from both sides.
Although we’d made a dent, they had much greater numbers. A few had managed to slip past us. Rowan repositioned himself closer to the castle. Any elemental that got through now had to take him on. As far as I could tell, none had reached the entrance. There were bloodstains on his sword and clothing. I was no better. Streaks of red coating stained my face, teeth, and paws. Everywhere I looked, elementals fought to the death.
No matter how many we killed, more kept coming. Bodies had already begun to decompose, converting into ash. The hounds were ferocious with their attack, taking on twenty or more at one time. I’d been stabbed a few times, though none were deep. My skin was difficult to pierce in my animal form, even with iron weapons. Immense sadness rippled through me. Out of the corner of my eye, fifty or so rogues had killed one of my young hounds. He’d taken most of them with him, but that didn’t lessen the pain of his loss.
It also created a hole for them to breach.
Rowan used his power to build a wall of fire around the entire perimeter. This barrier wouldn’t stop them, but it did slow the flow of elementals. The remaining hounds killed the rogues as they passed through the flames. Valac remained out of sight. Even with all the sacred objects, he let his rogues kill on his behalf. It was a smart yet sickening strategy. He’d sacrifice every one of their lives to wear us down. Once the attack weakened us, he’d likely go after the shield.
And so far, his plan seemed to be working.
Rowan wasn’t going to be able to hold them off much longer. He’d dropped to his knees. I had to get him out of here. As I loaded him on my back, spinning funnels of sand flew over our heads. Each cone picked up bundles of rogues at a time and dropped them off the side of the mountain. Tornadoes plucked them off the ground like pieces of corn. They were coming in from all over. That’s when I saw Orion with his hands reaching up to the skies. Other woodland elementals merged their power, strengthing the counterattack.
“You have to take me back,” Rowan urged. “They’ll need our help.”
I ignored his request. He needed time to recharge, and he wouldn’t get much of a chance this far away from the eternal flame. I pushed my way through the crowd until I found Kalin. She ran over once she realized what I was carrying.
“Are you hurt?” she asked, as panic filled her eyes.
“I used too much power,” Rowan replied, weakly. He sat down on the floor. “I can still fight.”
“Not like this.” She cupped her hands on his cheeks. “I won’t risk your life.”
Orion and the other woodland elementals wouldn’t be able to hold them off for long. An ache formed in my chest. Was this the end for all of us? How long would we be able to hold on?
“Help has arrived,” Kalin announced to the crowd, pointing toward the window. “Look.”
Streams of reinforcements from every court had joined the battle. They pushed the rogues back. I let out a sigh of relief as I glanced over at my friends. With Rowan safe, I looked for Ariel and her family. I searched the entire ballroom. She must’ve hidden away as I asked. Comforted that she was protected, I rejoined the other hounds. I was overjoyed to see my entire pack holding the barrier. Some of the winged fire elementals flew over the battlefield, attempting to enter the castle. Britta, along with a horde of her elementals, shot them out of the skies using her water magic.
With the blockade in place and the additional knights, we’d successfully turned the tide.
“We can’t let them escape,” I told the other hounds. As rogues attempted to retreat into the forest, we went after them. One by one, we chased them through the thick woodland. The ground shook as we went full speed for miles. They tried to outmaneuver us by zig-zagging through the trees. That didn’t work. We’re stealthy for our enormous size. Each time, we took them down. We were ripping out their throats as they begged for mercy. We had no interest in prisoners.
They betrayed our court.
They died without honor.
As I snapped the neck of the last rogue, I heard cheers coming from the castle. The knights had claimed victory. The other hounds turned to me, and I shook my head. I had an unsettling feeling deep in my bones. This fight wasn’t over. I was sure of it. “Stay on guard,” I told my pack.
Throughout the battle, Valac was missing. There had to be more to his plan. He’d risked too much already. I was sure he wasn’t through yet. When no rogues were left standing, we made our way back through the forest. The scent of death lingered in the air. My stomach soured when I saw the battlefield. Bodies in various stages of decay peppered the area surrounding the castle. This defeat wasn’t a victory. It was a massacre. Everywhere I looked, all I saw was death.
Elementals from every court searched through the carnage for their loved ones. I passed by a family that cried over the carcass of a young male air knight. The mother brushed the hair away from her son's face as tears ran down her cheeks. As I continued through the slaughter, I tried to find my friends. Marlene rushed by me in a panic. Moments later, she found Orion. He’d survived the attack, but his bloodied left arm hung limp at his side. Britta seemed to be unscathed. She blessed each of her fallen elementals as their bodies liquefied into water.
But still no sign of Valac.
Then I heard a scream that froze my blood.
Chapter Sixteen
Rowan
I had to get out of here.
Injured elementals from every court filled the ballroom. Bodies laid on top of the tables with blood dripping down silk lavender linens onto the floor. Throughout the room
, I heard pained wails. Woodland faeries raced around, mending as many as they could with the salve they’d brought. A few had been sent back to their court to retrieve more. Although they tried many times, they weren’t able to help me. I exhausted my power when I created the massive fire barrier. This far away from the eternal flame, I had to heal on my own. I wasn’t helpless. I still had a sword, and I could swing it.
Reinforcements had arrived from every court. It was the first time I’d ever seen all of us working together against a common enemy. They fought hard, but the battle raged on. I needed to be out there fighting, not sitting on my ass. I stared at Kalin. As she bandaged up the wounded, she watched the war from the window. She ached to be out there too. All the other leaders fought alongside their elementals. She had the power of all four elements and knew we needed her help, but she had to stay with the shield. I wasn’t strong enough to defend the final sacred object if Valac found his way inside.
And as hard as it was to watch her elementals perish, she couldn’t risk it.
I fought to stand, wobbling as I struggled to hold my weight. I stood on my feet for only a moment before my knees began to buckle. I let out a frustrated growl. It was useless. I had nothing left. I sat down in the closest chair, slamming my fist onto the tabletop. Heads turned in my direction, and I shooed them away. How many elementals had Valac recruited? If I had to guess, there were close to a thousand. I leaned on my elbows with my face in my hands. This ambush was my fault. As much as I wanted to see my friends happy, I should’ve stopped the wedding. I should’ve known he’d strike while we were off-guard. Why hadn’t I seen it coming? At the time, the risk of an attack seemed slim. All the other raids took place during a time when the leaders were away from their courts. That left the remaining elementals outnumbered and overrun. But this assault had lost the element of surprise. We were ready and had our most powerful royal members in attendance. It was a bold move on his part and one that cost the lives of much of his force.
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