“You think the young might actually win this year?” Zephyr asked as he watched Thalia take the two male prisoners to the others, the children giggling at her sides as they held snowballs ready to pelt them if they tried to run.
“Am I going to lose you to their side as well?” I asked, cocking a brow.
“Nope,” he said, pressing a fist to his chest. “Can’t get rid of me that easily. I’ve been at your side from the beginning, and that’s where I’ll remain until the end.”
“So poetic for a snowball fight,” I mused, and he laughed before gathering several snowballs in his arms. I grabbed some as well and we made our way down the perimeter. We paused periodically to throw snowballs at Vincent and the children, drawing their attention to us, and I caught sight of Barrett as he fell into position near the prisoners with two other males at his side, waiting for Thalia and those accompanying her to step away and leave the three females to guard them.
Screams, shouts, and laughter filled the air as both sides went after each other, snowballs continuing to sail through the air before splattering against faces, backs, and chests. Vincent called out orders to the children, turning attention in different directions as they moved forward, sliding into position behind new barriers, advancing on us now that our numbers were low.
“They’re opening their backs for attack. Now’s our chance,” I said to Zephyr as I landed a hit against the side of Vincent’s face, drawing his attention right where I wanted it. Zephyr ran south, getting into position to surround them as Barrett launched his assault on the unsuspecting females standing guard, their own battle erupting.
I threw another snowball and, as my will demanded, the five Lupai who’d been snorkeling and rolling in the snow turned their heads and charged for the children, sliding to a stop to lick their faces.
“That’s cheating!” one of the children shouted with a giggle.
I huffed a laugh when the children became distracted by the shadow wolves as they pounced and ran around them, scattering and distracting them.
“I didn’t think the King of Immortals would stoop to such lows,” Cassie muttered, and I stiffened.
Before a storm of snowballs crashed into my back.
13
CASSIE
Zephyr barked out a laugh as Damien recounted how three children and I ambushed him, taking him down before he knew what was happening. It wasn’t long after we’d forced his surrender that Vincent had turned his attention on Zephyr. At the same time, Thalia and the others had rushed to aid the women—er… females—who’d been fighting to keep their prisoners against Barrett and the two males he’d recruited.
I curled up under the blanket, my bare feet laid out by the fire burning in the hearth at The Outpost. Almost all the recruits had left for the evening, taking the children with them after enjoying some much-needed hot cocoa. My boots had been soaked through by the time the fight was won, my toes and fingers numb, but it had been worth it to see the look on Damien’s face when we’d caught him by surprise.
“Barrett let us down,” Zephyr said, sliding an annoyed glance his way.
Barrett huffed. “Hey, you were supposed to hold them off long enough for me to take out the guards and release the others. You failedme!”
I snickered before pushing out my lower lip. “Poor babies.”
“Easy for you to say, hiding away to avoid the battle instead of facing us head on,” Barrett said as he ruffled his hand through my hair, and I batted his hand away.
“You’re just upset we won,” I taunted.
“You could’ve fought back,” Barrett said, turning his gaze to Damien.
Damien looked as if he couldn’t fathom the idea. “And crush the triumph in the eyes of the children?”
“Oh don’t you downplay our victory,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him, to which he threw his hands up. “We won fair and square. I’m not the one who sent five Lupai in to distract the children.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, becoming preoccupied with the marshmallows swimming in his cocoa. “They were just excited to play with the children.”
“Sure,” I drawled before rolling my eyes and taking a sip, groaning at the chocolatey warmth as it rolled down my throat.
Barrett and Damien started swapping stories of their own encounters during the snowball fight, and from the corner of my eye I caught sight of Zephyr’s eyes falling to his phone, his onyx brows furrowing before he answered.
“What’s up?” he whispered. His face hardened, pale green eyes widening before he rose and stalked toward the door.
Barrett and Damien didn’t seem to take notice of him leaving as they fell deeper into their conversation, and I moved away, pulling the blanket tighter around me as I hurried toward the door where he’d disappeared. I slipped outside, the icy wind catching my hair, and I winced at the bite of frost beneath my bare feet. He disappeared around a corner, muttering something, and I followed after him, falling back behind the wall when he came to a stop before me. I stopped breathing, wondering if he’d seen me, but he didn’t come back, and his voice reached my ears.
“What happened? Are you all right?” he asked, and I peeked around the corner to see a wrinkle forming between his eyebrows as he turned. I ducked back behind the wall before he could see me.
“Where are you?”
