He had no idea why a knowing smirk would try to twist his lips, but he fought against it and the unbidden closing of his lids. There was something wrong with her words.
“A few… more things?” The sound that left him could hardly be called a voice.
“Oh, sweet.” She bent down and kissed his brow. “You didn’t think closing the chasm was it, did you?”
But he’d been good.
Hadn’t he?
“No. No!” Why was he laughing? “I was good! I wasgood!”
Thrashing, he ignored the horror contorting her face and blinked, trying to stave off the dark spots crowding his vision.
He had to get back. Had… to…
The great hallwas full to bursting, countless Demons already in their rage and gathering from every direction.
Lyriat paced on the dais above the din, a harried male she didn’t recognize speaking below him. His arms flung out, thegesture frantic, and Lunara spotted the tattoos marking his body as the sleeve of his battle robe slipped back. A Wolflord, then.
“Move!” Magnus pushed through the crowd, cutting through them like a knife and dragging her along. “Andreus?”
The male turned, slumping in relief. “Your Highness, thank the Sisters,” he breathed, bending at the waist with a fist to his chest.
Lyriat rushed straight to Lunara, offering his arm. “Come,” he said under his breath. “You’ll want to sit for this.”
“Please.” Her nails sunk into his flesh of their own accord. “Tell me they’ve found him.”
He led her up the steps and urged her to sit in Brand’s throne. “Yes, but steel yourself.” To the Wolflord, he said, “Again, Andreus. From the beginning.”
She focused all her attention on listening, instead of the furious pounding in her chest. Against the desire to fly out into the realms right away, tearing them apart to find him.
“Aye, Your Majesty.” Swallowing, he gathered himself. “A few hours ago, scouts returned to Fanghold to report that the Ghostbor Dread Chasm was rapidly shrinking. Caius went to the border immediately, a contingent of warriors with him, to stem the droves of Forgotten leaping across. When they got there, they found the missing Son, Brandir, instead.Hewas the one doing it, closing the chasm with his power.”
Lunara’s pulse throbbed in her ears, a deafening sound that threatened to devour her. She could hardly eke out the words, “Where is he? Where is my mate?”
“We don’t know exactly, my lady,” Andreus admitted. “Before anyone could reach him, the two lands slammed together, and he disappeared within a cloud of shadow. The only certainty is that he… he did not look well.”
She barely held in the scream clawing its way up her throat.
“The rest, Andreus,” Lyriat snapped.
“Aye, sire. Caius and two others followed the shadows, all the way to the Thodelemaia Dread Chasm, but were unable to follow when it went over the edge and into the darkness.”
The world stilled, then shifted. Perked up. Looking at her. Waiting.
“Where on the Westrealm’s southern border did this happen?”
Somehow, she already knew the answer, but she needed to hear it spoken.
“Directly south of the lost village of Glynmor, my lady. Also overrun with Forgotten, but Caius and his warriors paid them no heed, since they were too few against so many and there was no one nearby to need help.”
Magnus was vibrating with fury, features twisting as his beast rose up, but it was Thaddeus who spoke. “Where is my father now?”
Andreus cleared his throat. “Back in the Westglen, battling Forgotten and other monstrosities, the likes of which I’ve never seen.”
Magnus and Thaddeus pinned her with mirrored looks of alarm. Lunara tried to tame the churning in her stomach, but it was no use. She might actually be sick.
Dreadbeasts—and Brand had helped to bring them over.
