Curfew?
“I would stand down if I were you,” Jax warned, his arm clutched around Raya as the two remained atop his horse.
The Guardians laughed haughtily, without a care in the world. Did they not recognize Storm, Jax, or Raya as fellow Guardians?
“I said who—” Storm’s question abruptly halted as a blade whipped toward his neck, laying against the skin. His eyes flared with shock at the Guardian’s impertinence.
“We’re the ones who will be asking the questions here.” The man licked his lips and pushed the knife harder against Storm’s neck. “So, let’s try this again. Why are you out past curfew? Tell us now, or, well…” He chuckled. “Die.”
“I am one of the elite Guardians.” Storm grunted through gritted teeth. “You will step down and let us pass. We are on official business for King Dargan.”
The group of Guardians snickered. “You, one of King Dargan’s elite Guardians? Don’t recognize you at all. Seems to me you be tellin’ lies.”
A low growl rumbled from Jax, but if they heard it, they ignored the sound to continue their taunting.
“Yeah,” another soldier jeered from behind. “There is no way you pathetic lot are part of the elite. Doubt you could pass the Blood Oath even if you tried. You smell of traitors.”
One by one the Guardians drew their blades, their smiles unnaturally cruel, twitching with similar tics, while their icy stares sent a chill down my spine.
“Dark ones.” My voice shook as I realized. The movements, the gleam in their eyes. They were Guardians turned by the king. “Storm?—”
“I know.” He grimaced, blade still at his throat.
I almost couldn’t breathe.Not again.I didn’t want to fight so soon after what we’d been through. I barely had the energy to have a conversation, let alone take on another group of Fae brimming with Thames’s darkness.
“You will be punished for your disobedience.” Storm glared deep into his attacker’s eyes, daring him to make a move.
“Oh, you think so, eh?” the man at Storm’s throat dared. “I run this town now. You see, I have it on good authority—the king is dead.”
My heart stuttered.Impossible.
“The king, dead?” Jax cocked an eyebrow, steadying his anxious mare. “Who’s telling lies now?”
One of the men from the group behind their leader strode forward. “Hear that, Samuel?” he snarled. “They claim to be the king’s elite and don’t even know the truth.” The man twirled hisblade in a circle before pointing it toward Jax and Raya. “He is dead, and Thames rules this land now. Pledge your loyalty or you can perish like the rest of the dissidents.” The man used his own sword to pull up his sleeve, revealing an inky black mark.
The wavy line that looked like an eye cast in a circle—I recognized it instantly. It was the same mark on Hale’s arm. The same tattoo branded on Andras.
The mark of the dark ones whowillinglyturned. These men were not ones turned by force. No, these Guardians were infected by choice.
Thames had been free for less than two days, and if these Guardians were telling the truth, he’d already overtaken at least one major city in Mysthaven. How had Thames accomplished that so quickly?
I fought to keep down the bile rising in my throat. The power and control Thames already wielded would bring the world to its knees and he scarcely had to try.
Samuel glared at the man beside him. “Idiot, shut your mouth.”
The slight distraction was all Storm needed. He raised his hands, shooting balls of fire toward the men before him.
Screams erupted in the alley as a few of them burned, falling to the ground as their clothes ignited. Those still standing surged forward, swords drawn.
I shared a quick, passing glance with Jax. He repositioned himself and whispered something to Raya. I saw her head nod gently once. She wouldn’t be able to fight; she could hardly keep herself upright. But we needed her to if we had any hope of making it out of this alleyway alive.
Jax leapt from his horse and partially shifted into his panther form. One of his hands formed into sharpened claws, yet he appeared Fae-like everywhere else.
The control he had over his shifts left me reeling.If only Ian could see this.
A shout drew my attention back to the fray. Samuel, unfazed by his shirt catching fire, swirled his hands in front of him in a sweeping motion, conjuring the air around him into a tornado. The magic lifted the dirt from the alley into the air and dropped it over his body, completely snuffing out the flames.
Maniacal laughter left his lips as he pointed at Storm. “You’re mine.”
