"Long story. Just look, or we will have another portal opening any second," she said and helped Emyr shift her pile of bodies. They found the token wedged into a carving of a dragon.
"Should we wrap these in some kind of mini ward? I don't want a portal suddenly opening where my dick is," Valentine said, making Yelena choke back a laugh.
"That would be a waste of an excellent dick," she agreed.
"Nice." Emyr grinned as Avallach pretended to gag.
"I'll explain this magic later, too," Yelena said and quickly wove a silver pouch out of her magic before wrapping it around the tokens and the scrap of shirt.
Valentine's eyes went wide, and she could just about hear his thought process trying to figure out what she did.
"No time," she replied before he could ask.
"Fuck. Okay. Where are Owain and Reeve?" Valentine said to Avallach, the glazed look in his eyes going away.
"Two levels down. Come on," the knight replied, and they ran on.
It was going to be a long night.
31
They found a total of seven tokens before all the portals were shut for good. Midir's warriors were dead, but they had caused chaos, murder, and destruction before they were done.
By dawn, Valentine and Yelena had finished helping carry the wounded to the healers and placing the dead enemy warriors onto the platforms, ready for the knights to burn.
Valentine was tired and pissed off when they got back to the palace. Taranis was furious, his magic pulsing about him in an aura of heartbreak and rage.
"Please tell me you two figured out how the fuckers got in," he asked, sending the people around him scattering at his tone.
Valentine took the scrap of shirt from his pocket and opened it. Taranis snarled.
"Bring them into my workroom. These are still active."
"I've wrapped them in a warding spell, but it was the best I could do with the fighting going on," Yelena said as they followed Taranis into his personal chambers and through another door of his workroom.
It was the first time Valentine had ever seen it, and it reminded him of a less modern version of Kian's lab in England.
"Where is Quinn?" he asked.
"She's helping the healers. She feels useless because she's not a warrior and wants to help where she can. I want her with me, but there's no use fighting with her," Taranis grumbled and pointed to a circular plate of iron on one of the wooden benches. "Put those infernal tokens on that, and let's get a proper look at them."
"We can do this, Master, if you are needed elsewhere," Yelena said gently.
Taranis shook his head. "I need to see how he got past the wards so I can strengthen them. This failure is on me."
"Horse shit," Valentine snarled. He crossed his arms as Taranis glared at him. "Uncle Taran, I know you're king and you take everything so fucking personally, but these tokens were scattered by traitors in the city. This wasn't a failure of your wards. It was those assholes betraying their own people for whatever power Midir offered them. We will find them and make them pay. I promise you."
Taranis ran his hands over his face. "Let's just figure out these tokens."
Valentine didn't know how to comfort him, so he reached out and rested a hand on his uncle's forearm. "Don't let Midir's words get in your head, Taran. This bloodshed is on him, not you."
"Thanks, Val. It still hurts," Taranis grunted and patted his hand. "You're a good lad under all that grumpy asshole."
Valentine grinned. "Thanks. I think. Tell me about this iron. I thought the fae hated iron."
"Somefae hate iron," Yelena corrected. "But this is star iron. It's extra powerful and good for acting as a dead zone for any magical artifacts. Right, Master?"
Taranis nodded. "Yes. I had this piece forged centuries ago. Let's set these out and see what we find." He took them from thepouch and arranged them on the iron. His expression twisted. "Definitely Midir's magic. I can feel his slimy influence all over them."
