Raine
Raine instinctively got out of his chair, moving closer to Frelina when he caught Loche’s masked men and Iviry’s brawny band of Fae storming toward the house, but it wasn’t the chilling gust of wind when they opened the door that iced his blood, nor was it the fear in the soldiers’ eyes.
It was Frelina’s closed mind and the way she rose from the couch, moving to stand beside Amalise, crossing her arms in the same way as the blonde, as she gave Raine a quick shake of her head.
A shiver of unease traced his skin, but he stopped the urge to drag Frelina into one of the bedrooms and ask her what was wrong.
Or apologize. Or beg.
Or whatever would stop that cold, sticky feeling clawing at his chest.
As Raine took a step toward her, Merrick’s hand flew out and gripped his wrist, holding him back and instead allowing Iviry and Loche to meet their men gathering afew feet ahead of Frelina, while Zaddock moved into the spot behind Loche’s right shoulder, and Venko took Loche’s other side.
She’s not going to go anywhere with you right now,Merrick warned, and while his thought was firm, there was something sad accentuating the words. Something Raine didn’t want to hear the Death Whisperer allude to. Something that told him there might not be another time when Frelina would go with him.
Well, she might not have a choice.Raine ripped his hand free, although he gave in to Merrick’s sharp look and remained by the couch. His eyes flickered over the guards, who were finally closing the door, to Frelina and Amalise and Ardow, who’d just joined them, leaning on the wall behind the masked men.
Good luck telling her that,Merrick shot back.I’ve learned these sisters will do whatever they please, and you’ve been an absolute bastard.
Didn’t Raine fucking know it.
Well, it’s not been fucking easy.Raine glowered at Merrick as one of Loche’s men stepped forward, the drops of rain sliding down his birdlike mask shimmering in the firelight.
It’s not been easy for her, either, brother.Merrick gave him a final look before turning toward the door, and when Raine followed, Frelina’s big eyes met his for a brief second, the forced smile on her face not brightening them in the slightest.
Fuck, it was worse than he’d realized. Because that smile? That was her trying to move on—that was her trying to pushhimaway. He could feel it somehow. Could see it in her tense shoulders and vacant gaze as she also focused on the soldiers.
Raine wished he could take another turn fighting Merrick.
Fuck! He wanted to tell Frelina everything she’d told him back on that battlefield. He wanted it to be as easy for him as it was for Kerym to decide to move on—that he could just shift his entire energy to focus on the little wild creature standing by the wall.
But how did one move on when the last person they loved had died in their fucking arms?
He hadn’t been able to protect her…
What if he wasn’t able to keep Frelina safe either?
“Am I cleared to speak freely, regent?”
Raine struggled to focus on the soldier when Frelina shifted her weight behind him, but when fear trickled into Loche’s features as he nodded for his man to go on, he finally pushed the other thoughts aside.
The soldier shot a glance at the Fae males beside him—they were all as tall as Merrick and nearly as wide as Raine—and for the first time, Raine tried to look at the other males in this group from the outside.
Merrick, even pale and holding on to Lessia as if she were the last thing in this world, looked fucking terrifying, his teeth scraping against his lips as he eyed the men.
Kerym, leaning casually against the counter with the witch sisters on either side, had eyes so sharp Raine knew it felt like he was staring right through you.
Even Iviry, nearly the same height as Loche, perhaps only an inch or so shorter, with her straight back and intelligent features and her long copper hair tumbling down her back, making her look almost ethereal in the dim light, was intimidating.
And her guards? While Raine didn’t know them, heknew of them, and they were all good males, but they looked damn nightmarish. Probably one of the reasons Iviry had selected them for her closest circle… Few, if any, would try anything with the five of them surrounding her.
Raine also knew the scowl he himself bore wasn’t especially inviting. He almost scoffed but managed to swallow it at the last second, although he could tell the ones around him noted the subtle jerk.
No wonder these humans were hesitant to work with them.
Iviry and Loche have a formidable challenge ahead.Elessia’s thought brushed his mind, and Raine turned to look at her, glad to see that some of her coloring had returned from the heat of the fireplace.We need to stand by them, show our support in any way we can, because if they don’t succeed…
Raine didn’t respond, but his eyes flew back to her sister, and while he wasn’t able to catch Frelina’s gaze, he knew in his heart Elessia was right. Not just for Ellow and Vastala, but for the half-Fae. For the shifters. For anyone who’d never fit in or been accepted.
