Another grating sound bursts from the Mara, its eyesgrowing red and swollen. It tears at its own face with razored claws as the Kingsguard surrounds it. Two of them lift their swords, angling them toward the third soldier in the center. He raises his own sword high into the sky, and as he does so, bright bolts of lightning spit from the swords of the other two guards. The white lightning strikes the raised metal blade, and it vibrates with energy. A blast of blinding light erupts like a tidal wave through the dark forest as he brings the electrified sword down through the Mara’s head. The very ground shakes as I throw my arms over my eyes, unable to bear the brightness of a thousand suns.
The screeching sounds cut off abruptly. I slowly peel my eyes open, the intense light having eased to a soft glow.
The tallest of the guards dismounts and races over to me, crouching by my side. He rips off his helmet, and a mess of dark hair tumbles out. Golden eyes lock on mine.
I scramble back, gasping.
“You’re hurt,” he says, reaching for me.
“Get away from me,” I growl.
“Where are you bleeding from?” He inches closer, scanning my body.
“Don’t touch me!” I scream. “You tried to kill me!”
Surprise crosses his face before his expression softens.
“No, no, it was an illusion. The Mara—” He shakes his head. “Let me help. On my life, I won’t hurt you.”
I’m pretty sure that the fae are allowed to lie despite the many stories stating the opposite. I have no time to debate before Zadyn sprints into view. He slides onto the ground beside me and grips my face in his hands.
“Are you hurt?” His gaze travels frantically over my face, my body, my bloody leg. “What did you do to her?” he snarls at Jack.
“I’m fine,” I answer for him. In a flash of movement, Jack has Zadyn on his feet, a dagger pressed to his throat.
The handsome red-headed twins approach swiftly to restrain Zadyn. He turns on them with a ferocity I’ve never seen from him, baring two razor-sharp canines in threat. Jack’s blade nicks his neck, and a thin line of blood beads on his tan skin.
“Stop!” I scream. “He’s my familiar. Let him go.”
Jack does so reluctantly, and the twin guards ease back. They look down at me, and it suddenly dawns on me that I’m sitting here bloody and topless in front of four men, in just a bra. Either noticing my embarrassment or the shivers that rack my body, the captain removes his cloak, extending it to me. I take it cautiously, monitoring his every move.
“She said you tried to kill her,” Zadyn growls as he lowers himself back to me, tearing a piece of fabric from his sleeve and bracing my thigh in his hand. I wince, my fingernails digging into his shoulder as he begins to bind it snugly.
“The Mara illusioned her. We arrived just in time. Found her pinned beneath it, screaming her head off. What were you thinking, letting her run off into the Bone Forest alone after dark?” Jack grills him.
Zadyn snarls. I can feel the anger rolling off him. I put a hand to his chest in warning.
“It was my fault. He told me to stay where I was, and I wandered off.”
“Evaded by your little witchling,” Jack tuts, condescendingly shaking his head. “Some familiar.”
Zadyn is all but quaking with rage.
“I’m sorry,” I say firmly to him, clutching his shirt, trying to pull his attention back to me. “I should have listened. I’m sorry.” He finally tears his burning gaze away from Jack, and his eyes soften when they land on me.
“I got back, and you were gone. You had me terrified.” Heshakes his head regretfully. “This place is a vacuum. I couldn’t hear you, couldn’t even pick up your scent.”
“As much as I’d love for you to have this little heart-to-heart here and now, I would advise we save it for when we aren’t sitting ducks,” Jack pipes up, earning another glare from Zadyn. I glance over at the tattered robes strewn across the forest floor. The Mara, however, is nowhere in sight. “I’m sure it has a few friends who would be thrilled to meet us.”
“Is it dead?” I ask as Zadyn helps me stand.
“It’s dead,” Jack confirms.
The light, Sir Warryn had said. It couldn’t handle the light.
I try to take a step, but Zadyn scoops me into his arms, carrying me toward the waiting horses. Normally I would protest, but I can barely put any weight on my leg right now. The twins mount their steeds. Only one is left remaining.
“She can ride with me,” Jack says as we approach the largest stallion.
