Even her mate.
It was a path she couldn’t deviate from, but she knew Kiyo would forgive her for keeping the truth to herself.
Astra had to believe Niamh was confused by the visions she was being shown.
Astra had to believe that they were all too sentimental and emotional to care they were walking into a trap.
So, behind the scenes, using every ounce of her magic, Niamh had hidden her intentions from Astra and kept them hidden from those who didn’t need to know until the very last minute. Coordinating. Fostering relationships. Explaining what was at stake. Conall had been pivotal in bringing it all together too.
Which was why, standing at Niamh’s back, was not only the entirety of Pack MacLennan but three large wolf packs from around the world, allies of Pack MacLennan, who had stepped up to fight.
Hundreds of werewolves.
They were all in wolf form and ready to stop Astra from opening the gate to Faerie.
Not just to stop Astra, though.
On Niamh’s left flank were five of the world’s most powerful witches and warlocks. Three warlocks and two witches, all members of the North American High Council, who oversaw the covens of North America and upheld their laws. For too long, the Blackwood Coven had gotten away with atrocities in the name of opening the gate to Faerie.
At last, Niamh had convinced the council members to bear witness to the Blackwoods’ treachery.
Because the Blackwood Coven was on its way to make sure Astra failed, but only sotheycould succeed.
Just as she thought it, the Blackwood Coven breached Astra’s barriers with their collective magic, popping onto the grass one after another in a formation of four lines—a wall of witches and warlocks between the wolves, Niamh, the council members, the standing stones, and the rest of Niamh’s companions.
“Believe me now?” Niamh asked the council members.
Their answering dismay and wrath was palpable.
“Ready?”
They nodded.
“Charge!” Niamh screamed her order.
As the wolves rushed across the grass, Niamh ran with them. The sound of their pounding paws across Arthur’s Seat echoed around her, but not beyond the barrier Astra had killed Margaret to create. Sorrow scored across Niamh’s chest, but she pushed it aside to focus. Kiyo and the others battled Astra whopopped in and out of existence, evading them within the stone circle, evading them. Niamh had to get to them. She had to fight to end the fae who could destroy them all.
Echo and Elijah attacked the Blackwoods from behind, keeping Odette and the Webbs at their back.
The air rushed, whipping in bitter stings across Niamh’s cheeks, as she tried and failed to fix her attention on Astra.
The members of the high council worked to bring down the spell protecting the Blackwoods. Seconds before the wolves reached them, an electric tingle shot down Niamh’s spine as their shield failed. The coven braced for impact as the wolves tore through their magic and into the witches and warlocks, who screamed in fear and outrage. Blood sprayed, flesh ripped, and limbs were torn from bodies.
Niamh’s hair rose on her nape and her gaze whipped toward a coven member whose focus was on her. She used her magic to create a shield seconds before a blast of fire-wrapped water collided against her barrier. It shimmered with gold at the impact, and the witch shrieked in fury that Niamh had bested her.
With a ruthless flick of her hand, she sent the witch careening a hundred yards into the sky. She slammed against Astra’s barrier and collapsed, unconscious.
As whimpers and howls lit the air, Niamh watched on helplessly as an enemy warlock used magic to break a werewolf’s neck. Conall’s howl of agony was joined by all of Pack MacLennan.
Niamh had a flash of a vision as their collective grief hit her.
Mhairi Ferguson. The wolf the warlock had killed was Conall’s Delta and an integral member of his pack.
A huge brown wolf exploded in feral rage and ripped the murderous warlock to pieces.
Mhairi’s mate, Brodie.
As much as she could, Niamh and the council members moved through the chaos of battle, trying to protect other wolves from the same fate. Try as they might, they did not succeed, and more wolves met their end. More overwhelming collective grief flooded Niamh’s desperation to get to Astra.
