“I love you too, kitten,” he answers, stepping back and offering his hand. “Ready?”
I take a breath and place my hand in his, our fingers interlocking. “Ready.”
Chapter 62
Vivian’s Point of View
Rule sixty-two:When faced with overwhelmingly bad odds, shit talk your enemy.
Acold, salty breeze whips across my face the moment we apparate into the Mortal Realm. It’s such a familiar feeling that for the barest second, it feels like coming home. But then I take in the dozens of soldiers around us, and my muscles re-tense. More people are apparating in every few seconds, but despite the numbers, it’s eerily quiet. No one says a word.
Sin spots Morgana on the other side of our growing army, and our fingers stay interlocked as we go meet her. The soldiers part to give us space, and I crane my neck to try and spot Need’s armies.
A large, but empty field stretches out before us. It’s covered in a few taller sedges and flat stones that are carpeted in lichens.
Dense forests border the clearing on three sides, and behind us, there’s a stretch of highway that parallels the coastline. Waves roll onto a rocky beach, and the sound of water rushing over pebbles muffles the occasional shuffle and clanking of soldiers.
There’s no sign of Need’s armies anywhere.
“Is this all a trick?”I ask Sin, my unease growing.
“She’s using a shield,”he answers.“Someone is cloaking the armies.”
Emerging from the crowd of soldiers, I freeze when I take in the scene before us. Magnus has a hand over Rosie’s mouth, and both he and Damien are struggling to hold her as she tries to scream and thrash against them. Morgana is watching them with a resigned expression.
“What–” I start, only for Morgana to aggressively shush me.
“My shield can hide us, but it will not stop sound,” she hisses.
Rosie flails again, and my legs unlock.
I storm over to her.
No one gets to hurt my friends, not even my other friends.
Morgana lets out an impatient growl and steps in front of me. “She apparated here and felt Irena on the other side. If we let her go, she’s going to apparate right over to the enemy and get herself killed.” She pauses to glare at the usually mild-mannered fae before adding, “Just like her motherwantsher to.”
Rosie bites Magnus’ hand, and he lets out a silent cuss as he pulls away. Blood drips from his hand, andDamien glances over at him, concern flashing across his features.
That’s all the time Rosie needs. She drives an elbow into Damien’s head, causing him to stumble back. Her glare is laser-focused on Morgana as she strides over to my side.
Right, Rosie is a badass, even when she looks half-dead.
“Try to stop me from retrieving my mate, again, Morgana, and we will learn just how strong the leader of the Shadow Realm is without her army of broken souls to protect her.” Her pink eyes burn with menace, and thorny vines climb from the earth, twisting to angle their sharp thorns at Morgana.
My jaw drops. I’ve never seen Rosie violent before.
Bossy?
Yes.
But this? This is very new.
There’s nothing soft about her now, and suddenly, I’m not sure I believe Lilanthara’s words that Rosie isn’t cutthroat enough to take the throne. Still, I stay at her side, even as I cast nervous glances at the sharp thorns.
Morgana rubs her temples, looking tired. “I don’t have time for this,” she mutters, before she addresses me once more, “Look, we need as much time as possible to apparate in soldiers and continue evacuating the town.”
I’m not quite sure what she’s getting at, but Sin nods before turning to me and explaining, “She means we need a distraction. It’s only a matter of time beforeNeed attacks. We need a lightning rod. Someone needs to go out there and keep them busy.”
