“We should if we want any hope of keeping diplomacy alive. We take his kingdom and his vote. Then we get Fanghaven’s too.”
Bale watches me from under lowered brows. “How do you figure?”
“She’s dead—the last of the Fanghaven line. Rannigan doesn’t have a wife, or else someone who doesn’t live under Rannigan’s thumb would’ve seen her by now. Fanghaven is without a true ruler, and we either take it or give it to Rexton Hale in return for an alliance.”
“Let’s put Idallia on the Council,” Wade jokes from behind. “We’ll control half of Ellonrift in no time and put an end to blood trafficking.”
A muscle jerks in Bale’s jaw. Smoky shadows darken the air around him. “Cealastra might impose consequences.”
“What consequences did she impose on Rannigan Bloodthief?” I shoot back. “None. Not a fucking one. And now she’s gone anyway.”
“We don’t know that,” Bale says sharply.
Somehow, I do. I know deep down in my heart that she’s gone. Magic will keep waning. The fae will die out entirely unless they start intermarrying with other populations or organizing full-on people-thieving like Bloodwold. Shifters will still be able to shift because that’s physical, not magical, but accelerated healing might disappear, and no one will be able to create healing spells or protective torques or everlife-infused firebirds.
Loss crushes my heart, and nothing has even happened yet. I will never let Rim or Sol back on the battlefield. And Fyrestar…If something happens to him, I’ll die of grief, so at least we’ll return to the stars together.
“So…what’s the plan right now?” Arran asks after a tense silence. “How much time until these vampires make it to safety?”
“They’re only a day out of Ruthinock now. They couldn’t move up the mountains on the Fanghaven side because the passes were blocked by an early snowfall the night of their raid,” Bale answers. “They had to veer into Torridaig, and it’ll be their fatal mistake. It’s close to dawn now, and they’ll be forced to take cover. They’ll be on the move and out of hiding again at sunset, which is just about when we should reach them if we leave now and fly fast. If they get in another full night of travel, they could reach a potential passageway into Fanghaven. We can’t let that happen.” Bale turns and motions everyone toward the tall, wide windows. “Let’s go! Move!”
The others shift and take off, whooshing past me. Their wing guards follow. Fyrestar angles low and sweeps by next to me at pillar level. I tense to spring onto his back.
And don’t move.
Fyrestar flies on, but his head whips around, his golden eyes questioning. He circles the room and comes back the same way. Bale is watching, too, and I try to take the leap onto my warbird this time. I really do.
Fyrestar sweeps past me again and then circles higher, waiting near the rough stone ceiling. My heart thuds. Dread curdles everything in my stomach. Rooted in place, I can barely breathe. Cold washes over me. Everything feels vague and distant but still intensely awful, just like in my nightmares.
“Idallia?” Bale strides over to me, a slash between his brows. His amber eyes hover between disbelief and worry. “What’s wrong?”
I know I’m slowing him down. The tremor that shakes my hands slides like poison through the rest of me. “I’d never been bitten by a vampire before.” That I knew of. Those old, small marks on my inner wrist burn along with the new ones. The pillar seems to sway, and I try to find my balance.
Bale reaches up to steady me. “Are you afraid?”
I swallow hard. “They were all over me.”
“This isn’t the time to go soft on me. People need our help.” His words are hard, but his voice is gentle.
Biting my lip, I shake my head. “If it’s nothing you can’t handle, then I think you should handle it without me.”
“It’s nothing we can’t handle. As a team. I didn’t say it would be easy. We’ll still be outnumbered.”
“Not with the wing guards.”
“We never know what we’ll find when we get there. Draywood was proof of that.”
My eyes snap to his. “Not helping.” Anger rises to mix with fear. Maybe I’d have gotten over my dread if he’d told me the truth and helped me understand what I am. All I have are questions and speculation, and piecing things together has only scared me more. Instead of helping me, Bale said he didn’t know anything and then distracted me with his shadow wings, broad chest, and strong arms.
If what Rexton Hale says is true, and I bleed even a little, this could be Draywood all over again.
“Get on your phoenix,” Bale says steadily, “and fly.”
I dig in my heels. “You don’t need me.”
His expression hardens. “There are six pillars for a reason, Idallia. I need my whole Elite Wing.”
Duty yanks at me. Kellan wasn’t himself, and I’m worried the Fae Queen used what little magic she has to drain some of his lifeforce from him. As a dragon shifter, he shouldn’t feel the effects too much unless she got greedy. Maybe he’s just tired. Everyone else is in top form.
