“Arlo, Elijah, Finn, Fletcher, and Hanna, remain with the princess and the chief. Harrison, Islay, Harper, and I will stay with Braxton and meet you all outside once we are done,” Asher ordered without missing a beat.
With a swift nod, the others resumed their places around Evie and Kingston, while Imogen made her way to my side.
Confusion captured my friends’ faces, unsure of why the guard had split in half to remain with me, something they had never done, and I felt bad for not being able to tell them the truth. Soon.
“How are you guys?” I asked, pulling in Quinn for a hug and knowing I couldn’t stay for long. “I’ve missed you.”
“We have missed you too, Friend,” Harvey, the usually quiet one, offered with a sincere smile, giving me a bro hug before I greeted the others. Charlotte’s hug was a bit more heartfelt as she squeezed me. I squeezed her too. She was an absolute sweetheart.
The gang’s eyes immediately went to my torso, sweeping over the large scar now in full view. Aaron, Edward, and Thea exchanged a discrete glance while the rest pretended not to see. Neither of them brought it up or asked any questions.
“You know the guard,” I began, introducing my brothers and sisters since they only knew of them as the Elevated Warriors. “Asher, Harrison, Islay, and Harper.”
“Commander.” The guys immediately bowed at Asher, who shook his head.
“We are not in training or the Legion. You can call me Asher. Any friend of Braxton’s is a friend of ours.”
“Okay… Asher.” Charlotte grinned, completely star-struck by him. Not that I could blame her, Asher was good-looking and as badass as they came, but I doubted Skylar was the type of girl to share, and he only had eyes for her.
Also, Kingston would skin him alive if he even dared to look at anyone other than his daughter.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Islay cooed so smoothly that she was only missing a bike to lean against, and a black leather outfit.
My eyes immediately shifted to see who she was flirting with, and I found Quinn grinning crookedly back at her.
“Hey you,” she answered.
“And who is this cutie,” Harrison asked, stepping forwards while his gaze ran the length of Charlotte’s body.
Her cheeks flamed.
My hand shot out, catching him by the leather strap on his back, and pulled him to my side before he could reach her. “This is Charlotte, completely out of your league,” I warned, feeling protective of her, “and that is her brother, Edward. They are all warriors in the Legion.”
Edward held his sister’s hand, giving the known womanizer a warning glance. With a grin, Harrison lifted his hands in surrender. “No worries. I get it.”
Rolling my eyes, I motioned to my friends. “These are Thea, Aaron, Harvey, Quinn, Charlotte, Louis, and Edward. Some of whom you’ve already met, clearly.”
Islay smirked at that, winking at Quinn, and receiving a blush in return.
“And what am I, darling? A fly on the wall?”
I chuckled, turning to find a glaring Imogen over my shoulder. “I’m sorry. This is Imogen, guys,” I began, stepping aside so she could stand between Asher and me. “She was the Commander of the Harbinger of Justice’s Legion, and now, she is my mentor.”
My friends’ eyes widened with recognition, and they instantly touched a hand to their hearts, bowing their heads to her in respect. “Hallowed be his name,forever,” they echoed like a prayer.
Emotion hit my chest mercilessly with the words recited before me. The truth had reignited our people’s worship of my father and his legacy, but it was the first time I’d been able to witness it. Perhaps this was what Evanna referred to after she told them about the accord.
“You should have been there to see it…”
A hand clapped my back, and I turned to find the same emotion in my mentor’s eyes, accompanied by a brilliant smile that said it was about damn time.
I smiled back, but it took a moment to reconcile what it meant to hear their praise of Dad after hearing his name be cursed.
“Youare Red Wing? TheRed Wing?”Quinn asked, admiration and recognition bursting through her gaze.
“The one and only, darling,” Imogen replied with a brilliant and cocky smile, reclaiming the title that carved her into the legend.
“Your reputation precedes you,” Aaron offered in awe.
