“Tasha, I’d like you to meet Luane,” Alyce began, gesturing toward the woman next to her. “She is my Eisen Ritter. And this is Garion, my brother’s… They’ve spent most of their lives on vacation though, since Hannes and I don’t really need protection.”
Garion and Luane chuckled.
“Best job ever,” Garion joked before they both bowed to me in unison.
“Pleasure to meet you, my princess,” Luane offered with a genuine smile.
“You are all coming with us?”
The Iron King’s nod answered me. “Our kingdoms are united now more than ever, Natasha…” He glanced at his son and then at me. “Above all, we protect our family and our friends.”
“Thank you.” The sentiment genuinely danced in my voice because I truly meant it. After meeting Zelin I’d finally understood how truly fierce and undefeatable Iron Knights were. Now we had four joining my cause, including the literal king, we had Gustav—who wielded the kind of ability I probably needed to see to believe—and Hannes, who was as fierce as his father.
“Our pleasure,” the queen smiled sincerely.
“Strategy?” King Will asked again, looking at his son.
“While the Dracul Army takes on the first wave of offense, I want you, Gustav, and the Eisen Ritters to open a path for us to get us through without us having to engage. Then you’ll cover us once we encounter the second wave. Be our shield, and with your help, we can get Natasha past them,” Hannes answered withoutmissing a beat. “If my mom is right, that will be the blockade where they’ll try to take her. We cannot get stuck there.”
His father nodded, considering the plan. “We will get you through.”
“We will,” Zelin and the other knights pledged, their gazes filled with determination, and I didn’t doubt them for a second.
“Hopefully, the Royal Knight Force will get there just in time to provide us and Dariah’s soldiers with backup,” Gustav added.
“Once they do, you should be able to get Natasha all the way through to the cave.” With her attention leaving her son, the queen spoke directly to me again. “I expect the real ambush should be waiting for you there.”
The Iron King took a deep breath, before focusing on me too. “That’s where your fight begins, Natasha.”
Assimilating his words, I glanced up at Hannes. “How long will it take your army to get there?”
“Cairo is about four hours from here by air. Our planes took off about two hours ago.”
"Probably two more hours before they arrive to help.” Alyce nodded.
“The only reason Dariah’s army got there first is because of Mathew’s portals,” André offered, leaving me more confused.
Portals? Wasn’t her husband anevil Vampirislayer, like Junior?
“Our knights will be there,” the queen vowed, walking toward me and pulling me into her arms for a fierce hug. “You just focus on reaching your mother and getting her out of there,” she whispered in my ear, pulling away.
“I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me, Queen Luna.”
A brilliant smile softened her face. “It’s just Luna. If you are going to give me grandchildren someday you can’t exactly keep all the reverence.”
My eyes widened. “Um. What?”
Everyone chuckled around us, the moment briefly relieving the tension growing among us.
When the amusement left her, she was no longer the sweet mother of my mate. Instead, the powerful Queen of War and Peace stood tall before me, her eyes boring into mine.
“In war, there are only two choices—forgiveness or justice. Today is not the day for forgiveness.” Fierce purpose sized her expression as she cupped my cheek. “Do not hesitate, Natasha. Aim to kill.”
Her gaze swept over all of us one last time, making sure we all understood before she hugged her son, the sweet mother returning. Her arms wrapped around her daughter next, Gustav and Zelin, and finally reached for her husband. Giving him a kiss for good luck, she turned, leaving us.
“We are ready,” Vanessa announced, coming down the stairs with Isis and Bjørn.
Vane had on a pair of tight leather pants and boots, a black shirt, and her fitted leather jacket, while Isis also wore one of the royal armor suits with gold.
