“You’ve stolen our females,” he spat.
“We are not possessions to be taken,” a familiar woman’s voice—Martha, her name was—called out from behind me. “Or livestock to be rid of.”
I smirked at her words.
All of the soldiers stiffened, glaring behind their masks, looking more alert as they studied the group in front of them. All except the one who asked about his partner. His child. He started to lower his sword just as his companions started to tighten their grip.
“Let us through.” Audrey nodded toward the guards. “Or we will go through you.”
“We are loyal to the king!” a different soldier near the front yelled. “Take another step, and you will be charged with treason!”
Without a word, the soldier who inquired about his family swung his sword, swiftly removing the arm of his neighbor.
“Shit,” Audrey muttered.
Everything happened so fast after that.
Roots and vines erupted from the earth, startling the soldiers, who began to charge us. Audrey’s red hair lifted with static as her eyes and fingertips illuminated that magical glow. The soldier who inquired about his mate shoved his companions into the snarling roots, allowing Audrey to detain all of them immediately. They cursed and shouted and gargled, gasping at the foliage that bound their bodies and necks, elevating them off the ground so their boots couldn’t find stability. Some were cursing at us; others were just desperate to save their own breath.
The only soldier not bound by Audrey’s command was the first soldier.
Audrey clenched her hand and instructed the roots to move the guards out of our way, making enough room for Caelena to step forward.
The first soldier turned and pulled on the handles of the gate.
“Shit,” he muttered. “It’s locked down.” He pounded his fist against the door and yelled.
“One sec,” Audrey grunted, stepping forward. Her hold on the detained soldiers was still intact. She was grinding her teeth together, and part of me wondered what kind of brain power Audrey was experiencing to control eleven different roots to hold off eleven different, powerful sirens. It wasn’t until I followed her forward that I realized the roots also covered their mouths, keeping them from the ability to use their sinndra on Liam and me.
Audrey grunted and stomped her foot forward, digging the heel of her boot in the ground. At the same moment, I watched with awe as roots erupted from the earth again. This time, wrapping around the large steel door.
The roots wrapped and wrapped the majority of the gate, and the groan of hinges being bent and damaged, played a chorus of surrender as she stomped her foot again, and the door was pushed in.
“You’re amazing,” Liam murmured to her as he stepped up to her side. He even went as far as to plant a kiss on the crown of her head. Behind me, siren women started yelling. Screeching. Shouting. A myriad of voices, powered by years of fear and dread finally being released on the people responsible.
Caelena and Sergei led everyone through the gates, followed by me and the hundreds of women. The eleven guards? They were now pinned against the exterior wall, completely immobile and unable to free themselves. I unsheathed my knife, allowing the adrenaline to course through my body. To activate my fight or flight, to help as many women as I could.
As expected, there were dozens and dozens of siren soldiers waiting for us in the courtyard.
Martha had pinned a soldier about to attack me, against the wall of the courtyard, her sword tucked under his chin, when recognition flared, and he halted his struggle to address her by name.
She hesitated but kept the blade under his neck. The tense moment between them was heavy, and her blade had nicked his skin enough to cause a small trickle of blood to leak down his neck.
But he didn’t acknowledge it. His eyes stayed locked on her. Awestruck.
“Martha…my song?” he asked in a whisper.
Martha broke then, lowering her weapon. They couldn’t embrace, because someone else tried to fight her while her back was turned.
Martha’s mate didn’t need any other knowledge or reason. He just started fighting on our side, as did several others.
Many guards didn’t hesitate to attack us. To defend the estate. To defend their king. There was nothing else for the rebels to do, besides fight like hell.
Weaponizing hundreds of siren women to distract all of Ilia’s militia for me, I started running around the perimeter of the courtyard.
I needed to get inside. To find Drustan.
But I knew I couldn’t just walk in through the main door; it was too guarded. I’d be cut down immediately by Ilia’s men. I snuck around hedges and statues, making it to the side of the estate.
