It was no coincidence that Dante chose to build his compound so close to the ancient ruins. Not when he seemed to mimic the Fae usurper, the one who tried to end Pandora’s rule before it could even begin.
Otto and the others stopped at the edge of the water, moving completely out of sight of the archers—and me. My hold on Xerxes’s hand tightened, the beat of my heartsuddenly harder as I looked over my shoulder at him, then up at the cliff.
For a moment, I thought I spied Dante amongst the archers. For a second, it was like he was up there, watching. Waiting for something.
But when I blinked, he wasn’t there.
Why would he let us out? Why allow us to get this far?
Why the hell weren’t the archers shooting at us?
Too many questions rushed through my head. An arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a familiar hard chest—and taking me out of the archer’s range.
Xerxes was beside me a second later, ducking low with Thor on his shoulder.
I tore my eyes from the cliff, taking stock of everyone. Greer’s nine mates were all accounted for, with the children they were protecting huddled close by. Sunniva and Cato were at the very edge of the water, both looking back towards the cliff like they were considering the same thing I had: swim or wait.
Either could mean their deaths and my recapture.
The figures on the opposing beach turned towards us, suddenly much clearer than they had been when leaving the tunnel.
I knew each of them immediately, from the golden blond hair of Adrian, down to the lithe form that belonged to Rowan. Maeve’s black hair, dark like the shadows with the silver strand glinting in the waning moonlight. Elias, standing tall and strong, eyes glowing with the presence of his wolf. And even Damon, fully relinquishing his glamour to show the horns curling above his head, standing over seven feet tall.
For a moment, I expected Orion to step out of the shadows and reveal he never died, that it’d been a ruse. A trick for his father and Dante, a lie he’d been forced to spin and not tell me about. I would accept that. Even if I could still feel that earth shattering pain, I would rush into his arms in a heartbeat if he walked out now.
But he didn’t. No silver-white hair appeared, no eyes thecolour of violet. No Luna Fae prince who could walk through my dreams to pull me out of my nightmares.
My heart plummeted, though it had nothing to do with the five figures, standing shocked on the other beach. It was my own fault for getting hopeful, for not believing what I saw with my own eyes. I’d watched the light disappear from his eyes. Heard his last heartbeat. Felt the bond between us break.
Orion was dead.
I swallowed hard, pushing down the anguish threatening to consume me, and focused on my mates across the water. “Damon could shadow himself over here, but he isn’t,” I murmured, keeping my voice low so only Hawk, Xerxes, and those closest to me could hear. “Why hasn’t he?”
“Is that Rhadamanthus?” Onyx asked, glancing back at me. “King of Elysian?”
I nodded once. Right, Onyx was a demon of Elysian, too. Or at least, I thought he was. Hadn’t Adrian said as much?
The demon stared at me for a long moment before looking to the beach again. “He can probably tell there is something wrong with the beach.”
“But we’re right here,” I replied. “He could jump here.”
Onyx shook his head. “The shadows don’t work like that.”
Right. Damon had explained that. The shadows liked to act of their own will. He might try and land as close to us as possible, but instead of doing that, he could land in the middle of the beach and right into Dante’s trap.
That was the last thing we needed, especially because he was the only one powerful enough to help us escape.
“Watch out!” Magnus shouted, pointing to the area above us. I turned in time to see three dark figures running towards us, leaping off the cliff to jump along the towering, unstable rocks leading towards us.
A shield from the mage went up, but it wouldn’t last long, and it wouldn’t stop the attack. The three were completely covered, with black masks over the bottom halves of their faces, hoods covering their heads. They looked like assassins sent from a video game, nothing like the soldiers Dante kept.
Either he had a whole other side of his army we hadn’t seen, or these weren’t his men.
I wasn’t really interested in finding out either way.
They hit the barrier, which wavered, before rebounding off it and landing in the water.
Behind us, growls started, the sound of paws on pebbles meeting my ears. I didn’t even have to look over my shoulder to know the hellhounds had escaped, and those that’d survived were now blocking the only way out.
