“Kaden is going to be so pissed if you kill them both.”
“Shut up, Reid.”
I don’t have much to lose. The walls are thundering with Kaden’sblows, and there’s the distinct smell of fire in the halls. Whatever is happening is fast becoming dire and we need to help Kaden.
I need my mate back.
Drawing up my reserve energy, I lurch forward grabbing the book. I expect pain, fire, burnt flesh, and flaming clothing. But instead, just the supple feel of old leather and the rough edges of worn pages.
Fee glares at Reid. “See?”
“Open the book,” Fenrir directs, stepping between the siblings. “See what it says to do.”
When I flip through the pages, I frown. “They’re blank. There’s nothing here.” How is that possible?
“Hold on,” Mal interrupts, hand on my shoulder to stop me from turning a page. “See there?” He points to the corner. “There’s a shimmer.”
Moving the book under the dim light, I see it—there. A slight pearl shimmer that makes the pages look like gems bound together by old threads.
“Invisibility spell.” Fenrir rubs his forehead, skin dusted in coal. “Protection and invisibility. Whoever made this book, didn’t want anyone just finding it. There’s something here. We just don’t knowwhat.”
“How do you know so much about magic?” I ask, throat dry. The smoke is filling the walls, cloudy white wisps watering my eyes. Blinking, I battle my fear of the flames. Thinking of Kaden, of what I need to do for him, is the only thing that keeps me from fleeing.
Fenrir shrugs tiredly. “Our mother is very old. She knows many things.”
“She can help,” Mal admits. “If we can get Kaden out of here and get back to our kingdom, she might have a way of breaking these spells, or look through the book. We can transform Kaden back.”
Hope soars so high, my head swims.Save him. We can save my husband.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” I turn to the right, only for my body to sway.Reid grabs my waist, holding me upright as black dots float in my eyes.
Still too weak to be on my own, we move together, leaving the library and hunt for the heir. The book stays in my arms, lovingly held like a child. It’s my only hope for saving my mate.
The halls are filled with smoke now, screams echoing around us. In the darkness of the palace, my eyesight is poor, but now the growing flames light the whole place. The heat at the back of my neck is too much like my childhood nightmares to be comfortable as I cling to Reid. Sweat dots my brow and I shake, fighting the fear that wants to drown me.
“We’ve got you,” he promises. “We won’t let anything happen to you, Max. Just hold tight. We’ll get out.”
We shuffle through the halls, shoulders jostling as court members and servants run. Fee leads the way, shouting at Fae to find an exit, helping those who stumble. Even as they try to save their brother, save me, they continue to help their people.
It’s admirable and I can’t help but respect them more. How could I have ever seen them as the enemy?
“What about Kaden?”
“He’ll survive,” Fee calls back, pushing two servants toward the left hall. There’s a servant’s door down there they can escape through, as a group follows us. “The beast won’t let fire kill him. Kaden is a host to the curse now and it’s awfully fond of living.”
Evident of when it took over Kaden’s body when gravelly injured at the Fury’s nest and hunted for blood to revive himself. It’s a sobering realization that we must rely on the curse we want to extinguish, to keep the heir alive.
Rushing through the door, we spill out into the late hour, dry heat feeling like freedom to the fire at our backs. Coughing, Reid carries me further into the red sand, as singed hair and burnt fabrics wafted into the air.
Stumbling, I fall to my knees, panting, heaving up the smoke. TheFae are faring better, able to withstand the smoke more than a simple mortal. But they, too, are covered in debris and ash.
Slowly, the castle empties, war forgotten, creatures seeking safety. Baris limps to my side, holding his side. He’s bleeding, with a gash on his knee, and blood smeared on his forehead. I instructed him and the Hadeon is stay behind, but I look behind my father to 6 glowing eyes, I realize neither listened to me.
Dropping to my side, he grabs my cheeks, inspecting me.
“You let the magic control you.” How does he know?
“I had to save them,” I whisper, enjoying the fatherly touches that whisper of times long past. He wipes the blood from my eyes.
