I sighed, pulling up the poor vegetable hacked into thirds. “I’m just frustrated.”
“Redvyr is a frustrating male. Obstinate and headstrong.”
“Ha! You’re telling me.”
She laughed. “But you are his mate, Jessamine. Just tell him what you want.”
“I certainly will. Tonight, I’ll—”
A shrieking scream pierced the valley. We both jumped to our feet. My skin burned with the magick of the syrenskyn, suddenly flaring bright.
Dayn and the other guard on duty faced the woodlands, swords drawn when a second harrowing shriek echoed closer.
“Run!” Dayn shouted.
Hallizel zipped in quick circles around Bes’s head. “It’s them! It’s the grimlocks! Run, Bessie, Run!”
“Saralyn!” yelled Tessa.
We both ran for the gate, pushing it open right as six or seven grimlocks, no, more, darted in flight from the woodlands.
“Gods above,” I mumbled as three attacked Dayn.
Four attacked the other guard. He roared and sliced with his claws and sword, slaying one while three more gouged his faceand throat with their dagger-like claws. I was nearly to Bes when I saw him fall.
“Hurry!”
I didn’t have time to look behind me as I grabbed Bes’s hand, Tessa scooping Saralyn into her arms, and we all ran for our lives. Beast fae warriors sprinted toward us from the camp, but the garden was too far away. We wouldn’t make it, and I knew it.
Running like wildfire, I heard them drawing closer. My syren claws descended.
“Keep going!” I screamed at Bes, letting her hand go as I whirled around at the grimlock nearly on top of us. More of them flew past me.
Swiping out at its throat, I gagged at the putrid stench of the creature. Its eyes gleamed red from within a horrifying face. It hissed through two rows of pointed, black teeth, and dodged my claws when I went for his throat again. The creature beat his wings—shaped like a sprite’s wings with a green sheen—lifting above and then behind me. Then he had his arms around my waist and my feet left the ground.
I screamed. Then an ungodly roar bellowed across the field. Redvyr was coming.
Chapter 23
REDVYR
I charged on all fours,Bezaliel and our wolves right beside me. Enraged that these creatures dared to come into our camp, my fury turned into raw fear when I saw Jessamine being lifted off the ground by one of the grimlocks.
My roar shook the loose rocks from the mountains. The grimlocks screeched but didn’t deter from their targets. Using all of my strength, I burst into full speed and launched myself into the air right as Jessamine reached back and grabbed one of the creature’s pointed horns.
Colliding with them, I pulled us all to the ground, one arm around Jessamine’s waist, my other hand wrapped around the grimlock’s throat. When we tumbled to the snow, I embedded my claws into its green-gray skin and ripped out its throat, its crimson eyes rounding wide as it died. Foul blood spilled into the snow, the grimlock dead before I stood to my full height.
Lifting Jessamine to her feet, I gave her an urgent shove toward Wolf. “Take her to safety!” Then to her, “Go, Jessamine!”
She didn’t hesitate, climbing onto Wolf who then launched into a gallop back toward the camp, while my clansmen and their wolves charged out into the field toward us.
Tessa screamed, she and her baby being carried off by two grimlocks. Bezaliel launched into the air, high enough to grab hold of Tessa’s ankles. He roared and pulled. Tessa fell free as Mishka snarled and leaped, clamping her jaws over the grimlocks head, but the other creature snatched the babe, making a delighted screech before speeding off in flight toward the woods.
“Noooo!” Bezaliel bellowed as I ran after the creature with him, charging across the snowy field.
A shrill squeal rent the air and a zip of blue light darted toward the grimlock carrying Saralyn. It was Hallizel, circling and pecking the creature. It did not slow him as he reached out with a clawed hand and batted her to the ground.
“Bes!” Sorka screamed, running across the clearing toward the woods on our right.
