Flames dance in the reflection of Ezryn’s armor. Farron is coming for us.
“We have to protect him, Ez,” I say finally.
“Farron made me promise that if he was ever out of control… I would stop him.”
Now it’s my turn to still. I look up at the Prince of Spring. “Yeah, because he’s an idiot.” I tighten the grip on my swords, and my voice drops to a low growl. “If you want to get to him, you’ll have to kill me first.”
For a moment, I wonder if he’s going to go through with it. Then he turns. “I’ll destroy the portal and stop the goblins from coming through.”
I nod at my brother. An understanding forms between us—we’ll fight to the death to protect each other, even if one of us is fighting for the death of us.
I rush into the fray, moving with more agility and precision with my familiar blades. A sudden, piercing howl rips through the air. Farron writhes in pain, body thrashing amid the goblin swarm and encroaching soldiers. I promised Rosalina I wouldn’t let him get hurt.
The horde of goblins descends upon me from all angles, but I meet them head-on, cleaving and hacking through their ranks with deadly precision, leaving a trail of mangled bodies in my wake. I push to Farron’s side, and my heart breaks at the sight of him.
The wolf is covered in goblin bites and scratches, his fur matted with blood. He looks up at me with pained, pleading eyes.Do you know I’m here?
Chaos surrounds us, but I crouch down and place a hand on his smoldering paws, even as the fire sears my skin.
“Fare, listen to me,” I say, voice shaking. “You need to remember who you are.”
Farron howls in agony as another volley of arrows pierces his skin. He thrashes, and I roll away, barely escaping a swipe of his paw. I’ve never been able to get through to him when he’s like this. What kind of idiot am I to think I could do it now?
But I can do what I’m best at, and that’s fight.
My world becomes a rush of blades. Soldiers, goblins, Farron. Fighting three enemies that all want to see your guts laid out and not hurting two of them shouldn’t be that hard, right?
I try not to harm the Autumn Guard anymore than I must. I focus on knocking them out—which is unfortunate because I could really use their help against all these bloody goblins.
Through the swarm, Ezryn hacks at the portal of thorns, chipping away at it piece by piece. Beyond him, smoke rises into the air.
The goblins are burning Coppershire.
“High Prince of Summer!” A commanding voice rises over the cacophony, and I whirl to see Princess Niamh in full battle regalia, surrounded by armored knights. “Where is my son? Why do I hear reports you are in league with fiends of the Below?”
“You don’t understand, Princess. You can’t hurt the wolf.”
“Tell me where my son is and lay down your sword, Daytonales.” Fury emboldens Niamh’s voice. “Or I will show no hesitation with mine.”
“I’m protecting him!” I shout. “We were cursed! Thisisyour son!”
There’s no flicker of recognition in her dark gaze.She doesn’t believe me.
I drop my swords and close my eyes. I delve deep within myself, feeling for my wolf.
Farron may not know I’m here, but I’ll use every ounce of power to protect him. Even if it means revealing our greatest secret.
My body shifts, the golden wolf breaking free of my fae skin. The goblins scatter as I let out a ferocious howl.
Unfortunately, the massive brown wolf and Autumn Guard seem equally unimpressed. Princess Niamh and her knights stare at me in shock.
“I will not allow you to harm him,” I growl.
“You are a monster,” she hisses, drawing her sword. “What have you done with my son?”
A sickle-shaped claw slices into my side. The brown wolf opens its jaws, teeth gnashing at my soft underbelly.
“Trickery of the Below!” Niamh’s voice careens through the air. “Take it down! Fire!”
