“Ready wolves!” Sawyer screamed and his voice was barely human, which caused the hair on my arms to stand up. The wolves howled in response and my stomach flipped over with nerves.
“Vampires at the ready!” Luka shouted, and the bloodsuckers responded with battle cries that would impress even the most seasoned warrior.
“How will we get inside?” I tightened the grip on my knife and eyed the door, the wall, the insane security forces.
Demi grinned as a shadow passed over us, blotting out the sun.
Pearl.
The dragon landed right in front of the entire army. Gasps of awe ripped through the crowd. “We drop down right in the center of the fort and open the gates from the inside,” Demi called out. “The army will be ready to charge in and get our back.”
‘Please stay here behind the front lines,’Luka begged.
“I’m going,” I told everyone, and stepped forward to get onto Pearl’s back. Luka let loose with a curse word.
“She’s a badass. She’ll be fine. I’m coming too, by the way,” Liv told Luka, and we mounted Pearl, sitting right behind Marmal.
Demi and Sawyer shared a look with Luka, and Demi nodded. “It’s their mothers in there,” Demi finally said.
“Fine,” Luka grumbled. “Butbe safe,” he said to me.
Blah blahwas all I heard. I was ready to take some fey heads.
Luka, Demi, Sawyer, and Sage crawled onto Pearl just behind Liv and I. Luka tucked himself directly behind me, straddling my butt as his thighs spread wide and I sank into him.
I had to take in a deep breath to steady my heartbeat and clear my head.
Reaching out, Luka stroked Pearl’s scales. “Hello, beautiful. I missed you.”
Marmal grinned. “She says hello.”
I frowned, curious about when he’d met Pearl before.
“She’s how we busted them out of prison,” Sage told me, and I nodded in realization.
I could imagine the faces of the jail’s guards when a giant dragon flew up to take away a handful of their prisoners.
“Good girl.” I patted her gently.
Her wings snapped out then and Demi looked at her second-in-command, the dude she’d called Rab.
“The second those doors open, you be ready!” she screamed.
“Yes, Alpha!” he called back, and pulled a shield from behind his back.
Pearl’s wings flapped, and we were airborne.
“They’ll have a fey shield up!” Marmal screamed against the wind.
Demi nodded and looked out into the thick forest, scanning for something. A small group of three women stepped out, holding hands.
“Right on time.” Demi grinned.
Witches.
I swallowed hard, watching as they chanted under their breath, hands clasped together as they stared up at the top of the fort. They must have a bubble of protection over it, something I certainly couldn’t see from here.
My throat tightened with emotion as I realized what great detail had gone into this rescue and what favors they must have had to call in.
