‘What the hell was th—?’He must have just run into Novus, because he stopped speaking.
Oh, please let them kill each other, I prayed. How many problems would be solved if that happened?
Maddy and I fled in a frantic zigzag pattern, weaving through the park and then breaking off the trail and onto the open field.
“Was that…?” Maddy asked.
“Novus,” I said.
“We’re dead,” she exclaimed, heaving lungfuls of air. “He’s never hunted and not made a kill.”
“Maybe he’s here for Silas,” I offered, stopping to grab at a stitch in my side. We tucked ourselves into a thicket of bushes and tried to think of what to do. Just then, my cuffs lit up; my knees went weak, and I felt the power pull from me.
Maddy looked at me, wide-eyed. “He’s pulling on your power to fight Novus?”
I nodded. Or Novus was consuming Silas’s power and taking mine with him. But in that case, the killing curse on Silas would trigger and kill Novus, so I didn’t think that’s what was happening.
There was a rustle in the bushes behind us and we both spun, coming face to face with Artemis.
I hadn’t seen anyone from our old life in so long, and I barely knew him, but upon seeing him again I threw myself into his arms and burst into tears.
He froze, my mental breakdown clearly too much to handle.
“I’m sorry.” I sniffled, and then laughed maniacally.
“We don’t get out much,” Maddy explained.
I pulled away from him and he nodded, looking at me with compassion. “Brayden wants me to tell you—” His eyes widened in alarm and then he poofed away again.
No!
Brayden wanted him to tell me what? Or had he been talking to Maddy? No, he was looking right at me. Before I could dwell on it any longer, someone reached into the bushes and grasped me by the shoulder, yanking me backward.
I yelped, punching outward and connecting with something, thinking it was Novus.
A hand clamped around my throat then and I went very still.
“Hit me again and I’ll take off your head.” Lora’s growl in my ear made chills race up my spine. She dropped me and I fell to my knees, panting before Lora who stood in some crazy gold fancy ball gown, glaring down at me as if I were a bug to be squashed. She then looked up into the bushes. “Out. Now,” she commanded Maddy and Maddy walked out against her will.
I reached for Maddy’s hand just as the portal egg was thrown at our feet and then we were sucked into the Ether.
After falling for a second, my feet slammed onto the cold white marble. We were in the middle of the main ballroom, the one they always sent us to, but this time it wasfullof people, everyone dressed in black tie and laughing as they enjoyed their champagne. Maddy and I shared a stiff look. They were all fae.
“Youalmostruined my birthday party,” Lora growled.
Me?How the hell was this any of my fault? I could see where Silas got his psychopathic tendencies.
I wondered if all of these portal eggs led here, because we always landed in the same spot and no one seemed to bother even looking our way. This must be some kind of portal egg central location, if there were such a thing.
Silas suddenly popped into view. His neck was red and blue as if he’d been choked, and his nose was bleeding. “I’m sorry I had to call on you, my love,” Silas cooed at Lora immediately, and I threw up a little in my mouth.
Lora took in a deep breath and glared at Maddy and I. “Do we need both of them?”
Maddy stiffened.
Lora gestured to Maddy. “Is her power of any use to you in the fight?”
Silas looked at Maddy for a long moment and then nodded. “I think it will be, yes. She was the leader of Brayden’s army.”
