Okay, this was not exactly a power I was prepared to have.
“Well, obviously I won’t do it on purpose but… why did we awaken this magic if I could accidently dismember people!?” I didn’t mean to start yelling at him again, it just happened.
“Because it is with this magic, combined with your Greywolf power, that you will help defeat Lora and Novus and return Brayden’s kingdom to him,” he declared, and chills ran the length of my entire body. He said it like he’d already seen it happen or something.
“Do you mean that—?” My words were cut off by shouting and whoops of joy around the other side of the barn. I recognized Maddy’s and Brayden’s voices.
What the heck was going on? I peered at Artemis and he inclined his head in the direction of the ruckus, dismissing me. Kicking off the chair, I ran to the front of the barn house and skidded in my tracks as I stared at the scene before me.
Castiel was here. He’d just pulled away from hugging his brother and now he was staring at Leah with rapt attention. Maddy and August were there too. Brayden’s head craned in my direction and he reached out a hand for me. Walking to his side, I slipped my hand in his and gave Castiel a welcome smile.
“Glad you made it out,” I told him.
He nodded, looking over at me for a moment. “Thanks to you.” He tipped his head.
Leah whimpered slightly and he faced her again.
“Leah?” His voice broke. “Wren?” he tried, and my heart pinched. I’d never shown him a picture of her, but he must have sensed her.
She shrugged. “Unsure about the last one, but… it feels like I might be.” She took a step closer to him, timid and unsure. That was all he needed to eat up the distance, pulling her into his arms as they hugged each other tightly.
Maddy spun, pulling August with her as she beckoned Brayden and I inside the barn to give them some privacy.
“It’s so nice to see everyone back together.” Maddy stroked her thumb over August’s hand.
He sat on the couch and pulled her into his lap as Brayden did the same with me. I snuggled against him, forgetting that I could do this any time I wanted now.
“So what’s the plan to get the others out?” August asked, inclining his head to the door, where Castiel and Leah were talking outside.
Brayden sighed against my chest. “Leah, Averly, and now Castiel have full Greywolf power. If we can heal their memories and get Wren to restore my power like she did Lena’s… we have a fair shot of taking down the Fae Lords and Novus and freeing my family.”
Maddy shivered. “Novus was way scarier than I thought he would be.”
Brayden’s arms tightened around me. “He seemed to specifically be after Averly. I don’t like that.”
I wrapped my arms around his. “You think we can lead him to Lora as bait and he’ll kill her?”
That would be nice. A two for one. Novus kills Lora and then I kill Novus.
“He will smell the rebound killing curse on her. No, he’s too smart. He’ll find a way to break it first and then drain her power,” Brayden said.
“Dissolve, not break,” I corrected him. He looked at me, confused, and I shrugged. “That’s what Artemis is teaching me. There’s a difference.”
Maybe if we just waited for Novus to dissolve her curse, we could take Lora out after that. But then Novus would probably be too powerful to stop. Absorbing Lora’s power would be like the cherry on top of the cake for him. I couldn’t let that happen.
The front door opened and Castiel and Leah joined us, holding hands, with red swollen lips. It looked like they had chosen each other as well, and that made me immensely happy.
I grinned at Leah, who blushed.
“We have to get the others out of there,” Castiel pleaded with his brother.
Brayden nodded. “I have the address of a fae that lives here in Montana, just a few hours’ drive. Morgana thinks he can restore Leah and Averly’s memories.”
“Let’s do it,” Castiel said. “Then Leah can bring your full power back and we can take on the Fae Lords together.”
“IfI’m Wren,” Leah corrected.
Castiel laughed and it was so much like Brayden’s it was creepy. “You’re my Wren.”
