“You too,” she says breathlessly, glancing over at me. “And you as well.”
I give her a curt nod before Lady Thalia takes her hand, carefully but swiftly leading her toward the infirmary.
Niko watches them leave before turning to me. Now it’s my turn to pull him into my arms and kiss him. Even his lips carry the taste of Evangeline, a perfect blend of the two of them.
“Let’s go.”
And with that, we run—into the storm, into the fight, into the future—to defend our kingdom.
Chapter 23
Evangeline
Lady Thalia takes my arm, while Finnick leads the way. He’s holding what appears to be a miniature dagger, and there’s a green aura around him I’ve never seen before. “His magic,” Lady Thalia answers my unasked question. “He’s felt stronger since he’s started eating your food, giving him the strength he needs again. It will help him detect a threat quicker.”
I’m not entirely sure how someone as small as Finnick can protect us, but I’m not in the position to question them. Out of everyone here, it’s clear I’m the weak link.
Maybe I shouldn’t have stopped Zephyr from sending me away.
Just as quickly as the thought appears, I push it away. No, I’m doing exactly what I need to do. I didn’t come here to hide in the shadows, thinking of adventure. Maybe at first, but I have to make the most out of mynew reality. Adventure is here now, and it’s my time to prove I can handle it. Shit…I hope I can.
Leaving Niko felt like I was ripping my soul in half. The immediate connection burning through my body the moment he kissed me was something I never experienced before. The feeling was all-consuming. It’s the most alive I’ve ever felt. I didn’t want to stop kissing him, didn’t want to stop the feelings taking over me. Even now, I ache for him, scared shitless something bad will happen to him.
Or Zephyr.
“This way,” Finnick says, snapping my attention back to the present. He makes an abrupt right, heading away from the screams and clashes of metal.
Battles are taking place, and each scream haunts me and chills my bones. Lady Thalia holds me tighter, her own body tense against mine. She’s not as unaffected as she appears, but she’s doing a better job at keeping herself together.
“Don’t cry, my dear. My son and Zephyr are strong. They will pull through this. We need to make sure those in the infirmary have someplace safe to hide during this,” Lady Thalia says as tears blur my vision. I didn’t even realize I’m crying until she mentioned it. Another thing I blame on the damn mating ceremony.
By the time we break through the thicket of trees to the wide expanse of the infirmary, a building carved from trees and earth, it’s eerily quiet. Finnick stops abruptly at the door, straining his neck as if searching for an unseen threat.
“Clear,” he says after a moment. “For now. Eva, youcan stay with me. We’ll get the sick into a safe room and barricade the doors until this is done.”
“What about Lady Thalia?” I turn toward Niko’s mother, feeling responsible for the woman’s safety. Which is crazy because she’s stronger and more capable than I am.
“I’ll start on one end, and you and Finnick will start on the other. This will move the process along faster. This could be unnecessary, but it’s a safety precaution we have in place for our people. I’ll be fine, and I’m close enough to hear you if you need me.” Her arms wrap around me, engulfing me in a mother’s hug. Something I’ve desperately missed over the last few years.
It ends too abruptly when Lady Thalia pulls back, a nervousness gleaming in her eyes. “I’ll see you soon. Stay with Finnick.”
“Eva, let’s start this way,” Finnick says.
Lady Thalia casts me one last look before taking off in the opposite direction. Wordlessly, I follow the sprite, staying close as we head down the hall. I vaguely remember this being the hall Jameson, the lonely fae I fed, resides in. Is he alone now? Does he know what’s happening outside? Part of me hopes he’s asleep, so he doesn’t wake up to the horror taking place outside.
“Those who can walk, we will escort them to the safe room underneath the infirmary. Others, we’ll need to roll their beds—oh shit!”
A thunderous crash echoes through the hallway, followed by a chorus of terrified screams.
I spin around just in time to see a monstrous figure step through the crumbling doorway. It’s as if time itselflurches to a stop, the air thick with the stench of ash and something foul.
The creature stands tall and skeletal, its skin stretched thin over jagged bones, like a corpse that refuses to rot. Its massive wings unfurl—leathery, blackened, and shredded as though torn apart by centuries of torment. The tattered membranes hang in strips, flapping with each step like the remnants of some ancient, forgotten war. Very much like the one we are in now.
It moves like a living shadow, darkness clinging to its form, distorting the light around it. Hell has opened a door, and this thing walked through. It’s not the first time I've seen a Nephilim, but each time takes my breath away.
I’m rooted to the spot, frozen in horror.
The Nephilim raises its hand, and with a sharp swipe, a wave of dark magic uncoils from its fingertips. It slams into the infirmary wall opposite me with a resounding crack, like thunder tearing through stone. The floor splits open, the fracture racing past overturned cots and shattered privacy screens, climbing the walls like a living thing. Wooden beams scream as they snap, and the ceiling above the patient rooms begins to collapse. In seconds, this room in the infirmary is coming apart around me—stone, timber, and dust crashing inward as the destruction spreads from room to room.
