“I don’t think they’re worried about who gets in, love,” Laoise said softly. “They don’t want anyone to get out.”
Out, like them.
“We’ll just have to fight them,” Reyna said with a sigh. “There’s no telling how close Nollaig is now. If we don’t warn her, her army will have no idea what’s waiting for them. How many guards are there?”
“Three,” Finnegan said with a nod. “One for each of us.”
“Three. That’s not too much.” She pulled Laoise’s calloused hands into hers. Her grip was weak; her flesh was clinging tightly to her bones. “I want you to go back to the Illusion House.”
Frowning, Laoise tried to pull free, but Reyna held on tight.
“Absolutely not,” she said fiercely. “You need my help.”
“Idoneed your help. When I get back from warning Nollaig.” She pulled the shadow fae’s hand to her heart and smiled. “I can take some of your herbs with me. That’ll keep me going for a few days.”
“Princess,” Laoise whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“You’re not a fighter, Laoise, and I mean that in the kindest way possible. Stay here. Get the rebels ready. Even with the army, I expect we’ll need every fighter we can get if we truly want to retake this city from the Wood Court.”
Darkness flickered in Laoise’s eyes, but she dug through her bag and pressed the herbs into Reyna’s hands. “Take this at least once a day. You’ll need some in a few hours. Don’t forget them, princess. You need to keep your storm at bay.”
Reyna slipped the herbs into the pocket of her cloak, and then threw her arms around the shadow fae. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, Laoise. Now, go. Keep yourself safe.”
Laoise patted Reyna on the cheek, and then scurried down the street toward safety. Once she was out of sight, Reyna turned back to Finnegan. He was eyeing the guards ahead with flattened lips.
“That was good of you,” he grunted.
“Laoise has many gifts, but she’s not a fighter. I don’t want her to get killed. Anyone else would have done the same.”
His slid his eyes her way. “That’s the thing. They wouldn’t. But the hero of the Battle for Fomorian Square would.”
Reyna shifted on her feet. “I really wish you’d stop calling me that.”
“Well, you better start embracing the title soon, princess. Because we’re all counting on you to be that hero.”
Frowning, she poked her head around the side of the barrels. The guards were still standing watch by the gates, all three facing the streets of Findius. Finnegan was right. These warriors weren’t trying to prevent anyone from coming into the city. They didn’t want anyone to leave.
“What do you reckon the wood king is up to?” she whispered. “Killing so many shadow fae. Trapping them inside their own city. What’s the point? Your court surrendered to him. He’s sitting on that throne.”
She avoided speaking Lorcan’s name aloud or letting her mind wander to him. Speaking in vague terms was the only way she could confront what had happened to him.
“He’s the same as Bolg, it seems like. The shadow fae are nothing more than sacrificial blood for extra power.” He shrugged. “It all goes back to Unseelie in the end. It always does.”
She nodded, but something about it still didn’t sit quite right in her gut. Bolg let his own subjects die so that he could gain more power. And Ulaid Molt had been feasting on the blood of his own warriors with the same goal. But why did it seem like he wanted to kill every last shadow fae? There had to be more to it than that.
Whatever it was, it didn’t matter in the end. It all led to the same result: thousands of innocents dead.
“How do you want to do this?” she whispered.
“They’ve got arrows. We need to force a close fight.” He motioned toward a small alley to the left of the guards. “You sneak up on them that way. I’ll approach as quietly as I can from the right. When you hear a whistle, charge.”
Reyna nodded and left Finnegan by the barrels. She backtracked through the streets until she found the alley that led to the gates. As she inched closer, she saw Finnegan approaching from the opposite direction. He was as quiet as a mouse, and shadows seemed to pulse across his skin.
She’d seen the very same thing from Lorcan more than once.
Her heart cracked in two at the thought of him. Tears welled in her eyes as grief burned the back of her throat. How could she do this? How could she keep moving forward when he was gone? She’d never even had a chance to say goodbye. He hadn’t even met her eyes before the sword came down on his neck.
Pain shot through her core. Shaking, she forced herself toward the guards.
