Rafe swallowed hard, his neck bobbing. “Alright. Let’s not panic yet. Maybe she wanted to take a walk outside, and this is all some ridiculous misunderstanding. I’ll go search for her.”
Taveon nodded. It was exactly what he’d hoped to do himself. But he couldn’t. His hands were effectively tied. If he spread his silver wings and soared through the Underworld skies, someone would no doubt spot him. And then the entire court would know the truth about his heritage.
He ground his teeth. It felt as if his wings had been clipped, torn free from his back.
Rafe’s eyes softened when he saw the look on Taveon’s face. “Come with me. You can take a horse.”
A horse was not a pair of wings, but it was better than nothing.
Outside, the moon poured brilliant light across the swaying, luminescent grass. Leaping onto his horse’s back, Taveon charged away from the castle, following Rafe as he soared through the skies on midnight wings. Taveon tipped back his head to watch his friend, who had transformed into his raven form. A twinge of jealousy went through his gut. Rafe was so free, something Taveon would never be.
He was glad to be the king. It was all he’d wanted, all he’d fought for.
But sometimes he could not help but wonder what his life would be if he didn’t have the weight of the crown atop his head.
Jaw clenching, he focused on the land ahead of him instead of the endless skies above. He needed to keep his eyes on the ground. He charged toward the Forest of Fireflies, but just before he turned to search the dangerous woods for any sign of Bree, shapes solidified in the distance.
Near the Faerie Ring.
His heart thundered as he turned his steed in the direction of the large army that was growing larger by the moment. He fisted his hands around the reins, hoping Rafferty had spotted them as well. His friend needed to get out of the skies. If the enemy spotted him…they’d shoot him down.
Why had the outposters decided to turn around and fight? Had they killed Eurig? Had they replaced him with someone else? Something wrenched his heart at the thought. They weren’t as close as they’d once been, but he would always consider Eurig a friend.
Taveon pulled on the reins, coming to a stop far from the army. His gaze scanned the faces of the unfamiliar fae. There were hundreds of them. Perhaps thousands. Far more than the outposters.
Rafe thundered to the ground beside him, transforming into his fae form in the last split second before he fell. His gaze went hard. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“There’s some new army. A new enemy.” Taveon shook his head. He knew he should feel fear in his heart, but his bewilderment pushed that down. “Where did they come from? Most of the dark fae live in villages nearby. Other than the outposters.”
At some point, groups of fae must have bound together in secrecy. Hid themselves over decades so that no one would ever find out.
Until it was too late.
He pulled his horse back a few steps. Taveon needed to return to the castle with a quickness. The others needed to be warned, and the castle could put up what fortifications they could. The enemy had a lot of soldiers, but it would still be difficult for them to breach the walls.
“It’s not what you think,” Rafe said, tensing. “Look, someone is riding to the front. I’m sure you recognize her.”
Indeed. Taveon’s jaw nearly dropped when a familiar dark-haired beauty rode forward, the army parting for her and the sparkling blonde fae by her side. He would know that face anywhere.
Both of their faces.
Taveon had found Bree. And she wasn’t alone. She’d brought every fighting fae from Otherworld with her, including their new Queen. Norah, the fae who had killed his father.
Dread curled through his gut. This would not end well at all.
3
BREE
Taveon looked as though he wanted to rage at the skies, though Bree could hardly blame him. To him, toallthe dark fae, Otherworld was their enemy. And she’d brought all of them here. She was confident he would understand in time. Hell, he’d be happy for it.
But for now…
Blood drained from her face.
“Hmm.” Norah frowned from beside Bree, holding tight to her horse’s reins. “That’s not the face of a happy man.”
“I didn’t really tell him what I was doing before I came to get you.”
