“How many?” asked Toryn.
“They lead an army of a thousand beasts. But the fae contingent is our greatest worry. They’ve combined the warriors from Star Isles with the storm fae led by Toryn’s brother. Together, they have at least three thousand fighters. Some of them will have elite powers, but it’s impossible to know how many.”
Toryn blanched. “Three thousand fae and a thousand beasts?”
“And seven gods, I’m guessing.”
“That’s what it looks like.” Kalen frowned. “In addition to the five we know, and Caedmon, there is one other.”
“Pandora, the God of Storms. Seven gods, three thousand fae, a thousand beasts.” Toryn ran a hand down his face. “And we have, what? Five hundred warriors at most? And all our elite powers are useless when the gods can merely mute them.”
“We have several thousand civilians, but they don’t know how to fight,” Kalen said.
“Don’t forget the barrier,” I pointed out. “And me.”
The two fae kings turned toward me. They both looked skeptical.
“The Daughter of Stars,” I said with a shrug. “It must mean something.”
Toryn shook his head. “No offense to you, Tessa, but I wouldn’t put much stock in what the Crones say. Their minds are muddled by what Oberon did to them.”
“They were talking about a prophecy, and I think we all know that a prophecy is very much real,” I argued. “Bellicent believed in it so strongly that she forced Kalen into a vow that was intended to kill her. She knew what she would become, and she tried to put a stop to it.”
Kalen clenched his jaw and turned away.
I softly touched his arm. “I’m sorry to bring it up, but we can’t ignore it forever. She made you vow to kill whoever brought back the gods. Because as long as they lived, we would never be able to rid the world of them. Isn’t that what she said?”
“Yes. And now she’s dead, but the gods are still here. So clearly she was wrong.”
“Except the human king told Niamh the same thing. Bellicent became an anchor for Andromeda.”
Toryn cocked his head, clearly thinking. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m not certain,” I said honestly. “The pieces of the puzzle are scattered around us, and the edges don’t line up yet. All I know is this: there’s a prophecy. It foretold of a time when the gods would return. Bellicent knew she would be the one to bring them back, and we couldn’t rid the world of them again unless she died. And there’s another part to the prophecy.” I looked at Kalen. “Val’s clippings, remember? It mentioned both of us and our bond. Mates, blessed by the stars.”
“Daughter of Stars,” Toryn murmured.
“The prophecy is real, and there’s something I must do. I just don’t know what it is.” I looked at the door to my old quarters, where the humans were hiding. They were counting on me to survive. “But I intend to find out.”
Forty-Three
Fiadh MacCain
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
Andromeda was in bed with the human king. I did not know how long she’d been there, but there was a familiarity in the way she curled against him and splayed her fingers across the ridges of his broad chest. His fingers found her hair and danced between the strands. Peace, that was what she felt.
Andromeda felt peace.
“How long will you stay with me, my love?” Ovalis asked. She smiled and propped herself up on her elbow so that she could look at him. I could see now why he’d gotten into her bed, if not her heart. His brown eyes were hazy with lust, and a smile curved his full lips. With his broad jaw, carved cheekbones, and sweeping brown hair, he looked like he’d walked out of a painting. A dashing hero from a romance tale, the kind of man only found in books.
“As long as you live,” Andromeda said softly. There was a hint of pain. She knew he was a mortal man, destined for mortal years. She could gift him with life if he died, but she could not stop him from growing old. She’d tried. His life would be but a blip in her eternity, and yet she could not walk away from him, away from this. When Andromeda had taken a fae form, she hadn’t anticipated what it would feel like to fall in love.
She was intoxicated by it.
He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip, and she quivered expectantly.
I flinched back. Now that I saw where she was and how little clothing they wore, I had a fairly good idea of where this was going. As much as I liked being aware, I had no desire to bear witness to Andromeda’s sexual adventures. Especially as she wasin my body.
