She made a sound—a desperate sound—and she drove the knife into my brother’s gut.
I let out a scream, throwing myself forward, ready to fight. And then Maura grabbed me, putting her back to the knife, twisting to defend me with her body.
I needed to get to Tesa and dig whatever enchantment drove her. Tesa wouldn’t do this to me.
But first, Fear had to stop her.
Fear, wings outstretched, cast a shadow over all of us, and then he plummeted into Tesa. He carried her with him toward the wall, Bismyth scattering around them, and the two of them slammed into the stone.
Ander was racing for them both. To stop Fear from killing her, to protect both Tesa and me.
“Tay!” I screamed, but Maura was pushing me away.
Then Bismyth was closing up around me. Kiegan launched to my other side, bleak and towering and lethal.
I lost sight of Tay in the blur of motion. I caught a glimpse, though, of Ander and Tesa and Fear all wrapped together.
Fear told Ander, “Hold her.”
Ander, his voice raw and desperate in a way I’d never heard before, locked his arms around Tesa as she fought. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”
Like a promise he was making to both of them.
Even though she was still fighting, still trying to reach me.
My brother’s body curled around the wound. His gaze met mine despite the blood streaming across the floor. “I just wanted to protect you.”
He had shielded me with his body. He had tried to shield me, too, by bringing me back to Stonehaven.
I reached for him, even knowing I could not fight my way back past Maura.
Maura grabbed my forearms as she pushed me back, shaking me slightly. “Think, Cara! Do not satisfy the queen by dying!”
She was right. She brought me back to myself, even if that meant being pushed back from my brother. Bismyth had closed in around me. Dragons soared overhead, shadows falling over us. Kiegan was at my back now, grabbing my shoulder to haul me back away from the chaos.
“Heal him,” I commanded, and I had no doubt that Bismyth would act at my order. No matter what they thought of my brother at the moment.
Two shifters moved toward him immediately. I had not known if they would follow my command over their own instincts.
On the other side of my brother, several of the Fae were already moving in.
Bismyth had their swords drawn, ready to fight.
“Get away,” one of the Fae snarled, looking past them to me. “Get away, mortal scum. He is one of ours.”
They would heal my brother. I was sure of it. He must still be useful to the queen.
Fear had left Tesa and Ander; he shot toward me. Even Maura gave way to let Fear grab me, his wings wide open. His muscles beneath my palms were coiled and ready to launch. He wanted to get us out of here.
“No. The enchantment. I missed one. I have to finish it.”
“We are getting out of here,” Fear commanded.
“If I leave, she’s still a weapon. You know the queen enchanted her. Tesa wouldn’t have done that on her own.”
He knew I was right. I could see it on his face, just as clearly as I could see that he hated that I was right.
His wings shielded us from the Fae contingent. He rushed me over to where Ander and two others from Bismyth were holding Tesa down on the ground.
