Emma’s tone was so full of conviction it convinced me she was right. I asked, “How are you going to broadcast the video? Posting it on social media would expose and otherwise implicate all of us, and we don’t have access to the news station.”
“Vara does. She works forThe Annual Arcanea,” Emma said. “If we can get the video to her, she’ll make sure it goes live.”
I nodded briskly. “Then it’s our only shot. Find Vara, Emma. Girls, go with her. The boys and I are going to do what we can to hold off the rest of these beasts.”
I grabbed Emma, and kissed her. I was sure our friends were having similar farewells around us, but at the moment, I didn’t care or notice. The world had disappeared, and it was only my mate and I.
I resolved that this goodbye kiss wouldn’t be our last. It couldn’t be.
“Be careful, please. You need to come back alive,” she whispered as she pulled away.
“I’d fight through the realms of the Underworld itself to get back to you. I will not leave your side merely to die.” I grasped her tightly and held her. “Youmuststay safe. I cannot rest until you are back in my arms.”
“I have to do what’s best for Malovia, and so do you,” Emma said firmly. “This is what’s best. Don’t back out on me now.”
She kissed me again, before she wrenched herself away and began to run back down the fire escape. The other girls followed her, leaving Theo, Stefan, Alexei and I to handle the rest of the monsters alone.
“We have to buy the girls’ time, and save who we can,” I instructed. “There’s no other option.”
At that moment, the apartment building we stood on wavered. A massive, slimy reptile that walked on two legs stalked by the apartment building. Its long tail swept behind it, smashing store windows and crushing carriages. The monster passed by the complex, flicking out its tongue as it tasted the air for more prey.
Stefan smirked as the reptile skulked by. “I’ve never been one to walk away from a good brawl. Those monsters should be scared ofme.”
Theo let out a skeptical noise. “Oh, getaholdof yourself.”
He was the first to jump, propelling himself off the rooftop to sail downward to below. The rest of us followed, running at top speed and jumping off the ledge. We fell two stories, cloaks billowing out behind us as we landed on the back of the reptile. We grabbed onto the spikes protruding from its back, and unleashed daggers, plunging them into the creature’s spine. We held on for dear life as the monster flailed about, its bellows shattering the air. Though weariness showed on the men’s faces, they did not hesitate to strike.
I hoped Emma hurried. Though we were brave and noble, we were not infallible. At some point, our strength would wear out. Hopefully, Gabby would pull her monsters back before any of us succumbed to exhaustion and death.
That is, if our plan worked. I prayed the gods would have mercy on us—
Though I wasn’t sure if they would. So many innocents had lost their lives. It wouldn’t be crass to assume we were next.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma
Iwas hopeful Vara would be at the university, and prayed to the gods she wasn’t anywhere among these city streets. We’d never find her in this mess. The girls and I ran back the way we came, passing by the bodies of the monsters we’d just destroyed. I wished the way to remain clear, so we could get back to campus that much faster. The rest of the monsters had barricaded citizens on the other side of Dolinska, so we didn’t run into any trouble along the way—
Until I heard a wild scream that made my heart twist.
“That’s my brother!” I shouted. I turned down a different alleyway without another explanation— the girls followed. My breath caught as I saw Arthur at the end, cornered by the sphinx-like creature I’d seen earlier.
The woman’s head grinned as she spread her eagle wings wide and crouched her lion’s body to jump. The monster leapt into the air, and Arthur changed into a wolven at the last second. He was waiting for her, and the two fell into a snarling heap. Arthur used his teeth to gnaw at the lion’s body, but all of his bites missed her neck. The monster drew her claws across Arthur’s chest, and he gave a high-pitched howl.
Rage welled within me at my brother’s cries, and I called upon the wolven necklace. An Unseelie battle orb welled in my palm, and I fired. The orb struck the monster in the side, and flung her off Arthur. Steam rose from the creature’s body as it lay immobile, killed by my magic.
“Arthur!” I ran to him. He changed back, and gasped as blood poured out of his chest and onto his jacket. He’d been hurt badly.
“Are you okay?” I asked. Arthur’s eyes narrowed in confusion as I pushed his shirt aside to examine the cuts. They were healing, but he was still bleeding.
“Yes… who are you?” Arthur asked.
I’d forgotten I was still wearing my mask, and as part of my disguise, the illusion was still apparent, changing the color of my hair and eyes.
I yanked my mask off. As I did, the illusion ended, and Arthur’s expression became clear. “Sis? Wow,you’rethe White Rose. Ethan’s the Phantom, I take it.”
“Not hard to figure out, is it?” I pulled Arthur to his feet. He glanced at the other girls— none of them had taken their masks off, but I’m certain he could determine who they were.
