“We need to know about the Renegades.”
Run! Hide! The Renegades are coming.
Don’t let the memories overtake you.
Impossible to shatter, Giuliana. Remember.
“They had been with … Primo—”
“She knows.”
“With father, not long after he took over his pack. He was friends with one. Alexi.”
Don’t come out until I come for you.
“I don’t remember Alexi.”
“He stayed outside the compound. The Renegades stayed in Scorched Earth unless called for.”
Heath’s scent had been in that direction. How had they had traitors so close and never been aware?
“All the wolves are black as night, the men vicious and hard, better killers than anyone.”
And it seemed the Lombardi Pack was going to war with them.
Chapter Eleven
If Silva never fucking opened her eyes again, she’d be thankful.
Problem with that, of course, was that life was a tenacious bitch and wouldn’t let her give up, even when she really wanted to. No, that wasn’t right. That was the pain talking. She had to get up, or Kalinda wouldn’t survive.
She started with her pinky. It seemed like a good idea, until flames streaked across her nerve endings and made her realize that maybe the little piggy cried all the fuck the way home because it hurt. She could barely catch her damn breath.
Her wings were nothing more than pathetic frazzled lumps of gossamer clinging to her back and she wanted to scream just attempting to unfurl them.
Silva never knew how much she’d missed flying until they’d sprung from her—thanks to Kalinda bringing her back from the brink of death. Before her chains broke, she hadn’t remembered how powerful she was or that she could even fly. Now she knew she could, and the loss of them was like cutting off legs. Hot tears of anger and betrayal burned their way down her cheeks. They’d heal … maybe. If she got out of here first.
Kieran of the Shadow.
He knew who she was, and even how to target her. Fae, as a whole, had elements attached to their magic: fire, earth, air, water, and shadow. Shadow—deadly because it could mimic the others and was rare for their kind—was a bitch to deal with. Silva’s magic was based on earth, from deep within the Earth’s womb where precious metals stemmed from. She controlled silver, or to more aptly put it, she could harden her frame. It’s what made her able to sustain most magics mages could use—outside of Kalinda, of course. She was badass. The weakness of it, though, was it could be formed. And what formed silver? Fire.
Fire was used to turn so many minerals and stones into something else entirely, like steel into sword, or coal into diamond. And since he’d known her name, her real one, he knew her power. Those of marked connection to an element gained a name tied to their gift.
Kieran was obviously an adept user of shadow.
Silva forced her eyes open and swallowed the answering pain that reverberated in her skull. Kalinda was gone, not dead, but gone. In a lightning-quick crash, fear swept over her.
She’d failed as a Cosantiór for Kalinda. She hadn’t been strong enough to battle those coming for her and had been too assured in her power.
No mage could stand against a Fae of Silva’s strength, not without serious help from higher levels. Not too many to be found in Encantado. It wasn’t a boast, just simple truth.
Kieran was not supposed to be here.
A wave of dizziness threatened to take her back down on her knees, but Silva was determined to get to her feet. Kalinda was important to the magical world but not so much in the Fae world, outside of her connection to Silva. That would be worth falling all over themselves for. If they’d been in the Fae world, though, Kalinda would have been at the right hand of Silva in the throne room, their positions essentially reversed and Kalinda’s connection to her protecting her from outside attack.
But they were in Encantado, somewhere Unseelie never should have fucking been.
She swayed, but at least she’d made it to standing without keeling over.
