Page 372 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

That was our best bet. Hell, even as a wave of flames circled us, cutting us off from the rest of the skirmish, Alec and I rolled up our sleeves so that if we could get an arm around her, she’d have to read us. It felt like standing there naked without our gauntlets or gloves.

“You look like shit, Second,” Alec announced, aiming for the joviality we all knew so well before the siege. Those lethal eyes shifted toward him as she nocked her arrow with all the urgency of a lion eyeing a fellow predator. “And what’s with the mask?”

The distance between her brows narrowed into a scowl.

“This your second test in the field?” I asked as she cocked her head in that predatory way—listening behind her while keeping as many of us in view as possible. A thunderous cacophony several floors above us preceded a burst of shouts, the walls trembling.

“This ploy is a waste, gentlemen,” she said, right arm extended, arrow trained on my chest. Still, I took one step higher. I expected the bond to stir. To reach for her as it had for the last six months. But it lay just as forlorn and dormant as before.

“Alvara, look at me!” I demanded as thunder rolled outside. Another resounding crash came from above, the building shaking, drifts of dust falling from the ceiling.

“Who is she?” she purred, her voice almost a song. Hers and yet… wrong. Everything about this was wrong. “This woman you’re so desperate for me to be?”

“My world. My little nova,” I pleaded, heart thundering. Nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition.

“For whom you wax poetic while the world crumbles.”

Anger and grief churned in an unforgiving torrent inside my chest. Based on the way the wind kicked up, slamming the double doors into their frames, the sky felt the same. We were so close now. Just a few more feet, and we could rush her. But her voice scraped through my veins, as inescapable as the wall of power around us. “What did they do, baby? What did they do to you?”

“Goddamn,” Alec muttered, anxious eyes flicking to me.

An idea struck, and while it might’ve been a shot in the dark, I fucking took it. “Saoirse.” Nothing. “Mary. Anna. Frida.” Anger boiled in my veins, and I tightened my grip on my blade. She was watching me now, cold amusement glinting in those predatory eyes. “Ceana?”

“My, someone’s certainly made the rounds. Keep guessing, handsome. Maybe you’ll get it.”

They were coming. I could feel it. She was the bait in a perfect trap, and the worst part was I couldn’t bring myself to give a shit. She was mine. And if I had to fight our way out of this bottleneck, I would. “Come home with me, baby. Please. We can protect you. Help you make sense of this.”

Alec stepped up by my side. “Ally, you know us,” he barked as she backed away, her entire frame engulfed in flames. “Come on, Al. Come home. Ansel would’ve knocked you over the head for this shit.”

One last shot, my stomach churning. Mouth like sand, back aching, I breathed, “Elizabeth.”

Her head snapped in my direction, emerald eyes locking on mine. “Oh, so he is clever.”

I don’t like this, Alec bit out mind-to-mind. Something isn’t right.

Nothing about this was right. But I couldn’t argue with what was standing in front of us.

Agreed, Marcus rumbled. There’s a wall of spellwork around her, rookie. We’re walkin’ into a trap.

Well fucking aware.

Good. If we’re on the same page, carry on.

“Ally,” I panted. “Look at me. You can read people, right? Objects and souls alike.”

She said nothing, just kept her chin low, her eyes locked on mine. I held up my hand, tossing my sword to Alec, who caught it without taking his focus off my mate. She tensed when I unsheathed my daggers, but those sharp eyes snapped to me when I dropped them to the ground, where they clattered against the tile.

“Read me. I know you’re in there—you’re too strong, too goddamn powerful to have let go entirely. Moros might’ve influenced your mind, but you’re still you.” Her eyes narrowed infinitesimally as my throwing knives went next. “Moros—what does he call himself? Brother?” She stalked forward, tossing her bow aside. I was vaguely aware that both Alec and Marcus snapped their heads in my direction—aware I’d just broken my first promise to her.

I couldn’t find it in me to care anymore. These men would do anything for her. It was time they knew everything.

“There’s a part of you that knows it’s wrong, isn’t there? A part of you that remembers being loved—the golden warrior with blue eyes, he was your true sire. Aren Amadeus. You remember that name. Somewhere in your soul, you remember Aren, don’t you?”

She yanked the fabric down off her mouth, jerked her hood back and spat, “Do us both a favor and shut up, princeling.”

Fighting to keep the quaver out of my voice, I breathed, “Read me, Ally. If he’s telling you the truth, you’ll see it. I am begging you to read me.”

“Only the weak beg.”