by Macy Blake
Kavalan had finally appeared and told him he should go back to his chambers. The party was still in full swing, so Sawyer wasn’t sure he understood why he was being sent away, but Kavalan didn’t seem upset so he just went with it. Eduard sat down next to him and ran his hand down Sawyer’s back. Pearl had her head in his lap and he rubbed her ears while he thought over all he’d seen and tried to process it.
“You were amazing tonight,” Eduard said softly.
“Thanks. I thought it went well.”
“It did. The queen was impressed.”
“Yeah?”
Eduard smiled. “Yes, love.
He leaned into Eduard’s side and tucked his face into the smooth skin of Eduard’s neck. He gave it a little nip and grinned when Eduard arched back to give him better access. He’d just starting tracing his way to Eduard’s ear when he heard a pop of magic and Puteri’s voice.
“Chosen One.”
He groaned and lifted his head. “Hey, Puteri. What’s up?”
She glanced toward the ceiling and frowned. “Nothing. I can add some stars if the Chosen One prefers to mimic the sky of the human realm.”
Henry snickered, and Sawyer shot him a glare.
“It’s fine, Puteri. Did you need something?”
“Yes. The queen wishes to speak to the Chosen One privately to discuss some very important matters.”
That seemed odd. Eduard stiffened next to him, obviously agreeing.
“Will Prince Kavalan be attending?” Sawyer asked hopefully.
Puteri just stared at him. “Puteri does not question.”
None of his mates were happy with her announcement, that much was certain, but they definitely couldn’t afford to offend the queen. Sawyer tried to think of a way around it, but couldn’t. “Loch must stay with me, Puteri. Kavalan has instructed him to remain by my side while I am here.”
Loch melted from the shadows of the room.
“Your guard may attend. The queen will determine if he should be present.”
Sawyer glanced quickly at Loch, who nodded.
“Okay. Take me to her.”
Puteri went toward the door and Loch stepped in front of Sawyer. He didn’t speak, but sent him a look that sent a shiver down Sawyer’s spine.
Sawyer touched Loch’s wrist before moving around him and following Puteri back downstairs. Loch was a steady presence behind him, and as they wove their way deeper into the castle, Sawyer found that Loch was the only thing keeping him from panicking. They finally approached an ornately carved door and Puteri opened it for them.
“The queen’s drawing room,” Loch said quietly.
The space was large and filled with colorful cushions. Statues and art lined the walls, each beautiful in their own way. There was even a portrait of Kavalan on one wall, surrounded by a floral arch.
“The queen will attend you shortly,” Puteri said before she blinked out of existence.
Sawyer looked at Loch, who had his serious face on. “What’s wrong?”
“This is unusual.”
“Tell me,” Sawyer said.
“The queen would rarely leave a party until the last of her guests. There have been exceptions but…”
“Something feels off.”
“We need to get out of here,” Loch said.
“Okay,” Sawyer said quickly. “Just tell me what to do.”
Loch nodded and reached for his sword, but before he had it completely out, Loch froze. Something Sawyer had never seen before filled Loch’s eyes: fear.
Before Sawyer could blink, Loch had grabbed him and started for the door. But another of the complicated vine walls formed, this one something out of a nightmare with thick, foot-long thorns that looked deadly. Loch spun around again, this time keeping Sawyer at his back, and drew his sword.
“Loch?”
Sawyer’s senses were going wild. The baby hairs on his neck were standing on end, and he searched the room for whatever it was that had him so afraid. He couldn’t see anything, though. Just vines and art and…. something moved.
“What is that thing?”
It reminded him of a komodo dragon, but it seemed to shimmer in and out of focus like a chameleon. Either way, its beady eyes were locked onto them and Sawyer had no doubt that it meant them harm.
“Stay behind me,” Loch commanded.
The creature walked across the vines like they weren’t even there, using the thorns as stepping points as it slithered its way toward them. Loch moved in conjunction, keeping them as far from the creature as possible.
“Can you call your guardians to you?”
“I can scream?”
“Now would be the time.”
Sawyer gulped and pulled in a deep breath. “DRACO!”
The word seemed to echo back to them, bouncing around the walls until it faded.
“How is this possible?” Loch mumbled.
The creature was doing something else now, and Loch spun them once more. This time he put his back to it, and the shimmering blue shield he’d formed when the banshees attacked reappeared. “No matter what happens, stay within the shield.”
“Loch?”
Loch grabbed his arms and gave him a little shake. “Tell me. No matter what happens.”
“I will. I promise. Loch, what’s going to happen?”
And that’s when the creature struck. A fireball flew from its mouth and stuck to the blue shield protecting them. Loch hissed and his hold on Sawyer’s arms tightened. Sawyer could see the strain on Loch’s face already. Another fireball hit and landed near the first. Loch flinched but held firm. But even Sawyer knew they weren’t going to make it. He could feel the power in those flames, feel the heat of them as they seared the shield Loch had formed. His thoughts frantically raced, trying to think of a way out, but he had no ideas. Unless… he closed his eyes and spoke to the leaves, much like he’d done when he’d been trapped with Saeward. If they worked like leaves back home, maybe they could get a message to Henry.
It was a desperate attempt, but at least he tried.
“DRACO! ANDVARI!”
“The room has been warded, Chosen One. I do not think your cries are able to be heard.”
Sweat dripped down Loch’s brow, and as another blob of fire hit the shield, he began to tremble.
“Think, think, think,” Sawyer said. He grabbed the front of Loch’s tunic and squeezed it tight.
Loch’s eyes were filled with fear and pain now. The shield flickered and some of the fire got through. It landed on Loch’s back. Sawyer heard it sizzle. But Loch made not a sound.
And then Sawyer knew. A light flickered and came on inside his brain.
“Not today.” He raised his hands and gripped Loch’s cheeks then pressed their foreheads together. “You will hold that shield. Do you hear me?”
Loch nodded. Another blob of fire landed above them. Loch trembled but held.
There was one other thing he’d done when he was with Saeward. Something he’d not really processed or tried again. He’d used Ward’s water energy to cool the fire within him. He tried that now, with Loch. He stared into Loch’s beautiful blue eyes and willed him to be stronger, to have as much energy as he needed to keep the shield in place. Nothing happened.
Sawyer huffed in frustration. Then he remembered that he’d not been standing and staring at Ward at the time. They’d been connected, intimately. He didn’t plan on stripping Loch down and riding him at the moment, so he did the next best thing. He pressed his lips to Loch’s and kissed him. Sparks flew. Literal sparks. And Sawyer knew he’d done the right thing. He focused again, this time demanding that whatever power surrounded them obey him. He would make that shield stronger, harder, firmer. It would not fail. It would keep the fire out and keep them safe.
Loch gasped into his mouth and Sawyer opened his eyes. The bubble of magic protecting them changed. The blue was now streaked with darker colors, a thick storm cloud on a bright summer day. And Loch’s eyes had changed as well. They were
gunmetal gray, swirling and dangerous.
Sawyer glanced at the shield again and realized he’d only bought them a few minutes. And then he remembered something Henry had taught him. Fire attacked air. The two fed each other. Loch’s element wasn’t what they needed to put out a fire. What they needed was water to counteract it. Air could blow out a fire if it was strong enough, but it generally just fed the flames. Water could put it out. He sucked in a breath again and knew he needed to get Ward to them, fast. He held out his hand and imagined breaking through the barrier. He didn’t need a huge hole, only a small one. A deadly one. He pictured a bullet and shot it out with his mind, puncturing the wards of the room and giving his message a place to go.
“WARD!”
And this time… it worked.
“Hold, Loch.” Sawyer begged, knowing that the strain was becoming too much. The creature’s magic was so strong. It heated the air between them until sweat dripped down both of their brows.
Loch trembled but held. The gray was beginning to soften, become molten instead of the thick barrier it had once been.
“Help is on the way.” And it was. Sawyer heard Draco’s roar and then a second one: Ward.
Loch grabbed him by the waist and held on.
“You can do it,” Sawyer said. “Just another minute.”
Loch nodded and pressed their foreheads together again.
And then Sawyer was hit with another epiphany, this one bigger than the last. This was the same creature who’d hunted Loch as an imp. This was the creature who’d given him his burned, scarred back. It was the reason he’d seen fear in the guard’s eyes. He remembered what had happened the last time. But Loch wasn’t an imp anymore, and he wasn’t alone. Moments from their time in the fae realm flashed into his memory. The spear, flying toward him. But it wouldn’t have hit him. It landed where he’d been standing. If it had been aimed at him, it would have gone further, through where his chest would have been. It hadn’t been aimed at him. It had been aimed at what was in front of him: Loch. And the golem. The golem had never charged him. It hadn’t wanted him, at all. From the moment Loch had leapt on Draco’s back, the golem’s attention had been on them. Sure, it swatted at Andvari and Eduard, but only as if they were annoying flies. It had wanted Draco… and Loch.
A scream sounded outside the barrier, one Sawyer knew now. One that signaled death. But it wouldn’t be theirs. Not today. The banshee’s voices weren’t going to touch them. He could feel their power building, fighting against the ward that kept the room sealed.
“Hold, Loch.”
Loch nodded and squeezed him tighter.
Sawyer gripped his cheeks again and kissed him once more. This time, he pulled energy toward him, instead of shooting it away. He wanted Draco’s strength, Andvari’s speed, Eduard’s cunning, Henry’s power, and Ward’s cool blast of water. He poured it all into Loch, giving him everything they had.
From one breath to the next, the energy changed. Something exploded, a sonic boom that hurt Sawyer’s ears more than the banshee’s scream had. He pulled back with a wince to find Loch staring wide-eyed at him. “What happened?”
The thick vines were gone.
The creature was no more.
And Loch… Loch wasn’t the same either.
“Sawyer,” Loch gasped.
His back arched, and he screamed, an agonizing pain-filled scream. He held onto Sawyer, still determined to protect him. The door burst open and Queen Orfhlaith herself had a vicious sword drawn as she broke through the remaining magic. She timed it just right, because the moment she opened the door, beautiful blue and white wings emerged from Loch’s back.
Sawyer gasped as Loch clung to him, frightened and hurting, but still holding strong, determined to keep him safe. The wings wrapped around him, adding another layer of shielding to him. That’s when Sawyer saw it. And the Queen did as well. A beautiful mark in the wing near Loch’s shoulder, the same mark that existed on Kavalan’s arm.
The mark of a guardian.
His guardians swarmed around them. Loch’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed into Ward’s waiting arms.
“Are you okay?” Draco asked.
“Fine,” Sawyer said. His voice was husky and he was exhausted, but he was fine. “Not hurt even a little bit.”
Draco grumbled, as Draco tended to do, and Sawyer couldn’t help but smile. “Draco, protect Loch.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed and he stared at him, confused.
“He is one of us.”
All of them heard his statement, but they’d all learned to guard their reactions. Ward lifted Loch into his arms and stepped behind Sawyer. Eduard and Henry moved aside. Draco and Andvari stood beside him, ready to fight at the slightest hint of danger.
“Queen Orfhlaith,” Sawyer said softly. “We need to talk.”
There was a loud scuffle in the hallway behind them and Diarmed the satyr ran to them with Kavalan in his arms. “My queen!”
“To the lake,” Queen Orfhlaith commanded after catching glimpse of her son.
She took Kavalan from Diarmed and her wings appeared behind her. “Come, Chosen One. Bring your guardians.”
She flew away, still holding her son tightly against her.
The entire building shimmered before the ceiling disappeared letting them fly without encumbrance into the night sky.
“Draco, shift.”
The dragon appeared beside him seconds later. “Ward, get on.”
Andvari took Loch from him, and Ward climbed onto Draco’s back. Sawyer gestured with his head and Loch was passed back to Ward.
“Eduard, can you manage two of us?”
“Yes.” He shifted as dozens of sprites appeared around them.
“Henry, Andvari.”
Andvari scowled at him, but mounted Eduard and pulled Henry up in front of him.
“And are you planning on walking?” Andvari growled.
“No. Get him to the lake, Draco.”
“Sawyer—”
“Andvari, trust me. GO.”
His guardians flew away, leaving him in the room with sprites, banshees, and satyrs.
“What has happened?” Diarmed asked.
There was something there, something heartbroken and afraid. Something else Sawyer recognized well.
“Go to the lake. Queen Ureba, will your sprites be so kind as to assist my guardians at the lake? I don’t know what they’ll need and—”
“We would be honored, Chosen One. We will bring your Pearl to you there as well.”
“Thank you,” Sawyer said. They fluttered away. The banshees and satyrs remained. “Go to the lake. Attend your queen and prince.”
He didn’t need to ask them twice.
All alone, Sawyer sat down in the middle of the floor. He knew he was taking a risk, but this one felt worth taking. He waited. Waited some more. Until finally, he whispered. “Puteri, come out.”
The brownie appeared, tucked behind a statue. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears.
“Why?” Sawyer asked. “If you tell me why, I might be able to get you out of this mess you’ve made.”
She sniffed and came closer. “The Chosen One is not angry at Puteri? The Chosen One will not tell the queen what Puteri has done?”
“I can’t promise you that. You need to explain it to me, and then we’ll figure out what to do.”
Puteri chewed on her finger for a second before she blinked a few pillows into existence. Sawyer sat down across from her. She blinked, and he had a warm cup of the green stuff he liked so much in his hands.
“My queen is gracious and kind, fierce and powerful. It is a rare combination.”
“Yes,” Sawyer agreed.
“But her son… I love my prince, Chosen One.”
“I know you do, Puteri.”
“But Kavalan is not as powerful as my queen. He… weakens her.”
Her son was her soft spot. A way to get to her.
“Okay.”
Puteri chew
ed on her hand again, staring at him with her big brown eyes. “I took him to the lake every day, hoping the lady would give him more strength, would make him a son to be proud of for my queen. One who could stand by her side and add to her power, not take away from it.”
The pieces began to come together. Puteri wishing the child in her care, the prince of her queen, were stronger. Taking him to the lake every day and asking for a miracle. And then she got one, or so she thought. “So when you saw the imp with the mark of the Chosen One, you thought to protect both your queen and your prince.”
“Yes,” Puteri said. “The Chosen One understands. With a guardian as her son, my prince’s weaknesses were explained. He couldn’t be as powerful in our realm, because he had to be powerful in yours. And no one would dare attack a guardian. It had to be, don’t you see?”
“And what about Loch?”
Puteri chewed on her hand again. “I made sure he was cared for. I took care of him. Kept him safe.”
Sawyer arched a brow at her. “You made sure he stayed by Kavalan’s side, didn’t you? Because you knew your magic wouldn’t be what called me. My guardian’s magic would be. But as long as Loch remained by Kavalan’s side, whenever the Chosen One came, it would be wherever both Kavalan and Loch were. No one would be the wiser.”
“The Chosen One is wise. But…” Puteri paused and looked down, before sheepishly looking up at him. “Puteri did not think you were real. Puteri thought the gods played another of their tricks. They often make things disappear and try to change the ways of magic. But it cannot be done. If you open your eyes, you see the truth.”
Her words struck a chord deep within him. “Yes. And you tried to kill Loch now because you knew the secret would come out. That Kavalan wasn’t a guardian after all. It would put both the queen and the prince in danger if everyone found out.”
“I would never have allowed you harm.”
But Loch didn’t matter to her, not in the way her queen and prince did. “Puteri, are they going to be okay?”
“Puteri would never hurt her prince.”
“And what about my guardian? Would you hurt him?”
“Puteri’s magic wasn’t on the guardian, Chosen One. The… injury has healed, however.”
