by Quinn Loftis
There were grunts of pain around her, but no one moved. Not until Cindy saw Cyn and Elle pushing themselves, slowly with grimaces on their faces, to their feet. Adam was the next to stumble upright. All three of the fae held up their hands, and the pounding sleet froze in midair. There were a few other fae that clambered to their feet and joined the first three. The wind didn’t stop, nor did the thunder or lightning. But at least they weren’t being attacked by the skin-damaging sleet. When Cindy turned back to Peri, she knew that what they were experiencing was the physical manifestation of the high fae’s grief. The torment going on inside of her was so great that she wasn’t able to keep it contained. Cindy’s heart clenched painfully in her chest for what Peri might be feeling.
As she watched the high fae weep over her great loss, Cindy couldn’t help but wonder if the Order had already won. Would this be enough to take the fight out of the pack? Perizada, high fae and ambassador to the wolves, had been brought to her knees, literally. Would she be able to stumble to her feet as her comrades had? Would she be able to set aside her battered heart and rally their troops again? And if she couldn’t, what would happen to the world as they knew it?
Cindy saw Lucian settle beside his mate and then he howled. Cindy felt his pain in the mournful sound. She felt the hole inside of him as she realized that he’d suffered too. Vasile, his brother, was gone. The alpha had fallen the second his mate had. Cindy watched as Peri reached for Lucian’s hand and squeezed it tightly, even as she kept Alina wrapped in her other arm. A chorus of howls filled the night. One by one, they added themselves to the lamenting cry, which kept going like a train thundering into the night. A beloved mated pair, their alphas, were gone.
Peri finally lifted her head. The storm her power created raged around her. Thankfully, it was filtered through her mate, the Great Luna bless him. He’d no doubt saved the lives of their warriors. When she looked up, she saw drops of sleet frozen in the air, like sparkling clear stars come down from the sky. Her eyes shifted. Elle, Adam, Cyn, Nissa, and Riven held the frozen rain in place. The strain of the effort was clear on their faces. Her gaze moved past them, and she took in the destruction she’d caused. It was nothing compared to what the Order had done. And it was nothing compared to what she would do because of their crimes.
She heard footsteps and turned her head to see Gavril carrying Vasile’s body. Gravril’s eyes were filled with tears, and his jaw was clenched as though he was trying to hold back his emotions. The man’s back was ramrod straight, and his chin was held high. But as he lowered the fallen alpha to the ground and carefully laid him next to Alina, his head bowed, and he whispered in their native tongue, which Peri knew well. “By your great sacrifice, you have earned your eternal rest in the Great Luna’s court.” Then he took Vasile’s hand and wrapped it around Alina’s. Gavril knelt down on one knee then, placed a hand over his heart, and bowed his head. His mate, Rachel, did the same. One by one, the supernaturals who had fought side by side took a knee and showed their respect.
The warriors formed a circle around them. Cypher’s body was carried over by Jareth. Beside him, Riven carried the king’s head as reverently as Lucian had carried Alina’s heart. Then the king of the warlocks was laid beside the two fallen alphas, and his head was placed where it should be. A king as honorable as Cypher should not go into the afterlife remembered the way he had fallen. Lilly knelt beside him, her shoulders visibly shaking as her head bowed. The warlocks who had fought so bravely with their king knelt in a circle behind their king and queen, their swords held firmly in their hands as they laid them across their hearts.
Her gaze continued to travel. Prince Thalion and Cyn were in the same position as the others, kneeling. They’d both laid their blades down in front of them, a symbolic gesture that they would die fighting for the cause that Vasile, Alina, and Cypher had given their lives for. Cindy Morgan, the woman who had, no doubt through the seer sprites, known that Alina was in trouble, was wrapped in her husband’s arms. She wept so hard that her sobs could be heard above the storm.
“Set her down, beloved,” Lucian said softly, drawing her attention back.
Peri didn’t want to let Alina go. She didn’t want to let any of them go. But death did not ask her what she wanted. She carefully lowered Alina’s body to the ground so that her shoulder was touching Vasile’s. After several minutes, Lucian stood and pulled Peri up with him, his hand wrapped tightly around hers.
“You kneel out of respect for them,” Lucian said, his voice full of strength despite the pain she could feel through their bond. “But now you must stand so that you can avenge them.”
The warriors rose to their feet … all except Lilly who would not take her eyes off her mate. They looked around and saw the same thing Peri did. Vasile, Alina, and Cypher had not been the only losses. The bodies of other warriors were littered across the battlefield.
Lucian spoke again, understanding through their bond that Peri needed his strength. For once, Peri’s pain was greater than her seemingly inexhaustible fortitude.
“Vasile and Alina would want us to honor our fallen as we will the alpha pair and the warlock king.” He tilted his head back and let his wolf out. The howl that rumbled up from her mate’s throat was nothing like one that would come from a human. It filled the air and no doubt carried for miles. The other wolves among them joined their howls, and those who were not Canis lupus raised their voices as well as their weapons in a battle cry. Not one of victory or of a call to arms. But one of honoring those who had given the greatest sacrifice: their lives for that of another.
One by one as the voices died down, the circle broke, and those who’d survived began gathering their fallen warriors. Peri and Lucian helped. The first two bodies they came to shredded her heart even further.
Peri wasn’t particularly close to the other elders on the fae council, but she’d known them a very long time, and those still there had remained faithful over the centuries. Their kind wasn’t especially maternal, but there were always exceptions to the rules. Talia and Vale, warriors who had volunteered to join them, lay side by side, their eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. Both were children of high fae council members. Disir was Talia’s father, who adored her. Dain, Vale’s father, spoke very highly of his son’s accomplishments as a warrior.
“We need to be expecting a visit from my council,” she told Lucian in a quiet voice. Then she used her power to raise their prone forms and move them toward the other dead.
By the time they’d gathered everyone who had given their lives up in the fight, there were a total of twenty deaths, not including Vasile, Alina and Cypher. Drake clung to life, though the sprite healer was still working on him, and no one held out hope that he would make it.
“Nissa,” Peri said as she motioned to Rachel, Drake, Diedre, and Lanora. “Please take them to the healer’s area in the Keep. And then please get Bethany to her mate's side.”
Nissa nodded. “Of course.”
Lucian suddenly stumbled, and Peri helped steady him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking all over to see if he was injured.
“Fane,” Lucian said through gritted teeth.
Peri looked at Cyn, who was walking past. “Where is Fane?”
Cyn glanced at Lucian and her eyes widened. “He’s with the Colorado pack. He and Decebel requested to stay in the States because their mates and children are there.” Cyn motioned to Peri’s mate. “You should take Lucian there. Thalion and I can take care of things here.”
Lucian shook his head. “Decebel is with him. I may be his uncle, but he doesn’t really know me. And this is where I need to be.”
Peri could feel through their bond that, despite his words, Lucian did want to check on his nephew. “Once we get things settled here, we will go to Dillon’s pack together. We will need to set up the celebration of life for Vasile and Alina, as well as the others. And Fane will need to be involved in that.
“We will need to ask Lilly and the warlocks how they want
Cypher’s funeral handled. If they want it separate or with Vasile and Alina.” Peri thought about Lilly and couldn’t even imagine how she was going to cope with what she was facing. Then she thought about how badly Fane must be hurting. His mate and child were in the hands of the enemy, and his parents were now dead. Dillion would be lucky if he had a house left standing by the time Peri and Lucian arrived.
“We’re all going to get through this, beloved,” Lucian said gently.
Peri wanted to believe him. She wanted to have hope, but for the first time that she could remember, she felt nothing. Just nothing.
Lilly heard people moving around her. She could hear their voices, though she didn’t know what they were saying, nor did she care. The wind no longer whipped around her, and the rain had stopped, but inside of her, the storm raged just as powerfully as it had moments ago. Her eyes were focused on her blood-covered hands resting on her mate’s chest. She couldn’t bring herself to look up and see his face. She didn’t want to look into the unseeing eyes of her lifeless male. She didn’t want to see the space between his neck and his body where his head had been horrifically severed. So instead, she focused on her hands and imagined his chest rising and falling with his breaths. She imagined that at any moment he was going to wake up, take her face in his large hands, and tell her how much he adored her. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t tell her. They’d had a bit of a rough start, but he’d turned out to be one of the best things that had ever happened to her, next to her daughter and grandson, both of whom were in the hands of the ones who’d taken the life of the warlock king, her mate, and best friend. And for what? What was their end game? What purpose did Cypher’s death serve? Lilly vowed to find out, and then she would do anything she could to make sure the Order’s plans did not succeed.
“Your death won’t be for naught,” she whispered as she finally let her eyes rise until she was looking at his handsome face. Jareth had closed the king's eyes and part of her was glad, but part of her mourned not seeing the unusual bright yellow orbs. “I love you, Cypher. You weren’t only the king of the warlocks. You were the king of my heart as well. I will forever be your queen.” Her tears fell as she leaned over him and pressed her lips to his. As soon as they touched, Lilly felt power rush into her. It wasn’t the sprite magic she’d become accustomed to. It was warlock power. Then her mind was flooded with images—memories that weren’t her own. There had to be hundreds of memories filling her mind. It wasn’t until she saw her face and heard a voice speaking—Cypher’s voice—that she realized she was seeing his memories. She choked on a sob as she saw herself through his eyes. She felt his awe, love, and complete devotion for her, and it was more than she’d ever realized.
Suddenly, Cypher’s voice wasn’t just filling her mind. It was audible to her ears, and she could feel his presence as if he was with her. She lifted her head and saw him shimmering, translucent before her. “It’s my spirit, love.” He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. She reached for his hand, and to her surprise, she was able to hold onto him.
“How is this possible?” She squeezed his hand tighter, somehow hoping she could keep him there with her.
“Our souls are bound. It is a gift from the Creator that we get to say goodbye, at least for a time. One day, you will join me in the afterlife. It is also so that I can give my power to you. You are my successor. I am honored to pass my reign on to you—my precious one, queen of my heart. Our people will need you to be their queen.”
Lilly shook her head as tears rushed down her cheeks. Her voice broke as she said, “I don’t want it. Not without you.”
“That’s not how it works. Nothing happens by chance, Lilly. You were not accidentally lost from the sprites. You didn’t just happen to grow up in the human realm. You did not meet Dillon and have a child together by some weird accident. Your daughter didn’t end up the true mate of a Canis lupus because he happened to move in across the street from her. And you didn’t become my mate because I selfishly took you.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle, though it was through tears as pain filled her. He had selfishly taken her, and she wouldn’t change it for anything.
“You were meant to be with me. You were meant to stand beside me. Now you are meant to be queen. Look at me, my sweet, strong Lilly.”
She lifted her eyes to meet his. He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. She felt his warmth, his breath on her face. It was a blessing, and yet it was cruel. She couldn’t keep him.
“Lilly Pierce, member of the healer sprites, mother to Jacquelyn Lupei, grandmother of Slate Lupei, and my soulmate, I pass to you my power, my memories, the history of our people, and the authority and responsibility that comes with my title.”
His hands cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away her tears as he spoke.
“Even as I speak these words, my will resonates through the hearts and minds of every member of our race. Hear me now, all who belong to our kingdom. As is my right as king, I give over my reign to my bride. She is and will be, until her time to follow me comes, the Warlock Queen.”
A flood of power hit Lilly in the chest, and had Cypher not been holding onto her, she would have fallen backward. But his hands remained firmly pressed to the sides of her face. She felt his magic flowing inside of her like electricity running through veins.
“I love you,” Cypher said, his forehead still pressed to hers.
“I love you,” she whispered back. A second later, he was gone, and she was left with his empty body, the pressure of a kingdom, the worry for her daughter and grandson, and a broken heart.
Chapter 15
“These things have not been hidden from me. I see you. I hear you. You have not been forgotten.” ~The Great Luna
Fane saw Decebel fall. At the same time, his own legs gave out. The young alpha’s knees hit the floor, but Fane didn’t feel the pain that should have radiated up his body. He didn’t notice that he’d fallen forward, his arms instinctively dropping, his hands slamming down to catch his body. Instead, he felt something inside of him being ripped open. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments tore apart as though someone had reached into his chest, grasped hold of his heart, and then wrenched it from his body. The woven cord, once strong and vibrant, that held him to the alpha pair—his parents—was gone. That could only mean one thing. His parents were… He didn’t let himself finish the thought.
He could hear voices around him, but they faded into the background. In the forefront was his wolf, howling mournfully for his leader, while his human voice joined with his cries, lamenting the loss of the people who brought him into the world. Fane shook his head. It couldn’t be true. There was no way they were gone.
Without any conscious decision on his behalf, Fane scanned the room, searching for Jacquelyn. His breath came out in raspy pants, and his mind automatically focused on one thing: his female. He needed her. Fane needed his mate. Then he heard her voice.
“Fane, I’m here. I’m here,” she repeated over and over, and he could feel her arms around him. Though he knew the feeling was simply a sensation coming through their bond, it was the only thing holding him in place, keeping his wolf from losing complete control. She grounded him. He was the lightning, and she was the rod that pulled him to her so that everything around him stayed safe.
“Don’t let go.” He could hear the shakiness of his own voice. “Just don’t let go.”
“Never,” she whispered into his mind.
He could feel her own pain because she loved Vasile and Alina as if they were her parents, too. Fane should be comforting her, but he felt as though his entire body had cracks all through it, like glass that had been dropped but hadn’t shattered completely. He was sure if he took his focus off of Jacquelyn’s voice, scent, touch, and taste for even an instant that he would come apart, but unlike the shattering of the glass, it would be as if a bomb had been placed inside of the cracked glass. When it exploded, the shards would cut into anyone near him.
&
nbsp; “It’s okay to let me be strong for you,” his mate said. “We’re in this together, Fane. We’re a team. What one goes through, the other does as well. We can take turns being strong for one another.”
“First, I lost you and Slate,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, “and now I’ve lost my parents. My alphas. How much can a man lose before he loses himself?”
“I will never let that happen,” she said fiercely. “You are mine, and I don’t let go of those who belong to me. I won’t let go of Vasile and Alina.” Her voice faltered for a moment, but when she continued, it was filled with the incredible strength he knew she was capable of. “I will hold on to them in the memories I have of them, and the memories of everyone their lives touched. I will hold on to them through the child they created who grew into the man I love. I will hold on to them by telling our son all about the incredible legacy his grandparents left for him. I will hold on to them because they aren’t gone, Fane. They’re here in every fiber of this pack that they led with love, respect, and sacrifice.”
She was right, his incredible mate. She’d been through hell and back since meeting him, and yet she still amazed him with her ability to find the good in every situation. “Where do I go from here?” He didn’t know if he was asking her or himself. He didn’t have time to wait for an answer because there was another jolt of pain inside of him, and then the cord that had held him to his alpha’s was suddenly there again, only it wasn’t attached to his parents. It was thicker and had strands flowing from him in every direction. He followed the path of one of the cords and could feel the power in it. He recognized the magic as Decebel’s. One branched off of that one and went to Jen, and then an even smaller one flowed to Thia. Then he followed another and knew instantly that it was Costin and Sally, with Titus attached to her. Next was Sorin, and attached to his cord was Elle. There were countless bonds all leading to the main one, tethered in his soul, right next to his bond with his true mate.
