“It literally just happened so we’re all a bit panicked still and we don’t have answers, but I wanted you to be here for the conversation.” I took a deep breath. “Princess Sage of the Seelie Court appeared right at the end of a massive battle with no less than sixty demons and kidnapped five people. One of whom…was Landy.”
“WHAT?” Maddox screamed and charged forward. Navy-blue wings sprouted from his back as he started to shift. In the blink of an eye Maddox was a dragon and shooting into the sky.
Koth snarled. Without looking he threw his hand out — and caught him by the tail. He growled and yanked Maddox back down. “SIT DOWN.”
Silas closed his yellow eyes and shook his head.
“I will not tell you again, cousin,” Koth snarled. “You think you’re the only one with things to be mad at? Huh? I will not have my own blood acting a fool.”
Deacon exhaled behind me.
Silas growled, but it sounded like he was saying something.
Maddox growled but he quickly changed back into human form. He turned his gaze to me and nodded. “I. Apologize…for my anger and disrespect.”
I blinked. What the hell do I say to that. I cleared my throat. “Um, thank you. It’s…all right.”
Koth glared at him a long minute before turning back to me. Then he took a deep breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Let me get this right, so you all were attacked by dozens of demons at once and Landy was there? I thought she was here for a party or something?”
“It’s a long story, involving a shadow demon invading that birthday party and then possessing Henley. That demon then ambushed us with more demons than we’ve fought at once since Samhain. We had the fight under control. It was over in…two minutes at most. Neither Amelia nor Landy did any fighting…” I pointed to Cooper behind me. “Cooper made sure of that. Along with his own little brother Bentley—”
“The young Hierophant?”
I nodded. “A morpher demon finished the show so Tegan and I forced everyone behind us while we took it out. Mind you, we were at the beach so the only thing behind us was the water – and I don’t think I have to remind you how Tegan and I deal with water things.”
He nodded. “So where did she come from?”
“I…have no idea.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Shit, man. It happened so fast none of us could catch them.”
“Who else was taken? I assume Amelia, since I don’t see her and Deacon looks ready to peel someone’s skin from their bones.”
Deacon chuckled but the kind that would give you nightmares.
“Amelia, Landy, Bentley, Paulina, and Riah.”
“Riah? I know that name.” Koth frowned and cocked his head to the side. “Fae Knight? Like six hundred years old or something?”
“Yes, you know him?”
“No, but my grandfather did and told me about him. What connection does he hold to The Coven if one of his own kidnapped him?”
“He’s one of our own’s soulmate,” Tegan said softly. “He was standing at the water’s edge with the three kids to protect them from the morpher. Paulina walked over to tease Amelia…and then it happened.”
“So your psychic didn’t see it coming and your fae Knight couldn’t stop it?” Koth cursed. “That does not bode well.”
“Hierophants cannot see their own future.” Tegan groaned. “So my guess is Bentley didn’t see this moment at all, in any form.”
“Elan is the same way, so I understand.” Koth put his hands on his hips and nodded. “Okay, so now what? We go in after them? How do we get to Seelie and when do we leave? I’d like to send one of my own to help.”
“Koth, I cannot allow that—”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T ALLOW IT?” Maddox shouted and smoke billowed from his mouth. “WHAT DO—"
“MADDOX, STOP.” Koth whirled on him with blazing purple eyes. “Let’s not forget you’re the reason she left home. Calm. Down. Or I’ll let Elan work on you.”
Maddox paled and stepped back. He swallowed and nodded. “I’m sorry. You’re my king, I answer to you.”
“And I answer to him.” Koth pointed to me while glaring at Maddox. “Tennessee is simply being kind by not saying he’s pulling rank card right now, but that’s what he’s doing.”
Maddox frowned and shook his head. “I don’t understand. How does—”
“The Coven rule all of this world, Maddox. All supernatural species must follow their orders.” Koth turned back to me with a grim expression. “So I may be king of my people, but as Coven Leader, Tennessee rules me.”
I cursed. “That may be true, but I’m not trying to pull rank for rank’s sake. We’ve already seen firsthand what the Duenill are willing to do, and we know Lilith is involved somehow. You cannot afford to lose a single warrior for Issale. But also, we have no idea what will happen to your magic once you leave this realm. Or what the Seelie King would do to you if he got his hands on you. I cannot risk this. You cannot risk this. Bentley, Amelia, and Paulina are arcana, we will stop at nothing to get them back.”
“They took my soulmate,” Saffie growled and golden glitter erupted under her feet. “I will burn their realm to the ground to get him back.”
Koth smirked. “I like her.”
“We do too.” I took a deep breath. “Listen, I promise you, we will do everything in our power to get all of them back. We will stop at nothing. We only just began discussing it, but obviously we’ll be sending Saffie into Seelie because she is Seelie.”
Koth scowled. “You’re Seelie?”
Saffie nodded and her glittery wings popped out of her back. Pink and yellow flowers popped up from the grass beneath her and fairyflies fluttered around her hands. “Half.”
“She’s also our new Death Card.” I pushed my hair back from my face. “Going into Seelie is not something anyone has ever done. Until now. That’s why we’re sending Saffie with help, I just don’t know who yet.”
Maddox cleared his throat. “Excuse me, but if no one has ever been then how do they get there?”
I opened my mouth and then shut it. I had no idea.
“Tegan?” Uncle Tim called out from behind us. “There’s got to be a note in the Book of Shadows?”
Chapter Fifty-Five
Saffie
I was numb.
The pain hurt so much I couldn’t feel a thing.
Except anger. Pure unrivaled rage pumped through my veins. That was the only safe emotion to allow myself to feel. I looked down at my hand…my soulmate glyph was emerald green. The color for stress. It wasn’t a great sign, but it wasn’t red. Or gray.
Green meant there was hope. We had time. I just had to get there.
Tennessee was right, and even though it hurt to be prevented to follow Riah, it was still the right call. We could not walk into Seelie and expect to survive.
Something scratched at my leg. I jumped and looked down…and found Olli sitting there, looking up at me with those adorable big brown eyes. He punched his fat wrinkly paw at my leg and whined. My eyes teared up. I sat down in the grass and he instantly jumped in my lap. There were pink and yellow flowers in the grass beneath me and I knew I’d done it. Fairyflies rested on my shoulders and on Olli’s back as I hugged him tight.