Gil appeared at my side, the bottom half of his face completely covered in blood. What had once been a white shirt was a deep, periwinkle blue. His voice was guttural and unrecognizable as he said, “Time to go.”
“Wait.” I resisted when he grasped my arm and gave it a none-too-gentle pull. “He’s still alive.”
The vampire responded, but I didn’t hear it—my attention was riveted on Belanor’s chest. The movement was so subtle I’d almost missed it, a soft rise and fall that indicated breath. Looking down at him, it occurred to me that Belanor would never be more vulnerable than he was in this moment.
The same thing had occurred to Gil, as well. “Shall I take care of him, then?” he questioned.
“No.” The answer was immediate and involuntary. I frowned at the sleeping prince, wondering why I was hesitating again. If I picked up one of the discarded swords around us and finished what I’d started, I would be ridding the world of a monster. A monster that had been on the verge of gaining even more power.
There was a sword next to my foot. The blade was clean—its owner had either been struck down before he could use it, or he was still in the throes of my power. I knelt and picked the weapon up. I was prepared for its weight, but going so long without exercising had weakened me. I had to use both hands to put it over Belanor’s throat. My muscles tensed. The Seelie Prince just laid there, his face frozen in a twisted expression of horror.
Choose Mercy, Fortuna.
Collith’s voice sounded without warning, making me jump. I held the sword there for one more beat. Goddamn it, I thought with a rush of hot fury. Slowly, I lowered my hand, exhaling through my teeth. Collith was locked away in the deepest, darkest dungeon there was, and he was still managing to annoy me. My voice of reason, my wisdom, my reminder to do good, in spite of all the bad he’d done. If he were here, I’d be tempted to use this sword on him, too.
“Fortuna, if you’re not going to kill him, then let’s go.” Gil’s voice was sharp with urgency. I raised my head and instantly saw why.
More guards were pouring out of the palace. Laurie’s friends were waiting halfway down the driveway, a fearsome-looking cluster of warriors with bloodied weapons and thunderous expressions. I faced Gil, about to agree to his suggestion when someone else grabbed my hand. My head whipped to the side. Power rose inside me like tentacles, ready to defend. But it was only Laurie, his eyes burning bright, his head inclined in a silent command. Run.
I was about to obey when I spotted a familiar figure rushing toward Belanor’s prone form.
Both Laurie and Gil pulled me backward, inserting several feet of distance between us and Iris. I didn’t fight them. I didn’t need to be close to her to defend us, and the witch only had eyes for her lover, anyway. She went down on her knees slowly, and her expression dulled when she saw his face. Mouthing his name, she touched Belanor’s chest with both of her hands, as if she could will his vitality back. He didn’t stir. After another moment, Iris looked up at me, tears gleaming on her cheeks.
The moment our gazes met, she went still. Her lips parted with awe. Seeing that reminded me this was the first time we’d seen each other since I’d gotten my powers back, and I felt my own lips curve with anticipation. I pulled my hands free from Laurie and Gil as I waited for the awe to pass.
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take longer than two or three seconds. Iris had figured out who I was, of course—the scene surrounding us made it fairly obvious, even if she couldn’t see my true face anymore. I watched the witch’s face tighten as the usual parade of reactions marched through her. Desire. Envy. Hate.
I waited until our eyes locked again. Moving quickly, I reached up and removed the rose from behind my ear. It had already begun to wilt. I tossed it onto the snow between us, like an omen. Then I said, not bothering to hide the relish in my voice, “I look forward to watching you break.”
With that, I sent a fresh surge of power into Belanor’s mind, strengthening whatever remained of the illusion that had claimed him. The unconscious faerie shuddered, and a fresh line of blood slid out of his nose.
As Iris’s wail rose into the night, I turned back to Laurie, who looked equal parts exasperated and admiring. Understandable, considering the next wave was almost on us. His fingers wrapped around mine again—I felt a burst of warmth and power, but as always, nothing more than that—and we broke into a sprint. I was still holding the sword I’d intended to kill Belanor with.
In an instant, I remembered that I wasn’t wearing shoes. Tiny stones lodged in the soles of my feet with every step, taunting me of this fact. Thankfully, I was buzzing with magic and energy, and what should’ve been painful was hardly more than a minor discomfort. Seconds later, we caught up with Laurie’s inner circle, and all of us flew down the driveway, toward the bright street, where buses and cars and bikes still filled the lanes, a wide moon shining above it all. There was another stone archway standing there, as well.
Then I blinked, and Guardians, dozens of them, suddenly stood between us and freedom. Apparently the loss of their commander hadn’t nullified their orders.
“Too many,” I muttered, my stomach sinking. I started to slow, raising the sword at the same time.
But Laurie tugged at me again. He didn’t even sound winded as he muttered back, “Wait for it.”
Another wave of frustration sluiced through me. Just once, it would be nice to know the plan before we rushed headlong into it. Still, I kept running, and Gil followed my lead. The others hadn’t so much as paused.
As we caught up to them again, I glanced over at the vampire. My focus lingered on the blood covering him. I could see the newborn’s deteriorating control without using the bond; his features had sharpened, including his fangs, and there was a sheen to his eyes as they caught the light, like an animal’s. Gil wanted to fight. He wanted the chance to tear these faeries open and gorge himself on their blood.
If we survived this, he and I would need to have a talk.
I’d barely finished the thought when pain shot through my ribs, and I released a ragged sound, drawing a sharp glance from Laurie. Without faltering, I flapped my hand at him. I’m fine. Keep going.
Then a roar cleaved the world in half.
Me, Laurie, Gil, and the members of his circle came to an abrupt halt. The lumberjack dug his boots into the ground so hard that his heels seemed to spew gravel. Every single head tilted back, including mine. I heard some of the guards mutter expletives and prayers. A shadow swooped over us, blocking out the moon like a solar eclipse. A gust of wind tossed my ponytail back and sent snow flying. I saw something flash in the air, and Laurie’s arm moved in the corner of my eye—he’d caught a sword. The huge creature must’ve been carrying it.
It was the most beautiful blade I’d ever seen, but I barely spared it a glance. All my focus was fixed upward. As a sudden wind blew my hair back, a result of those powerful wingbeats, I felt a rush of intuition edged with the prickle of certainty.
“What did you say Tabitha was?” I breathed to Laurie.
His tone was a strange blend of satisfaction and awe. “I didn’t.”
I knew it was her. I wasn’t sure how, because the dragon landing on that stone archway bore no resemblance to the female I’d met in Laurie’s rooms. Her size was immense, equivalent to a small house, and there were barbs at the end of her great, sweeping tail. Stones crumbled like dust under her claws as she dug them in, leaning over the enormous battalion of warrior angels.