Tarron reached for my hand, pulling me away from the barrier. Finally, the pain stopped.
Panting, I looked at him. “Well, that didn't work.”
“She’d never let anyone approach via the air.”
“We’ll need to approach by land.” Which sucked.
“At least we know where it is, now. We’d never have made it this far on foot.”
He looked at the sky. “The sun says we’ve only got about thirty minutes left on this potion. We need to get out of here.”
Fates, that might not be enough time. We had to make it back to tell everyone where the well was. We needed backup to finish this.
I gave it one last look, then flew back toward the palace. To keep it safe, I shoved the Aranthian crystal back into my potion bag in the ether.
“Faster,” Tarron urged.
I pushed my wings harder, already starting to feel the same strange chill that had come over me when The Hag’s potion had first gone into effect.
We cut a closer circle around the castle, strapped for time. Again, I searched for the false queen in the windows, but didn’t spot her. I could smell her, though, and it turned my stomach.
As we flew overhead, the city looked just as it had the first time, with the same tired, robotic Fae going about their daily lives. A few of them glanced toward the sky, but didn’t seem to see us.
The strangest sensation came over me as we neared the guards at the wall, and I whispered to Tarron, “The potion is wearing off faster.”
“I feel it.”
The guards began to shift, looking around.
“They can sense our magic,” Tarron murmured.
Soon, they’d be able to see us.
My heartbeat thundered, fear icing my skin. I flew as fast as I could, pushing myself to the limit. Sweat broke out, and my muscles ached.
We were right overhead when I heard one of the guards speak, confusion in his voice. “Intruders.”
“I feel them but don’t see them,” said another.
I drew my shield from the ether, and Tarron followed suit.
We’d just flown over the wall when a guard pointed at us. “There!”
Oh, crap.
We’d been spotted.
13
I flew as fast as I could, desperate to get away from the city and the guards. We had to deliver the location of the well, or all was lost.
I looked behind me, spotting one of the guards as he threw a blast of green light at us. It hurtled toward me, and I dodged, barely avoiding a blow to the legs. A second threw a fireball that moved so fast I barely had time to get my shield up in front of me.
The flame plowed into the metal, and I tumbled backward in the air, losing control of my wings.
Tarron flew in front of me, his shield raised.
Protecting me.
The same guard hurled an even bigger fireball, and Tarron flew right toward it, taking the hit to his shield and grunting.
I righted myself in the air. “Come on!”
Tarron turned and followed me. I flew as fast as I could, glancing behind me to see that three of the guards had launched themselves into the air and were following.
Shit. We couldn’t lead them back to the Resistance camp. My heart thundered as I drew my potion bag from the ether. I dug my hand in, searching for a stunning bomb.
Tarron didn’t waste time. His magic flared, and he shot a blast of air at one of the guards. It slammed into the Fae, and the man tumbled back, plowing into the ground with such force that he lay still, unconscious.
A second Unseelie threw a blast of fire at me. I chucked my potion bomb at him, then dived left, taking a hit from the fire. It grazed my thigh, making pain flare.
Frustration welled, and I screamed, “We’re just trying to help you!”
A crazy queen did no one any good. Not that these guys cared.
The last Unseelie was fast, dodging Tarron’s blasts of wind. When one hit him, he didn’t go down.
The guy was freaking strong.
I could try to reflect his magic back on him, but it might kill him. Since we didn’t know if he was truly on my mother’s side or just being brainwashed, I didn’t want to do it.
Unfortunately, we were already halfway toward the forest and couldn’t go any farther until we lost him.
I caught Tarron’s eye and mouthed, “Let’s surround him.”
Tarron nodded, then flew backward, getting between the Unseelie and the city. I flew in front of him, and we cornered him, closing in from either side. He threw an icicle at me, and I darted right, barely avoiding the projectile. Icy air whistled past my face as it flew by.
I threw a stunning bomb at the same time Tarron threw a blast of air. Both slammed into the Unseelie at the same time, and he plunged to the ground. He hit hard, but not on his head, at least.
I looked back toward the castle. There were no other Fae following us, thank fates.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” I turned and flew toward the forest.
Tarron joined me, and we disappeared into the safety of the trees. It was quiet and dark, the ground shaded by the canopy above. Faerie lights illuminated the way as we flew back to the camp.
When we reached the camp a few minutes later, the number of people seemed to have grown, and most were polishing weapons or mending armor.
This is it.
The realization chilled me.
The final battle was coming, and these Fae were about to risk their lives for it.
I shoved away the worry. We needed their help if we were going to win. And we were fighting for them, after all. Of course they’d want to be in the fight. As much as I hated the idea of thrusting innocent lives in the false queen’s direction, they had the right to choose that. And truth be told, we were probably going to need their help.
I spotted Brielle near the fire. She turned to face us, watching us with a serious expression on her face.
She strode toward us. “Well?”
“We found it.” I landed a few feet from her, closing my wings against my back. It was finally starting to feel truly natural to fly. “I tried to destroy it, but it’s protected from aerial attack.”
Tarron joined me, sticking close to my side.
She nodded. “Makes sense. Where is it?”
“In the middle of a hedge maze, past the dark forest that is on the other side of the castle.”
Her lips thinned. “That will be dangerous to get to.”
“I can take it.”
“Good.” She gestured for me to follow. “Let’s eat and plan for tomorrow. Then we’ll sleep.”
At the mention of food, my stomach grumbled. Sleep sounded good, too.
Tarron touched my shoulder. “Go with her. I’m going to gather the rest of my troops from the Seelie Court. Four dozen. It is nearly sunset, so they could arrive tonight.”
Brielle nodded. “Thank you, King Tarron.”
“This is my fight as much as it is yours.”
“Evil is everyone’s fight.” She turned and strode toward the table.
Several Fae spotted her going and hurried to join her.
I reached for Tarron and gave him a quick, hard kiss. “When this is over, I want that date.”
“Which one?”
“The one we talked about in the museum.”
He grinned. “It’s yours.”
“Good.” I followed Brielle to the table.