And then Jocelyn moved. Everyone shuffled aside when she hovered over their heads. Prey. She was looking for easy prey. A quick pounce, bite, and retreat.
“Micah,” I whispered, never taking my eyes off the creeping spider. “Throw me your weapon. On my count.”
“Are you sure, man? I might accidentally slice off your—”
“Just do it,” I hissed, as the black, leggy creature positioned herself right above my head. This was going to bite. Hopefully not literally.
In the next second, she dropped, rotating her body midair so all I could see was red and black and thin, grasping legs. So many legs. Gaia, help me.
“Sword!” I bellowed and wrenched my gaze from the spider as the weapon sailed toward me. Catching it, I slammed my back to the ground, raising the sword high.
I squeezed the hilt tightly, arms jerking as she impaled her underbelly on the blade’s sharp tip. A loud, wailing shriek echoed throughout the cavern as she shifted. I blinked up at a naked Jocelyn, quickly rolling out from beneath her. Blood leaked past her red lips as she laughed, the sound cut off as she choked on her own blood.
“You may have—” a wheeze and more leaking blood “—defeated me, but Mordecai is at this very moment destroying what you sought to hide from him.” She laughed again, red-painted fingers resting on the blade still protruding from her stomach.
“Where is he? Where?” I growled, a thread of panic lacing my words. Something wasn’t right. The mine was still too empty. Too quiet.
As her eyes glassed over, one last word slipped from her lips.
Shock, then fear lanced through me, through all of us.
We bolted for the exit.
Safehouse.
The word echoed in my mind, over and over. My heart pounded against my ribs. Pressure spread across my back, my wings anxiously trying to rip free. Go, go, go. I could beat them all there. Maybe. I could save the Fae. Probably not.
Would Tarik forgive me if I left him behind? The Fae could fly—and judging from the desperation on their faces, the wing ban wasn’t even a thought in their minds. They would catch up. And fast, more than likely.
He would have to forgive me.
I would beg him if I had to. If we survived.
The moment chill air hit my face I shifted, slamming my wings open and taking to the sky. I didn’t wait for an updraft, pumping my wings in a panicked frenzy. How did Mordecai find the Safehouse? Had I inadvertently led Alec there? Yesterday flashed through my mind, Alec’s circling as Tarik and I argued. And then again, when Flynn, Benji, and I had rescued Haven.
Did I lead the dragons there?
I was guilty in either case. They wouldn’t be bothering the Fae if not for me. Not like this, in any case. No, they’d be torturing them. Experimenting. I growled in frustration, at my frantic, warring mind. I should have gone to Mordecai, should have turned myself in for treason. Shouldn’t have endangered them.
I should have stayed.
All of this was my fault.
For a shining moment I had thought I could escape. A selfish thought, I realized, when Tarik and the Fae were the ones playing shield. An already broken, scattered shield that I asked too much of.
The world, my mind, my heart—all three stopped when I spotted the building. Bathed in blood. Shifters were tearing Fae from the doors and windows, brutally ripping them apart before their wings could unfurl. Crimson sprayed up the walls, pooled in the street. Agonized screams crowded my senses. I shoved away the accusatory words that bubbled up. Not now. I had to stop this.
Alec was terrorizing a pair of Fae up the street and I dove for him first, slamming myself against his thick scales. He roared in anger, eyes flashing when he realized who had attacked him. I tried to lure him away; flew around him, batted at him.
He knew. In the smallest of glances he knew exactly what I wanted, what I was trying to do.
Those Fae didn’t stand a chance. Alec swiped them from the sky, tore their wings to ribbons.
No hope for escape.
Fury vibrated through my bones. I didn’t have time to stop Alec, couldn’t spare the minutes to lure him into human form. My claws and teeth were useless against his natural armor, and he had been trained well to guard his weak spots. As if sensing my turmoil he spun on another innocent, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. My breaths came in shallow, rapid bursts. I was utterly helpless to stop him.
I can’t save them. Not from this. I can’t help.
My stomach heaved when he snapped the Fae between his jaws, spraying my nose with the same blood that dribbled from between his teeth. Bile raced up my throat and I shoved the acid back down. I looked away, eyes falling to the Fae fighting for their lives behind me.
They’re alive. I can still save them. Go.
I spun and flew to the Safehouse, ignoring the shock of pain that splintered through my bones at my hard landing. The first shifter I saw had the legs of a bird—caught mid-transformation. I pinned him to the ground, tearing his still-human throat out in one swift motion. Shaking my mane, I grimaced at the metallic taste that lingered on my tongue.
I tucked my wings and burst into the building, lunging at shifters as they passed. A familiar-looking coyote nipped at my ankles. I snapped open a wing, pinning him to the wall before I pounced, slicing my claws down his middle. He didn’t even twitch.
Nevaeh.
Sebastian. Flynn. Elias.
Where are they?
I searched the room quickly. Nothing. No sign of them. Every inch of me trembled with rage and fear . . . and guilt. So much guilt. Dead Fae littered the common rooms. Innocents. Children.
I shook my head, blinking away hot tears. Focus. I needed to find the others and get rid of Alec.
A flash
