“You’re awake!” I leapt up and swayed in the air, falling forward. Liam caught me before I could hit the ground.
“Cam!” Liam yelled into the house. There was a thundering of feet, and then Cam was there, taking in the scene with wide eyes.
“We need to get the Queen and Lily to the healing pool,” Liam told him.
The healing pool.
Yes.
It would give the Queen the last bit of healing she needed.
“Liam, you carry the Queen,” I told him. “Fly her high in the air, and don’t let everyone see her like this.” For some reason, I just knew that the people of Faerie gazing upon her for the first time in two decades, in this state, would not be right.
Liam was quiet for a moment but then nodded, handing me off to Cam.
“Kira, can you walk?” I looked at her, but there were two of her. My vision was so blurry.
She nodded, both of my versions of her, and then Cam had me in his arms and was crossing the house to get me outside. Liam was right behind us with the Queen, my mom-aunt, draped in his arms.
“You can trust him,” I told her because I just realized she would have seen his black wings but not known who the hell he was. She just gave me a small nod, her head lolling across his chest weakly.
The second we stepped outside, Liam kicked off the ground and took for the skies. Cam walked briskly across the bridge with Kira scuffling after us while everyone stared at me with hands over their mouths.
“There was an attack,” Kira told them. “But it’s over now, and she’s going to be fine.”
The last thing I needed was some crazy rumors and panic, so I was grateful she’d said something. When we got to the wall of light I’d created by the boys’ encampment, it took every ounce of my power to thin it so we could pass through. But the second we got on the other side, a dreadful sound pierced the air.
The horn.
The horn that we’d left with Liam’s guards.
The Winter King had come.
No.
“Run!” I shouted to Cam. If the Queen and I were unable to fight and Liam couldn’t handle his father alone, then all of Faerie was screwed.
“Lily!” I heard Elle’s voice on the other side of the light barrier.
“Prepare the people to fight!” I shouted to her, and then we were out of earshot. My body slammed against Cam’s as he ran faster than humanly possible. He hadn’t shifted, but somehow, he’d pulled on his wolf’s strength and speed, and we were blazing through the thicket of trees.
My brain felt like it was sloshing against my skull, and I prayed that the healing water could fix it quickly.
“We’re here,” Cam said, bending down to set me at the water’s edge. Reaching out, I scooped a handful of water and splashed it across my face. My vision cleared immediately, and my gaze snapped to Liam, at the water’s edge, dousing the Queen with water. Lifting a handful to her mouth, he gave her a small drink. Then, my gaze traveled down to the black boots that had just entered the picture and up to the man’s face. His father stood above him with the Sword of Night in his hands.
“Look out!” I screamed, bursting from where I’d lain sprawled on my back with my arm in the healing water.
Liam looked up just as his father was coming down with his sword. It was headed right for the Queen. Liam saw this in time and thrust his hand out, creating a sheet of ice over her as the sword crashed into the ice, obliterating it.
I’d gotten up, and to my relief, there was no dizziness, but I still felt a little weak. The Queen looked up at the Winter King from her place on the ground and growled. An honest to gods growl ripped from her throat, and relief rushed through me. She looked ready to fight. The king was so distracted with Liam and the Queen that he never saw me coming. I plowed into him like a truck, tackling him to the ground. He lost his grip on the sword, and we crashed onto the damp earth together. Pain shot up my arm on impact, but I ignored it, rolling over immediately. I kicked up into a standing position, ready to take him on. He stood as well, and I knew that it was now or never. If we didn’t kill him, he’d keep coming back, and I couldn’t have that. Faerie wouldn’t be safe until he was dead.
“Lily.” The Queen’s voice was strong. “Get behind me.”
I looked over, and holy shit, she was awake, standing with her hands out, and sunlight magic crackled like lightning between her palms.
She was back, and she looked pissed. “Cypress! How dare you betray your people like this!” Her voice thundered across the valley. The king had brought company, and I watched in horror as they ran or flew past us and toward the village. The only thing bringing me comfort was the knowledge that my light wall still held, and most of his men couldn’t fly over it.
I took two steps back like she’d asked, and then the king and Queen both launched into the air. It was like watching two rockets shoot upward. The ground was scorched where they’d just been standing. The second they burst into the air, it began to rain icicles and sunlight bombs.
Turning to Liam, I pulled on his shirt. “Come on. Let’s help the Queen. With the three of us, we can finally beat him.”
He looked pale, chest rising and falling with a heavy breath.
“Forgive me, Lily. I… can’t.” His voice broke, and he turned away from me with shame.
Could I kill my own father even if he was evil? When I had dozens of memories of him when I was young where he was a decent man?
No. I couldn’t.
“It’s okay. Go into the village,
