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Adora dropped down onto the log I was seated on and knocked her shoulder against mine. “I can feel your wolf again,” she said.I leaned against her. “Doesn’t surprise me.”“I know it’s hard,” she said. “You want to go straight to him, don’t you?”“Of course,” I said with a small smile. “Do you feel the same?”“What?” Adora asked. “About Elias? Of course not. You don’t think I hold any feelings from the Choice, do you? Because that’s mad. I know when I first arrived--”I interjected with a laugh and patted her knee. “No, not about Elias. About Kodan.”Adora’s face turned red faster than I’d ever seen someone flush. The color even turned her ears pink. “What? I mean--Well--I--”I laughed again. “Come on.”Adora huffed and turned her attention to the fire. “Well, yes, it’s hard to watch her run off on these spy missions. Even though I know she’s good at it.”“She is,” I said, “and I expect she’ll be more careful, now.”“Why’s that?”“Because she has something to return to.” I squeeze Ado
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“Gods above,” Adora whispered from behind me. “Do you think…”She looked over to the narrow alley that led to the tailor shop.“I don’t know,” I murmured. “We can’t worry about that. Not now.”I didn’t know how much had been lost. But the manor still stood, and it was still under control of the wolves. The eerie silence of the damaged city only made my anxiety worse. There had to be Fae lurking, somewhere, creeping in the wreckage, or watching us from the darkened windows. Where was everyone? I spurred the mare forward, and we made our way to the gates of the manor.The fine silver gates still stood, even though the narrow brick wall had taken damage in the fighting. As we approached, shouts of acknowledgment rang out.My heart swooped. There were wolves here, and they were waiting for us.“The Queen!” A soldier turned on his heel and ran to the manor, then threw the front doors open. “The Queen has returned!”The gates opened, and I led my party inside.My wolf grabbed my attention.
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“It’s like being locked in your own body,” he said. “I saw what I was doing, but I couldn’t change my behavior. It was like I was behind glass in my own mind, shouting, but no one could hear me.” He shivered and took another sip of wine. “That must be what she’s doing to the dragons.”“Whatever it is, it’s not easy for them to maintain,” Elias said. “The dragons have been able to break it for moments, especially if the Fae have been trying to keep control for too long. I think that’s part of why their soldiers have retreated. They’ve drained their resources overpowering them, and now they need to regain their strength.”“So they’re preparing for another wave of attacks, then,” Bozhin said.Elias nodded. “Right now, it’s a war of attrition. We’re trying to hold Efra while the Fae break on our walls like waves. We’re able to hold them back, but we’re not doing any lasting damage.”“So how do we change the tide?” Kodan asked.Elias laughed, but there was little humor in it. “I was going
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“I don’t think I’ve ever been more in love with you than when I saw you ride up to the manor with a war gryphon at your side,” he murmured.I laughed and smoothed my hand over his forearm. “It was the gryphon that did it?”“The eagles are known for being isolationist,” he said. “I was surprised enough when they hosted you. I’d trusted your ability to gain the knowledge we needed — but never did I expect for you to bring eagles back to Efra.”“I didn’t either, honestly,” I admitted. “Bozhin didn’t seem to trust me.”“He seems to, now.”“I don’t know,” I said with a small shrug, “I think he understands the threat in a way he didn’t before.”“And that’s your doing.” He kissed my cheek. “A gryphon. I didn’t think they were real.”“Neither did I.” I laughed, then turned and wound my arms around his neck. “But the Fae magic didn’t work on him when he was in a gryphon shape.”“Strange. But it works on the eagles and the dragons.”“I think it has something to do with the Fae influence on our
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It was nearly overwhelming — it was so different than the sex we’d had before, dizzying in its intimacy, in the rush of pleasure and power.I lost myself in the sensation of it. Elias set his feet flat on the mattress, grasped my thighs, and then thrust up into me, matching my pace. I fell forward and gasped into our open-mouthed kiss as pleasure danced over me like shifter magic. When I tumbled into my release, it was with Elias’ name on my lips.In the afterglow, Elias wrapped his arms around me and held me close. He pressed a kiss to the crown of my head, and his thumb traced circles on my upper arm. In the cool darkness of our quarters, in the quiet manor with Efra silent outside, I tried to focus on the steady beat of his heart.Yet, even exhausted as I was, my worries began to resurface. When would Corinne return? Would we have the weapons we needed? Would we be ready? How big would her army be? Had she maintained the control of the dragons?Would this be happening if I hadn’t g
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I trusted Kodan to inspire confidence in them. Fina would work with the spies, keeping tabs on any enemy movement, and Bozhin would lead the eagles in the sky. Aerika and Lynx had worked together to make as many of the moonstone collars as they could to protect the shifters from the Fae magic.“Reyna!” Adora hurried across the war room. She smiled brightly, despite the dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was tied up into a high bun, and she was dressed in her plain, functional trousers and shirt — though now, the collar and hems were embroidered with delicate silver thread. She was still a Lady of Starcrest, after all. “Come, if you’re ready, let’s go down to the citizens’ quarters.”I nodded. Elias was busy speaking with General Bozhin, hunched over the maps across the war room table. He caught my eye and nodded.There was no time for us to go speak to the citizens together. I swallowed around the sudden tightness in my throat.I was growing more confident navigating diplomacy and
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And that’s what we needed to defeat the Fae. We needed soldiers, and we needed people who believed that we could win. I had inspired that fire in them.I could only hope it was enough.“I’ll take our soldiers to the barracks,” I said, “and Adora will lead the citizens into the forests for safety.”The room burst into activity as the wolves packed up their belongings, their makeshift cots and bedrolls. I led the soldiers to the barracks as promised, and passed them over to Kodan, who beamed with delight at the sight of new recruits. The general immediately launched into an invigorating speech about what the soldiers would bring to the batallion. Excitement crackled through the air.I caught Kodan’s eye, then nodded briskly. She returned the gesture.Now began the logistical challenge of arming everyone. I stepped out of the barracks and back onto the path toward the manor. I paused outside, taking a deep breath of the crisp winter air. The contrast between the stillness of the air and
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“The secret to leadership is that none of us really know what we’re doing,” Ealric said. “I’ve seen how you shine when you’re speaking to the Court. You may feel like you’re out of your depth, but that’s what leading is. Nightfall should be proud to have you.”I pressed my lips together. As good as it was to hear that, I wasn’t sure if I’d earned it. “Do you think this is the right decision?” I asked. “Facing Corinne like this?”“I don’t think we have a choice,” Ealric said. “But you and Elias are leading us well. Myself and the wolves of Starcrest will be at your side, no matter what.”“Thank you,” I said. Internally, I was pulled in two directions: the relief of seeing the pride and loyalty in Ealric’s eyes, and the terror that his belief was be misplaced.Then, a loud clap of thunder rang out. I jumped, dropping my coffee as the porcelain shattered on the solarium floor. Thick, intense magic poured through the atmosphere, like oil into water. My wolf raised her hackles.“A portal o
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“It sounds like a good plan to me,” Elias murmured. “These are the kinds of innovations we should be encouraging, don’t you agree?”I nodded. In the months since the war, reconstruction had started across Frasia. We’d rebuilt the manor, as well as the walls of the city. The buildings damaged in the fighting had been repaired as best we could. Then after that, Elias and I arranged for convoys to travel to each of the packs, providing resources and answers to all of those who had been affected by the fighting.Everything was going well. But to my embarrassment, I often found myself a little…bored.Fina caught my eye from where she stood in front of the dais. She raised one eyebrow, and I straightened up to better give the young wolf my full attention.Since the end of the war, Fina had been working as my head spy, occasionally running missions to other packs and nations with Kodan. She’d come into her own as a spy of Nightfall, and when I saw her training with Adora in the barracks, she
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He shook his head. “I knew it had healing properties,” he said. “Or…I hoped it did. I bought it off a Fae jeweler outside of Starcrest, before relations with Faerie worsened. I thought it was beautiful, and I wanted something she couldn’t get in Frasia proper.” He chuckled to himself. “I wanted to impress her. The jeweler told me it had healing properties — that it had strong, old Fae magic. I never had a chance to give it to her. But I did have it looked at again, when I was older, to learn more about the magic. But there wasn’t much the scholars of Starcrest could tell me. I knew it had healing powers, and I knew it was strong. But I didn’t know…”“That it would affect me like that,” I said.“That you would be able to wield it,” he said. “You surprise me at every turn. Just like your mother did.”“I wish I could’ve met her,” I said softly.“I do, too.” He folded his hand over mine on the table. “When you and Elias visit Starcrest next, I’ll show you where she’s buried. It’s a beauti
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In the afterglow, I leaned against the headboard of our bed with the blankets pulled up to my hips. Amity and Rue had delivered a small meal a few hours ago, and Elias carried the tray from the table to the bed. We shared a few bites of fruit and soft bread with butter, and Elias poured us each a small glass of fragrant red wine.It felt indulgent, luxurious — like we were the leaders of a wealthy and peaceful nation. It was a glimpse of what life could be like once Frasia has recovered.Elias popped a grape into his mouth, then settled on the bed next to me, careful not to jostle the tray at the foot of the bed. He smoothed his hand over my thigh and squeezed. “So you still have your magic,” he murmured.I laughed and squirmed a little closer to him, despite the nervousness curling in my chest at the mention of it. “I guess so,” I said. “I thought it’d go away eventually, but…”“It hasn’t changed?” he asked.I shook my head. “It feels like it’s settling.” I rubbed my hand over my ste
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Elias smirked and lifted an eyebrow. “What’s that look mean?”“Come here,” I demanded. “Kiss me.”“Love it when you’re so nice and polite like that,” Elias teased.He climbed onto the bed and crawled over me, letting the towel slide from his hips. He knocked my fingers away from the string on my dressing gown and unfastened it himself, then slid the soft fabric open. He caught my lips in a sweet kiss as he flattened his hand on my belly and smoothed over my skin. I hummed into Elias’ lips as I slid my hands over the strong planes of his back, and down to his pert ass. I squeezed.He chuckled into the kiss, then dropped his weight atop me hard enough to make me huff out in a surprised “Oof!” That only made him laugh again as he kissed my cheek, my jaw, my neck.I hummed in pleasure and wrapped my arms around him tightly, keeping his body pressed close to mine. I loved being this close, loved the feeling of all that warm muscle pinning me down, keeping me safe. We kissed for a few long,
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“You did well,” Elias said, low. “Efra still stands.”“At what cost, though?” I asked. “We lost so many.”“We did,” he said. “But not everyone. And Corinne is defeated. Decisively.”“It shouldn’t have happened at all,” I whispered. Guilt chewed at me like a hungry dog. “These soldiers should be alive.”“Reyna.” Elias put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. “You can’t think like that.”“Like what?” I asked.His golden gaze burned into mine. “You can’t undo what’s been done. Our subjects need us now more than ever.”I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “How can they trust us after so many have died?” I asked quietly. “What will we say when the citizens return from the forests?”“We say the war is over,” Elias said fiercely. “That the Fae Queen is defeated, and Frasia remains free. And we stand strong for our pack.”I closed my eyes briefly. He was right. After so much death and turmoil, the wolves of Nightfall needed to be able to rely on us.“Your pain only shows
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Around us, more Fae rushed in, launching snarling attacks on Elias, Ealric, and Kodan. I trusted them to hold their own and hold the soldiers back from me as I focused my attacks on Corinne.I grinned at her. “That all you got, Queen?”She shrieked again, then swung her sword back and brought it down with the force of a warhammer.The world seemed to slow down. Each breath burned in my throat. The sun glinted off Corinne’s white hair, and off her bloodstained blade, as she turned on her heel to follow my movements. I parried her sword, the sound of steel clashing against steel drowned out by the crackle of our competing magics. I roared and bared my own teeth. Then, driving my foot hard into her shin, I sent her stumbling backward. I launched forward, slashing my sword at her throat, but she dodged, knocked me backward with a punch, and then swung her sword in another high arc.Corinne was fast, faster than anyone I’d ever fought, yet the moonstone quickened my heart and my feet as we
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But I couldn’t hear the battle around us anymore. All I could hear was the pounding of my own heart.Elias pressed his hand to my chest.I took a deep, gasping breath, like I had just broken through the surface of the sea, as cool power rolled through me. My hands flew to Elias’ arms and clung desperately, as the moonstone power coursed through my veins. It eliminated the burning inside me and even stitched up the terrible gashes in my thighs. My vision cleared, and the fog lifted from my mind.“Reyna?” Elias smoothed the hair from my forehead. His brow was still deeply furrowed in concern.“Hi,” I whispered.“Gods above,” Elias choked out. He leaned down and kissed me fiercely. “I thought I lost you.”The moonstone ring was obviously enchanted differently than the swords were — it had healing properties in it. Thank God Ealric had been here to tell Elias what to do. My whole body ached with exhaustion, but the pain had dissipated. I returned Elias’ kiss, then he helped me sit up.“We
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I had to rely on my skills. I met his sword with mine. Clang. Clang. His eyes burned with rage as he pushed me backward. He grinned that sharp-toothed smile, like he wanted to devour me himself. He pushed his blade against me, forcing me back step by step, then suddenly he lunged down and dragged his claws — claws?! — over the meat of my thigh. His fingers, like his teeth, were sharp and threatening, like that of a beast, and with ease he opened four gashes in my muscle. Pain seared through me, and I gasped as my knees quivered. I lost my balance and fell backward. But I still had my sword.“Silly wolf,” Eodwin sneered. “Thinking you’re a warrior. You’re nothing but a lost little girl out here on the battlefield.”“I am more than a wolf,” I said through gritted teeth. I pushed through the pain and clambered back up to my feet. My sword weighed heavily in my hand, but I narrowed my eyes and lifted it up. “I am a Queen.”Eodwin laughed. The made the hair on my nape stand on end. I gripp
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Orange light glowed deep in the darkness. The roars grew louder, closer, and then with a rush of beating wings, dragons poured out the portal, surrounded by rushing flame. There were at least two dozen of them, maybe more. Flames poured from their mouths onto the balds, setting the scrubby grass alight and scorching it to nothing. They flew with soulless determination, over the balds, and directly to the city.My horse whinnied and jerked backward, barely avoiding a burst of flame as the dragons soared overhead. The one who had expelled the flame barely noticed my reaction. It simply snapped its jaws shut and kept flying.“They’re under Fae control!” I called. “Bozhin, to the dragons!”Bozhin shifted into his immense war gryphon form. He cried out, and the few eagles at his side shifted into their forms as well. They took to the skies, streaking after the dragons. Bozhin led them higher, so they were above the beasts, and then led them in a rapid dive-bomb. Bozhin went talon first. He
