*Isla*Back in my room, I can still smell the sting of the chemicals someone used to clean the mess up from when Sydney’s water broke.It seems like that happened ages ago, but it was really only a matter of hours. Maddox still has my hand, and when I pause and stare at the spot where Sydney was standing when she came into my room, he has to stop walking. “What is it, Isla?” he asks me, his tone so gentle, no one would ever imagine he was known as a ruthless killer.Shaking my head, I try to jar the memory free so it can float away, but it won’t come loose. “Uhm, it’s just… Sydney. When she came to get me, she was so scared, and I thought she didn’t really have anything to be afraid of. But clearly, I was wrong.”He seems to be putting the pieces of the puzzle together now. He must not have known that she was here, that she’d come into my room, but I see his nostrils flare slightly as he catches on that more happened here than he’d first realized. It’s not uncommon for my room to smel
*Maddox*Leaving a nice warm bed where I was snuggled up in the arms of the woman who loves me, the woman I have finally admitted I love, too, wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve done in my life, but as I head to the dungeon the morning after we brought in the assholes who slaughtered the innocent people in the house at Duster pack, I know my job is about to get all the more difficult.I am hopeful that some of the difficult work has already begun. While Isla had slept with her head against my chest, I’d utilized the mind-link to let my most persuasive warriors have a turn or two with the bastards. My hope was that I would find a bunch of broken men who had all confessed to their crimes so that when I had them terminated, no one would feel any sympathy for them.Dealing with Zabrina would be more difficult, but that could wait.I take the steps quickly, feeling like the king I am. My mind goes back to the sight at the house, all of the blood, the dismembered bodies, the crying children.No
*Isla*Maddox was gone when I opened my eyes. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He told me last night that he had a lot to do, but I insisted he stay with me, and he did.I had fallen asleep on him in the bathtub, so he probably didn’t have much of a choice.Now, I am sitting at the dining table eating my breakfast while Poppy fake dusts because she doesn’t need to keep dusting.“I just feel really bad for that baby,” she is saying. I take a piece of toast and break it apart before putting a small piece in my mouth.I haven’t gone to check on Maddy yet, but I will. Not because I want to keep her. I understand now that Maddox is right. It’s not a good idea. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I’m expected to do everything Sydney just did yesterday soon enough–except for the dying part. That I’d like to avoid.“I feel bad for her, too,” I manage between bites.“I mean, in this day and age, now does that happen?” Piper continues. And I don’t have an answer for her. “Was Mystica
*Maddox*I sit behind my desk, silently swiveling my chair back and forth, just an inch this way and an inch that way, but it’s enough to keep my mind locked on the issue at hand.I have a decision to make, and it won’t be an easy one.Seth clears his throat from the chair across from me. That’s his way of saying he wonders if I’m ever going to respond to the question he asked several minutes ago.It’s one I don’t have an answer for, one that I’ve been mulling over since before I even told him he needed to come to my office to talk this through. Of course, I don’t expect him to have an answer either, but for the most part, Seth is the one I turn to when I need answers. He’s level-headed, smart, insightful, and doesn’t get distracted easily.Right now, I am not distracted either, for once. Lately, it seems like every time I try to make a decision, Isla leaps into my mind, and I’m completely sidetracked. Today, even though I am looking forward to relaxing in her arms at some point, but
*Isla*I hum a lullaby to Maddy as I rock her to sleep in my arms. Thanks to the wet nurse, she has a full belly, and I feel blessed by the Moon Goddess to have the opportunity to sit here and watch her sleep.I’ve made peace with the fact that I’m not keeping her. In fact, one of the women from the nursery told me earlier today that they’d contacted some family members that are related to Sydney’s mother, and they are planning to come and pick her up in a few days. Of course, they will be thoroughly interviewed by the king and myself first. Maddox will allow that, I have no doubt.I’m not the Luna, and I probably never will be, but when it comes to taking care of the packs’ children, I am willing to assert myself. Perhaps spending so much time with Maddox is making me feel more confident in my ability to make a difference for the better in the kingdom.As I rock and hum, I think about Maddox. I know he’s very busy today. He’s trying to decide what to do with all of those people who h
*Maddox*The sound of hammering resonates even though I’m inside looking out at the gallows that are being constructed in the courtyard. It’s been years since the last time I’ve heard that sound, and this is the first time I’ve ever ordered it myselfBut I don’t feel bad about it.This is something that has to be done, something I know will accomplish several goals all at once. It will get rid of these people who have committed horrific crimes against the crown and the citizens of my kingdom. It will show that I mean what I say when I decree that all of the packs are meant to work together toward a specific end. And finally, it will send a message to anyone out there who is thinking perhaps I am making a bad decision or that I am weak that they shouldn’t fuck with me.That’s really the biggest message I am hoping to send, and I hope that my enemies both far and wide hear that message and ingrain it into their brains for the rest of their miserable lives.Seth is quiet beside me, and I
*Isla*“Who the fuck are you?”Maddox’s outburst has me letting go of my brother, Ben, but standing between the king, who looks like he’s about to storm right through me and knock my little brother out the window, I put up my hand and shout, “Maddox, stop!”I hear Ben mumble a curse word I’ve never heard come out of his mouth before as he drops to his knee. “Your Majesty!” he declares, and I can’t tell if he’s afraid Maddox is angry because he’s not being subservient enough or if my brother realizes Maddox has the wrong idea.“Who is this asshole, and what the fuck is he doing in your room with his arms wrapped around you?”The king steps to the side and I have to move quickly to get in front of him. “He’s my brother!” I shout.Maddox looks like he’s about to shift, he’s so mad, but when he processes what I’ve yelled at him, he stops mid-lunge, and his eyes widen almost as much as his mouth, his razor-sharp canines picking up the light from the lamp overhead and twinkling–not in an en
*Isla*Staring at Maddox, I try to understand what it is he’s saying, what he’s just screamed at me, but it’s difficult, and I’m not sure I will be able to comprehend it without some sort of a better explanation.I wait, hoping he will say more, but all he’s doing is shaking his head, running his fingers through his hair.I’m going to have to ask him. “What do you mean my birth certificate is fake?” My lips are trembling as I ask the question. I thought this would be the proof he finally needed in order to see that I really am from Maatua, that I am a princess, but he doesn’t even want to accept this government-stamped, issued document.A loud sigh escapes his lips as he says, “Perhaps we should speak about this another time.”“What?” I blurt out. “No! You can’t say something like that and not explain yourself. You essentially just told me my entire life is a lie!”“Your entire life is a lie?” he repeats, his eyes wide and wild as he looks at me. “Isla, if this document were true, you
RyanThree Days LaterTarsian is gone. That’s the only way to describe it. The cities, the packs… it’s nothing but endless, blood-stained desert now. Even the sea lapping against the shores of Serpentia is stained a dark red, but I watch it fade as I stand on what’s left of a deck overlooking the ocean. Behind me, the incessant chatter of the injured and healing overwhelm the sound of the waves. A few people walk along the sand–warriors of different ranks and alliances. A young man in tattered Arcane Umbra armor talks to a group of men in armor from the Roguelands, reunited with old friends. The curse is gone. The soldiers the Umbra Mortis turned into his puppets, his monsters, well… so far, they have no memory of the war, which is a blessing. The rest of us remember, though. How could we ever forget what happened here? How are we possibly going to move on? “Ryan?”I turn toward Kenna’s voice as she steps toward me, edging around a group of nurses from Moonrise here to help treat
ColeI choke myself awake. Smoke fills my lungs, smothering my senses for precious seconds I quickly realize I don’t have. Muffled voices fill my ears–a few shouts of pain, of surprise. People are calling out for friends and comrades.I’m not in the afterlife. I know that immediately. Pain echoes through my body like waves, driven by the tide of my heartbeat as my body claws back to life, my chest wounds knitting together in real time. But my hand is freezing. I squeeze the fingers tangled in mine and jolt back to reality, rolling with effort to curl my body around Misty. “No,” I breathe into her hair. “Come–Come back.” I can’t feel her anymore. My hand slides up to her neck, my fingers trembling as I feel for her pulse. It’s there, but barely. A weak thump that pauses for several heartbreaking seconds. “H-Help!” I try to shout the word into existence, but my voice cracks painfully, turning into a scream. “HELP!”Figures rush toward us in a blur. The battlefield erupts into view, sh
MistyI land on my feet in a sea of mist. Silver fog snakes around my ankles, around my glimmering armour made of pure light. For a moment, I think I’m… lost within the aether–in the misty, shadowed undercurrent that separates our realm from the Goddess’s kingdom. But wet grass squishes beneath my boots as I stumble forward, breathless, damn near in pieces. Rain pelts the top of my head as I grope for anything to grab onto before I careen toward the ground. I yelp as my body lands with a thud. Thunder booms, followed by its rolling echo as it bounces toward me. The rain fizzles to a gentle whisper as the mist begins to part. A great stone wall comes into view, and then two voices carry toward me, lifted in alarm. I sit up with great effort, kneeling as I gasp for breath that won’t fill my lungs. I slowly lift my head and see two women–one young and… stunning, with long, blonde hair and ocean blue eyes that seem to glow as she holds my gaze, her lips parted in surprise. The seco
Cole“Undo it,” I tell him. “Take the curse back and reinstate order.”He purses his lips to a thin line, confused. “But, Cole, I can’t. It’s not something you can just… stop. Think about it. Use that big brain of yours. Do you see this place? Tarsian is so much bigger than the rest of Eastonia. Riches beyond belief lay below the sand. There used to be mines and forges here, mines that pulled silver and moonstone from the ground and forges that turned that into magic. Yet, in our time, the magic is hoarded by the royals–the Allied Kings.” He sweeps his hand toward the battle. “But not anymore. Once I open the gate, it’s over. This world will be no more. You can come with me, Cole. Be a god instead of a king.”“You can’t, Richard. You failed. Misty is safe, with her family. You needed her to do this.”He smiles a bit sadly, but his eyes flare with mischief. “Yes, she is. Such a shame, really. It would have been easier to do it with her help. Quicker, less leg work for me.” He opens the
Misty“Forgive me, please,” I say to Mom as we walk side by side to the war room, which is really just a massive training area at the very base of the castle. “I know I just got back…hours ago….”“Bring them back for me,” she replies sadly, her hand ghosting down my back. She stops at the staircase leading to the furthest depths of the castle. I turn to face her, and she tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “I’m okay here. I’ll keep the kids happy and comfortable.”That’s my mom’s power. Being the leader of this family. She has a knack for bringing everyone together, keeping everyone loved and… whole. I pull her into a hug and squeeze. “I’ll come home again, I promise. I’ll be bringing my mate home with me in time for Solstice, I promise.”Her tears fall into my hair. I reluctantly let her go and turn for the stairs, refusing to look back. I have to look forward–only forward–if I’m going to get through this. Ella’s already in the armory, sorting weapons, her eyes locked on her tas
MistyEverything else is a blur. Aviva’s screamed words. Ella’s rushed explanations. Grandma taking me by the shoulders and leading me away, tucking me in a sitting room somewhere in the depths of the castle. I barely feel her arm on my shoulder. I barely register sitting down in a chair, holding the bloody pages in my lap and watching the firelight dance over the untidy scrawl I know so well. I sit there for what could be hours. Eventually, I’m joined by Sarah and Kenna… and then Aviva. Still, I haven’t read the letter. I’ve read my name, addressed at the top of the first page, over and over again. This is his final goodbye, and I’m not ready to accept that. “What are we supposed to do?” Kenna grinds out. “The reports coming out of Tarsian are–”“I don’t fucking care what they are!” Sarah’s voice pitches with fury. “The father of my sons is fighting for his fucking life right now, Kenna.”“My mate, too!” Kenna shouts. “But we’ve been told to stay, to be prepared to defend Moonrise
MistyI wait in the hallway for Luke, not believing he’s actually here, in Moonrise, in the same place I currently am. Eventually, he’s escorted around a corner by two of Ella’s royal guards. His eyes go wide when he sees me, his cheeks flushing. “Misty–”“Luke,” I whisper, trying to smile at him, but my heart is skittering out of my chest. He glances at the guards before taking several swift steps ahead of them to reach my side. I pull him across the hallway to a set of windows and benches overlooking the city of Moonrise, now bathed in afternoon light. “You got out,” he says in disbelief. “I heard that you had, but I didn’t believe it–”“Is Georgia safe?” “Yes, she’s with her family. Her father’s fighting, but she and her mother went to Crescent Falls–”“What did Cole have you working on in the castle?” I rush out. “I was supposed to help you with it but never got the chance.”He pulls a small, oval object out of his jacket pocket and hands it to me. “It’s a cryptex. He said it wa
MistyBefore my body even catches up to itself, Mom has her arms around me, pulling me into the tightest hug possible as Sarah’s powers shudder away, falling like ash that covers the ornate red carpet in one of the upper wings of Aunt Ella’s palace in Moonrise. Golden finishes blur my vision. My senses go haywire for a fraction of a second before familiar scents and voices bring me back to reality. I slowly fold my arms around Mom’s back and squeeze. Neither of us says anything for a long, long time. I stand on my tiptoes and rest my chin on her shoulder, closing my eyes and breathing in her sweet, floral scent. She’s been wearing the same perfume for decades. She always smells the same–the smell of my childhood. “Mama,” I whisper into her strawberry scented hair. She trembles with silent sobs, cupping the back of my head as she pulls away. Her big, dark blue eyes–eyes she shares with Sydney and Ryan–sweep over my face, over the new lines of exhaustion and heartbreak. I feel a p
MistyIt’s morning. Early morning–still too early for the sun to breach the mountains and send light spilling over the village of Silverhide. I roll over on the couch, wrapped in a thick blanket, and stare at the dying embers in the stone fireplace across the room. I haven’t slept. Pain echoes through my body, settling deep in my bones. It’s not a sharp, bright pain. It’s the kind that aches and throbs–a dull thrum of noise that makes it impossible to focus, let alone close my eyes and rest. I feel empty. Empty, and alone. ‘Why did you do this to me?’ I ask through the sliver of bond I still share with Cole… I hope. I hung on so tight when he rejected me, refusing to let him do it. But his voice is no longer in my head. My eyes are dry and rimmed red as I watch the embers flicker like stars against a sea of darkness. I have no tears left to cry. I used them up. They’re gone. Ryan and Aviva’s bedroom door opens nearby, a shadowed figure ducking as Ryan steps out of his room and