Page 124 of A War of Ruin and Reckoning

“Of course,” she replied. “As soon as I see her, I will.”

She nodded, tired. “Tell Crimson.” She shook her head. “Leaf…”

Her whisper turned into an exhale and nothing else. Silence for so long, Nova thought it had been her last breath.

“Hey.” Nova shook them awake. Please don’t die. “Wake up.”

Footsteps thudded behind her. Voices. She whipped around, scrambling for the fallen sword, but it was just two female fae—the ones from the temple. Colt and Dawn. A third was behind them. He had a long white beard and hair like a wizard. Nova had met him at the academy. He was another Councillor—Preceptor Barrow. Dawn cried out in dismay at seeing their Prime on her knees, so emaciated and withered.

Nova wiped her eyes and said, “They unmade themselves. I think they’re human now.”

Human, but ancient. It was impossible to be this old, yet they were still breathing.

Colt’s pixie wings fluttered as she kneeled beside the women and placed her fingers on their necks. “They’re alive. Barely.”

Dawn’s cloven feet arrived next to where Nova crouched. A touch on her shoulder drew her attention to the Seer’s white eyes. Her tone was calm and all-knowing as she said, “You’re going to let us take them.”

“I am?”

“You are.”

Behind Dawn, Colt and Barrow helped the women stand on shaky feet. Nova didn’t quite understand why they were worried until she saw Colt continuously checking over her shoulder to see if anyone would stop them.

“They’ll kill the queen,” Nova murmured. “For her crimes.”

“They’ll try,” Dawn agreed. “But you won’t let them.”

“No,” she answered, her confidence steeling her spine. “I won’t.”

While Nova believed in justice, she also believed these women had suffered enough. They wouldn’t live for very long—maybe days or hours.

Nile’s cruelty was like a stone dropped into a calm pond. The ripples he caused touched everything, but those closest to him drowned in the waves. Whatever time these women had left, they deserved to spend it together.

“Go,” Nova said. “I can feel Leaf coming. He must have sensed my panic when you arrived. He’ll bring others. And the Unseelie will try to stop you from taking their queen.”

Already, Nova noticed those who’d been fighting nearby face them, frowning.

Barrow pulled a stone from his robe’s pocket to open a portal behind the litter and dead orcs. After they all crossed to the other side, Aleksandra looked back at Nova and found the strength to finish her earlier message.

“Tell him not to let it slip through his fingers.”

The portal closed, and Nova was left alone on the wrong side of the field. The whimpering, twisted human moaned. A screech rent the air as the manticore swooped down. It landed with a thud, folded its wings as it slowed to a trot, and sniffed the air where the portal had closed. Nova’s eyes widened as it turned its freakishly humanlike head toward her.

Battle sounds behind her stopped. The sounds of Unseelie soldiers breathing grew louder, drowning out blood rushing in Nova’s ears.

“Where’s our queen?” a raspy voice said behind her.

She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to tell them. The monster lifted his scorpion tail, venom dripped from the point, and he roared. When Nova thought she was dead, a brutish hand landed on her shoulder and shoved her aside. One of the big Unseelie soldiers took the scorpion tail on his arm. Nova fell to the ground, skidding back onto her hands. Glancing up, shocked, she saw it wasn’t a soldier—just a giant shadow. An instant later, a portal opened where the manticore stood, slicing it in two.

Through the portal, Leaf stood next to Haze. His blue eyes landed on Nova and searched her for obvious injuries. Haze’s shadow helped Nova stand, bringing her into Leaf’s arms as he crossed to her side.

“Found you,” he murmured against her hair, clutching her hard.

“I knew you would.”

They embraced for a long minute, simply enjoying being in each other’s arms. The sounds of voices increased as more people crossed through the portal. Still hugging Nova, Leaf barked orders and said other things she stopped listening to. All that mattered was the soldiers left them alone. All she cared about at that moment was the sound of his heart beating against her ear, the deep rumble of his voice muffled through his chest. Eventually, he pulled her away and asked, “What happened to them?”

“I let them go,” she said, wincing. “They were human again and so old,Hoja. Like really old. Dawn, Colt, and Barrow took them. I know you’ll all be angry with me because the queen had crimes to pay for and…” She inhaled. “I just couldn’t. They’ve suffered enough.”

---