Page 109 of Tangled Fates

Loki gave a loud roar and everything went crazy. Men came out of the shadows. Ryder shifted immediately while Soren stayed by me. I pulled a few stones off my necklace, activating them and stunning a few men. Soren pulled me out of the way when a gust of wind swept us up and we fell hard on the ground.

The wind was knocked out of me when a man grabbed me from behind as two more came after Soren. The man dragged me back as I broke another gem off my necklace, activating and slamming it on the man. A gust of wind hit him and a few others.

We have to leave, there are too many of them!

I dodged a man who reached out for me, his hand electrified, but Loki grabbed his other arm and the man shouted as he was yanked back. A disgusting, squelching sound made me gag when Loki stood in front of me.

Gray, meet us at the rendezvous point!

Soren ran towards me, throwing a potion before a portal opened. He grabbed me as he ran for the opening with Loki on our heels.

“We can’t leave without Ryder and?—”

We went through the portal and fell out onto some grass. Soren yanked me out of the way as a wolf and cheetah jumped out as it was closing.

“We need to go back for Gray,” I said, getting up as panic bubbled under the surface.

“He’ll be fine,” Soren said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“Who the hell was that?” Ryder shifted. “And how the hell did you shift into a cheetah?”

“I don’t know who he is,” I said, trying to remember him.

“He’s Laima’s right hand.” A deep voice came from behind Ryder.

We all looked at an enormous man. He was taller than my mates, his muscles were huge, but his face was that of a Greek statue. His blonde hair was perfectly swept away and he had brilliant baby blue eyes.

“Loki?” I was stunned.

“Yes,” he took a few steps towards me. “My real name is Maxton.”

“How—How?”

“I was your guard, captured by Laima after I went looking for you,” his deep voice was surprisingly gentle.

“What? I don’t understand.”

“You’ve been lied to for most of your existence, Oria.” He stopped when he was right in front of me, and I had to crane my neck up to look into those beautiful eyes.

“Is this why Tay didn’t want to bring you?”

“Yes, he knew I would tell you the truth and resume my duties,” he answered.

“Duties?”

He kneeled in front of me. “My job was to protect you, the princess.”

EPILOGUE - LAIMA

My footsteps made a crunching sound over the debris of the castle courtyard. There was destruction everywhere. Bodies of my sister's coven were all over the ground. A whole generation of some of the greatest, bested by a powerless witch who broke the spell my sister and her family had been keeping in place for two hundred years.

My sister's family grew too greedy, taking more and more power, playing the field too liberally; taking too much too soon. Her son, Caston, derailed our plans and she let him. I got to a small clearing and saw the heads of my sister and her husband.

I wanted to scream at her for disobeying my orders when I went to go see our sister Moira. When news of her attack reached me, I was too late. She had always been too cocky and it’s why we hadn’t secured the witches like we had originally planned.

I took a deep breath, grabbing her head and stuffing it in a bag.

“Take this,” I said to my right hand. “Did you get her?”

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