Page 116 of Taken By the Fae King

“No! I have to stop this!”

He sets me on the balcony, and Greywind lands beside us.

“Where are my—”

I glance down and notice my brothers are already at the head of Florin’s army, swords swinging as they battle the Wraith.

“Stay here!” Kyven calls over his shoulder as he dives into the fray, joining his warriors in the fight.

Dozens of Fae concentrate their magic on the Wall, trying to repair it, but it’s no use.

A loud horn sounds in the distance, and I glance back to see an army of Wolf-Shifters in wolven form racing toward the crumbling barrier. It’s Lukas and his brethren that have come to our aid.

An army of Orcs follows closely behind them, axes and swords swinging wide as they clear a path to the Wall.

I turn my gaze to the Wall as Kyven’s warriors try to repair it, but it’s a losing battle. Too many Wraith are pouring through. The image of Queen Ilyra using her magic surfaces in my mind, and I know what I must do.

Without hesitation, I jump onto Greywind’s back and we dive toward the Wall.

Clinging to the amplifier, I close my eyes and pour every ounce of my will into mending the fractured magic. Power surges through me, filling me with a strength I’ve never known. The crumbling wall slows as fractures begin knitting themselves back together.

Energy flows through me, burning like fire in my veins as I focus all my power on repairing the Wall and pushing back the Wraith. I grit my teeth as my entire body trembles with exertion, but I cannot give up.

Strong arms wrap around my waist. “Grayce, you must stop!” Kyven shouts from behind me. “Please!”

He pulls me from Greywind’s back, and a sharp cry escapes his lips as a surge of power moves through me, hitting us both. Unable to remain aloft, we spiral toward the ground, only the sharp snap of his wings as they extend, breaking our fall.

“Grayce!” Kyven yells and I open my eyes as he extends his hand, casting a barrier spell around us, keeping the Wraith back.

Their blood red eyes watch us with hunger as they press against the barrier, trying to break through.

I focus all my strength, conjuring every bit of magic I can muster. The ground grumbles and quakes beneath our feet and vines explode from the ground in a spray of earth and rock, rising and thickening like castle towers reaching for the sun, twisting around each other and forming a barrier to plug the gap in the Great Wall.

My entire body shakes as I struggle to remain conscious. The threat of oblivion trying to pull me under.

Kyven grips my hand and a surge of power flows through my veins. My eyes open, and I blink at him in wonder as I realize he is funneling the earth’s energy from him to me, fueling my magic and expanding it even further.

As if reading my mind, Kyven’s eyes snap to the vine barrier and back to me. “We can do this!”

Together, we focus our energy on the Wall and creating a barrier to seal the collapsed section. As the vines grow and fill in the gap, Kyven’s warriors and the Orcs use their combined powers to rebuild the stone Wall, reinforcing the wards as they go and rebuilding the barrier.

Closing my eyes, I give myself over to the power, feeding mine and the borrowed energy from Kyven into the spell. My entire body is shaking, and I’m not sure how much more I can take. “Kyven,” I call out. “I don’t know if I can hold this any longer.”

“Let go!” he yells. “Let go now, Grayce. Please.”

I lower my hands, and the necklace falls from my grasp as I stumble forward.

Kyven’s arms wrap tight around my waist, and he pulls me to his chest. “Grayce, you did it,” he whispers, staring down at me in concern. “You saved us.”

Wincing slightly, I blink up at him. Everything hurts. My entire body feels raw and drained as I struggle to remain conscious. I reach a trembling hand and cup his cheek. “We did it, Kyven.” A tear slips down my cheek. “I love you.”

“Grayce!”

“Kyven, I feel strange,” I barely manage.

“You used too much of your life force.” His eyes search mine, full of panic and devotion. “Stay awake, Grayce. You must stay awake.”

“I cannot.”

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