Page 94 of Taken By the Fae King

“My king!” Aren’s voice rings out. “There has been an attack along the outskirts of the city. Wraith. Dozens of them.”

Talyn lands beside us and I look to him. “Guard the queen while I am gone.”

I turn back to Grayce and press a kiss to the back of her hand. “I will return to you as soon as I can.”

Before she can say anything, I take off with Aren.

“What happened?” I ask him. My wings beat furiously as we race to the edge of the city. “Was anyone hurt?”

“I do not know. But there are many and we cannot allow them to breach our wards.”

“They should not be able to,” I counter.

“I know. But I do not want to risk relying solely on the wards, because somehow they are able to cross over the wall along our border.”

“I agree,” I tell him. “We will chase them into the woods and eradicate them all.”

When we reach the edge of the city, the guards have already recharged the wards. The Wraith are fleeing into the forest, but I give the order to hunt them down.

Aren and I start after them, when one of the guards yells out. “Look!” He points in the distance to the Wraith. “They are disappearing!”

Stunned, we watch as several of them blink out, leaving behind only a handful. “Most of them were illusions,” Aren mutters. “But how? Why?”

Panic constricts my chest, and I turn my gaze back to the castle. “They were a distraction. We have to get back to the queen!”

Flying as fast as I can through the city, I reach out across the bond, trying to sense Grayce. To see if I can warn her through our connection.

As if reading my mind, Aren asks. “Can you feel anything through the bond? Is she in any distress?”

“No, she—”

Unbridled fear rips through me like a sharpened blade. Power sparks like lightning between my fingers as rage builds deep within. Whoever is behind this will pay with their blood. I vow to all the gods that I will end them for daring to attack my queen.

Alarms ring out throughout the city and panicked cries fill the air as dozens of dark figures hover between the trees, their glowing red eyes striking terror in the hearts of the people below.

In the distance, a winged figure takes flight from the castle. My heart stutters and stops when I recognize the flash of Greywind’s wings. Grayce is on his back, sending out spiraling arcs of green magic to attack the Wraith as they charge.

Grayce’s fear and anger pulse through our bond, echoing my own emotions as we fight our way through the city. My wings beating furiously as I race toward her. Greywind releases a battle shriek, gripping a nearby Wraith in his claws and shredding it mid-air as Grayce rides astride him.

As I draw closer, I call out to her. Her eyes meet mine, burning with determination. Her face is a picture of fierce resolve as she uses her magic to attack the invading Wraith.

Green sparks of magic spiral out from her fingers, hitting the trees and the soil, sending vines shooting up toward the Wraith, the lethal tendrils wrapping tight around their forms and ripping them from the sky to slam them to the ground.

The Wraith cry out in fear and agony as the vines trap them, twisting until they are crushed.

I can’t help but feel a swell of pride as my mate fights with the skill of a battle-trained warrior. My guards rally around their queen and our people watch as she defends their great city, protecting them from the devastating scourge of the Wraith. She is magnificent, and I am completely in awe of her strength and resilience.

When the battle is over, and the last Wraith is killed, Grayce and Greywind land in the palace courtyard. I start toward her, and panic stops my heart as she slips free of the saddle and falls toward the ground.

Talyn catches her at the last second, and I pull her from his arms. “What happened?” I ask him. “Was she injured?”

“No,” he replies. “They did not touch her.”

“Fetch a healer!” I cry out, running my hands over her form, checking for any wounds I may have missed, but I find none.

Healer Draymon flies toward me as I cradle Grayce in my arms, her face pale and her body limp.

He lands beside us. “Lay her on the ground,” he instructs.

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