Page 76 of Masked Fate

“A few hours,” Sinda replies, stretching his neck from side to side. “We will get prepared.”

Three hours later, Declan’s army is on our land. We all head through the forest to an open clearing and wait for them.

My eyes narrow to slits when I see their leader. Astrid frowns as Rion steps forward, his fingers tightening on the hilt of his sword. His curly hair blows across his forehead, his red eyes pinned on Rave. The scar that cuts through his eyebrow and slides down the middle of his cheek gives him an even more ominous appearance. He’s powerful, the air sizzling with the promise of his magic. This is the male who once tried to kidnap Astrid, the one who eventually ended up on our side, or so we thought when we saved his mate from the Vampire King.

But this is also the male who told Astrid that Zython had betrayed her.

Did he truly think that? I now wonder if he was really trying to help or just cause discord among us.

“So we save your mate, and this is how you repay us?” Astrid calls out, shadows swimming around her legs.

“We want Declan and Milana,” Rion replies, ignoring her words. Static flickers from his palms, silently threatening us.

We brought half our soldiers here, and the rest are guarding the castle.

Soren steps in front of me, half-blocking my body in protection. He’s worried, and I can feel it through the bond.

And he’s wondering why Rave isn’t.

“Declan is dead,” Rave calls out, shadows pulsing through the air. “And anyone else who threatens my mate will follow in his stead.”

“Where is Milana?” Rion asks, his posture full of tension.

“Milana stays here,” August states.

Fuck.

“Then you leave us no choice,” Rion replies, flashing his fangs before signaling to his warriors.

Closing my eyes, I summon my dark magic, the one that I try not to touch. Soren gasps, and I know he can feel it all.

“Little witch?” he grumbles, pulling out his sword and standing on guard. “What are you doing?”

“Protecting us all,” I reply, bending down and placing my hands on the grass.

It turns black.

Death.

There will be nothing but death.

Rion’s army surges forward, and our front line does the same. Metal clangs against metal, and magic sizzles through the field.

And then my own army of the undead appears behind me.

Shaded in darkness, they look more like shadowed demons than the undead.

But that’s what they are—fallen warriors coming back to fight at my command.

“You’re a necromancer,” Soren breathes, and I hear Rion scream in fury.

And then Bane, Zython, Axe, Kai, and their army zip in.

Our numbers just tripled.

Bane steps forward, dressed in his usual all-black. His short hair has grown longer, falling across his forehead. His dark eyes scan the area before landing on Astrid, as if checking she’s okay, and then pin on Rion.

Lightning strikes ahead of us, and loud thunder rumbles.

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