Page 88 of Veiled

I am beauty, I am pride!

I am the light that never hides!

I am the power without shame!

Holy power, yours to claim!

As we sing the universe

In concert with us now affirms

This sacred light within our hearts

Never dies, never departs

So we sing together now

To call that love and power down

Within our blood, within our bones

The song that’s calling us … home …

I am …”

STORM FAERYWOLF

“We can do this later,” I say as I rush to don all my thick leather that would be hard to cut through and the chain metal I used to use for training. The guys all run to do the same and as I strap on my weapons belt with all my daggers and short swords, the window in my room is thrown open and the breeze wraps around me and whispers, “It’s time daughter, the start is here. We have a war to win and babies to bring into a world, clear from the dark. Restore the balance.”

Frowning, I pause. I don’t know how but I recognize the voice and I think Gaia is talking to me directly. Pushing that golden nugget from I head; I seethe as I finish quickly donning my combat boots. I have no idea how the Veil could have fallen, other than the simple age-old answer, a traitor. That traitor’s ass was mine. Voice or no voice, Gaia can warn, but gods do not interfere. It was up to us and this was only the beginning. I felt it in my bones. The imposter wouldn’t come so soon, so these were some of her actual soldiers. Now it was time to prove myself as a queen and as a protector. Before I stepped out of my room, I wrote a note to my mates and to my friends, leaving it on my dresser. I paused and touched my belly, praying that we could overcome this battle with more of our men then Nici’s. Praying for anything else would be a wish, and a wish is a dream your heart makes, according to Disney, and look how wrong they were about fucking Faeries.

Palming two of my scythes in my hand. I no longer felt like myself, I felt grounded. I feel like power. Problem was I now had more than just myself or my mates, I had a part of all of us to protect.

I stepped outsidewith the guys and saw Kalen and Shea, and I nodded in their direction, internally rolling my eyes at Shea’s convenient timing to fucking be around me. Father of the year, folks. Looks like I have two. I make a mental note to contact my father outside of the Veil after we survive this shit.

“I assume there is a safe house where people are going?” Kalen nodded. “Good, I want no soldiers outside of it.” They looked shocked. “Don’t look so shocked, it's simple logic. I’ll ward it, soldiers there will draw them to the safe house. It will be a weakness that will be exploited and to these filthy fuckers, we don’t have a weakness, understood?” They both agree with small smiles on their faces. Don’t fucking smile at me.

“Point me to the direction of the building. I’m assuming you ran drills- how long does it take for everyone to fill the building after an alarm?”

“Two minutes, Queen.” Kalen responded, pride in his eyes, I wanted to roll mine, but it’s been a long day, I just wanted to make people to bleed and take my ass right back to bed where I can start buying onesies that say, “My moms and dads will punch you in the Fae-ce.”

“It’s been two and half minutes.” Letting instinct guide me, I put my hand to the ground and found the safe house by using the vines under the ground to guide me, I warded the house with everything nature had. If the traitor was in there, they will be hard pressed to get the fuck out. My wards were different; they were wrapped in anger and power. Sometimes traditions end up breaking a society, and I plan to rebuild this one.

I looked at Xena and smiled softly, “I know you want to be in battle, but please pop into the safe house and keep everyone safe from the inside. Let me know if it is breached.”

I will not let you down. Stay safe. She bounded away and disappeared, and I focused on breathing deeply and opening my senses. We are energy and elements, and right now the energy in me sensed hundreds of tainted entities. I cursed.

“We have several hundred soldiers here, and I don’t fucking think it’s a damn welcoming committee.” We jogged to the center of the village where the edge of the Veil was breached.

“I don’t know, maybe they heard of the party and brought cupcakes,” joked Ryder, always trying to lighten the moment, even now. I shook my head and laughed.

The smile quickly faded from my face when I saw who was standing front and center of the breach, surrounded by Dark Fae. Dean Motherfucking Alvor, that son of a bitchy Fae.

Our soldiers had already startedto engage the fighting masses. Kalen and Shea ran forward and, back-to-back, started cutting down everyone in their way. It would have been poetic to watch, if we weren’t about to jump into the fray. My mates surrounded me, Oberon with his face in shadows again. I palmed my scythe’s and started forward. I ducked as a dagger was thrown at my head. I sent out a pulse of magic and the creature who threw the dagger was incinerated. I crossed my weapons and infused them, going low as I cut through the legs of two incoming Unseelie and Hunter followed through and cut their heads off. His eyes glowed as he breathed deep and the fire of battle filled him with excitement.

Hunter and Grayson took my left flank, and Zane and Ryder took my right ,while Remi and Oberon covered my back. Knowing they had me covered was hard to swallow, I wanted to shelter them and keep them safe, but I focused on what was in front of me. Several Fae approached us at once, and to my left, Hunter and Grayson were engaged with five opponents. I’m not sure what they were considered, but they were black from head to toe and were able to disappear and appear at will. It was as if they could pop in and out of reality.

I growled when I saw a blade stab into Grayson’s side. His wound was pouring blood and he had to divert his attention in order to heal and attack. Hunter spun on the ball of his foot and continued the fight for both, parrying and slashing, his feral smile coated in blood and glowing from the magic imbued into his weapons. Although I knew from our connection that Grayson was okay, the idea of anyone hurting my mates was too much for my magic to handle, controlling ass bitch. She rushed to the front, seeking control, but I held her at bay until it was necessary.

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