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“It seems to me that we would do best to transport everyone directly to the Great Hall,” Argus said. “It’scentrally located and it’s the largest space in the castle. We’re less likely to run into each other or cause any magical accidents with doors opening on top of people.”

“We should send some people into the gardens around the castle and the cloisters, too,” Leo added. “It would be to our advantage to have the army both surround the castle and attack it from within.”

“I volunteer to lead part of the army into the gardens,” Bronnen said, raising his hand.

“I can help with that,” Hellis seconded.

“I want to stay with you,” Nikkos said, gazing adoringly up at me.

His scent was suddenly strong and overly sweet. It reminded me of something. Something I didn’t like.

“How soon do we need to move?” Selle asked, glancing first to Gildur, then to me. “I know we need to let the soldiers rest and recover a little, but the faster we get to the castle the better.”

“I agree,” Azurus said. He stood slightly apart from the rest of us, his arms wrapped around Misha, who stood leaning back heavily against Azurus’s front. Clearly, gentle Misha wasn’t doing well with the conflict. I admired him for sticking it out, though. “Some of us have things at home that we need to get back to as soon as possible,” Azurus added.

My brothers and their mates all exchanged looks or stepped closer to each other. Each and every one of them had left eggs behind, some of them very close to hatching. As dedicated as they all were to the cause before us, I knew and they knew that at the end of the day, this was not the world they would stay in.

“We need to go within the hour,” I said, glancing at Rumi. My mate had a hand on his belly again, and I couldfeel the depth of his concern for how fast our egg was growing within him. “Spread the word to the soldiers. Make certain everyone has eaten at least something and rested as much as they can, but they also need to be ready.”

The order was given, and everyone spread out to make certain the entire army knew what was happening. I took Rumi aside, sat him down with his brothers, and made certain he had food and drink as well.

“You have to tell me if you reach a point where you cannot go on,” I told him when we had a few seconds to ourselves. “You’re already taking a huge risk just being here.”

Rumi grinned at me. “I’m taking a huge risk having your egg to begin with, you wicked dragon.”

I laughed, filled with love and pride in my mate. So much that I pulled him into my arms and kissed him again.

Once again, we were interrupted by Nikkos clearing his throat behind me.

I pulled away from Rumi to see what the omega wanted. For a flash of a second, I thought Nikkos’s face was contorted in a mask of rage, but before I could even blink, it was back to being as sweet, charming, and wide-eyed as ever.

“We’re ready to go,” Nikkos said. “The other dragons are ready, and the soldiers have lined up to go through the magical doors.

Sure enough, beyond Nikkos, Osric’s entire army had arranged itself in three lines. They were all armed and ready to begin the next phase of the battle.

“Let’s go, then,” I said, stepping away from Rumi but keeping his hand in mine. “There can’t have been enough time for Freslik and his men to make it back to the castle yet. Surely, we’ll have surprise on our side.”

“Don’t we always?” Rufus asked, winking at Tovey.

I consulted with my brothers briefly before the six of us spread out and opened doorways directly into the parts of the castle we’d agreed upon earlier. Osric’s men gaped in wonder at them, and once they were given the order, they started to march through.

“Let’s get this over with as quickly as possible,” I said, stepping through the doorway I’d made into the Great Hall with Rumi at my side.

“Yes, let’s,” Nikkos said, following tightly behind us.

I glanced over my shoulder at the disconcerting omega, intending to tell him he didn’t need to stick so close to my side. But as soon as he passed through the doorway, everything about him changed. It was as if the magic I’d wielded acted as a shower of purity that melted away all subterfuge. The sweet face shifted into a more pointed and horribly familiar one. Nikkos’s small, soft body hardened into bonier lines and more angular features. His sickly-sweet scent grew even stronger as well. The scent of cherry cordial.

I felt Rumi’s shock even before he gasped, “What happened? Who is that?”

Even before the ear-splitting crash of lightning filled the Great Hall, causing everyone to hunch and cover their ears, I knew. “That’s Nazeing.”

Chapter

Eight

Rumi

Iknew something wasn’t right about Nikkos! As soon as we stepped through the doorway Emmerich had created into the Great Hall, Nikkos’s appearance changed entirely. He was still an omega and as such was short and slight, but this new appearance was more scrappy than lithe and definitely sharper.