Page 145 of Kingdom of Chaos
Talon and Imogen rush over to help. Talon gently eases Ensley from my arms, holding her carefully against his chest.
“You did good, Freckles,” he murmurs, his eyes steady and reassuring. I want to believe him, but I’m too rattled to smile back.
“Let’s find Becks and Titus,” I say, forcing the words past the tight knot in my throat. “Then we get out of here.”
Forty-Three
We leaveKerrim’s vampires behind in the reptile house. I don’t know if they’re dead or alive, and honestly, I don’t care. At this point, all I want is to get out of this zoo, and out of this park, with all my friends still breathing. This whole night was a disaster, but at least we have Ensley back. As far as our mission to get Shadow Striker back from Kerrim, that will have to wait. I worked as hard as I could to prepare, but Kerrim was stronger. I need more time. So whether this was a missed opportunity or not, I’m just grateful we’re leaving with our lives, ready to fight another day.
Ensley comes to in Talon’s arms around the time we exit the zoo. Her lashes flutter weakly, her breath shallow and ragged. By the time we reach the clearing where we left Becks and Titus, she’s fully awake, struggling to lift her head and take in her surroundings.
“Easy,” I whisper, brushing a damp strand of hair from her face. “You’re safe.”
Her eyes, dull with exhaustion but wide with panic, search frantically until they land on something in front of us, and thenlife sparks back into them. She jolts in Talon’s arms, squirming to be let down.
I follow her line of sight and instantly know why: Titus.
He is still slumped on the ground, pale and barely moving, but now there’s a figure crouched beside him, a woman with a halo of dark curls and a satchel of supplies, her glowing hands moving swiftly over his battered body. Kade stands nearby, issuing clipped orders to his remaining forces, but his sharp gaze turns to us as we approach.
Talon gently sets Ensley down and she stumbles toward Titus, going as far as to push past her shocked brother to fall to her knees at the broken fae’s side.
The healer pauses just long enough to reassure her, “He’s critical, but he’s holding on. He’ll make it.”
Titus’ eyes crack open, glassy but alive; a broken smile twists his bloodied lips. His fingers twitch, reaching for her. Ensley clasps his hand in both of hers, tears streaming down her face.
Becks crouches down beside his sister, pulling her into a fierce hug, his breath hitching.
“You’re okay. Thank the Creator you’re okay.” His voice is raw, breaking on the words.
After a minute, he lets her go and stands. Turning to me, he pulls me in for a tight, almost breathless hug.
“Thank you for getting her back.” His gaze shifts to Talon and Imogen, the gratitude plain in his eyes. “All of you, thank you.”
Talon nods in acknowledgement, and Imogen shrugs like it was no big deal, but even in the low light I catch her cheeks reddening a little.
Kade takes a step toward us, his expression strained. “The fights around the park are breaking up. My teams are pulling back, just holding the barrier as long as they can to keep humans out. We need to leave. Now.”
The healer presses a bandage over Titus’ ribs, securing it tightly. “He’s stable enough to move, but he’ll need help.”
Talon and Becks exchange a look, then crouch to lift Titus carefully between them. Ensley clutches one of Titus’ hands, refusing to let go even as we move. Imogen falls into step beside me, her usual sharpness muted by the exhaustion in her eyes.
But we don’t make it far.
A chilling ripple of power slices through the air. Sharp, electric, and unmistakable. The temperature drops, the ground vibrating beneath our feet. We freeze mid-step, the hair on the back of my neck rising.
Kerrim.
Before we can react, a blast of searing magic erupts from the darkness, slamming into the ground in front of us. The shockwave sends us sprawling, a blinding flash lighting up the night as the air crackles with raw energy.
This night’s not over yet. Not even close.
I start to get to my feet when Talon’s voice cuts through the commotion, fierce and ragged. “Stay down!” he shouts as a fiery ball streaks over our heads close enough that the heat singes the air and prickles across my skin, making me flinch as it slams into a tree behind us and explodes in a shower of embers.
“Locklyn!” Kerrim booms from somewhere in the darkness, echoing across the night and sinking like a stone in the pit of my stomach. “Come face me so we can end this. I promise not to harm your friends. I’ll even let them return to their world when this is over. You have my word.”
Lying flat on my belly, I exchange a glance with Talon. His eyes are sharp, unyielding. He doesn’t believe Kerrim any more than I do. But it doesn’t change the fact that I still have to face him.
I let Becks go up against Kerrim before, and look what happened. He was stranded in the human world, stripped of hiscreature magic. I won’t let something like that happen again. I won’t let someone else fight my battle. Shadow Striker is bonded to me. If anyone has a shot at taking it back from that monster, it’s me.
