Page 89 of A Story of Sinners

The coven was assigned to monitor the various cracks in the barrier, casting spells in hopes the cracks would remain invisible. My eyes lingered on Eulalia and Isadora just across the field, where the barrier met grass. Fin flew overhead, constantly monitoring.

They would oversee the closest and riskiest tear of them all, the one Aiden’s army currently stood outside of. He would never know they were casting spells—the only thing he could see on our side of the bubble was the two witches using the guise of a picnic to openly cast spells while pretending to have a conversation. It would be impossible for him to hear the words they spoke.

Dahlia joined me at my side. “How long has he been doing this for? I’ve never seen him or his army there.”

I spoke, not removing my eyes from the mortal man. “His army has attacked the bubble daily, but they’ve circled all locations of the barrier. This is new. He’s not usually with them.”

She sucked in a breath, staring at the man who’d once held her prisoner. “He’s not doing anything, Ryken.”

“I know.” I shrugged.

She grabbed my arm and pulled my eyes to her panicked ones. “No. I’m not saying he’s not a threat.” She waved her arm out to him, George at his side and the army at their backs, all standing around as if bored. “I’m saying thathe is not doing anything. Aiden is always doing something, planning something. He wouldn’t sit around and waste his time if he didn’t have a plan in place. He’s waiting, Ryken. He’s waiting for something to occur, something that will allow him entrance.” Her head shook. “You need to kill him. Now. Before it’s too late.”

My eyes measured the male outside the barrier, and I could see it now, what she meant, though I already had a hunch. There was a look of surety in his expression, a smug look of pride. She was right; something more was happening beneath the surface. My spine straightened as I examined the tear. I could simply walk through and destroy him, but it would give away the location. I could sift to the tear just outside of the spring court, but that meant I would be forced to leave Dahlia’s side. “You wanted the honor of killing him. Is that still the case?”

“No,” she said, her expression cast in stone. “I just want him dead before anything happens to you, to my friends, to Redmond.”

All their names had been spoken outside of the dragon court, everyone except for Gabriella’s, and now, all of them were here, on the spires of the palace wall, watching, waiting for their deaths to come to fruition. I grabbed her hand. “I would have to leave your side,” I whispered. “If anything happened to you—”

She cut me off. “My name wasn’t spoken.”

My lips flattened into a line, and I issued a nod, waiving over Keiran, Gabriella, and Redmond.

The three came running. “Redmond, I’ll need you to monitor the wall while I’m gone. I’m going to sift to the spring court, walk through the crack, then kill them all. Kieran, neither Dahlia or Gabriella’s names were called. That means they are the targets. Take them to the tower and lock them away. Keep them safe.”

Dahlia opened her mouth to argue. She wanted to be a part of the fight and felt it was her duty to protect the ones she loved, but Kieran gripped her shoulder, letting a small amount of his power slip through. Her body froze, joints locking in on themselves, and a glazed, horrified expression crossed her face.

The look of betrayal she issued would surely haunt me.

She would be trapped in that nightmare for a while, whilst locked inside of a tower filled with iron and wards. I wouldn’t hold her captive for long; just long enough for me to destroy Aiden’s army and return to my wife, safe and sound.

I hated doing this to her. I thought I wouldn’t, but sometimes, we had to break promises to protect the ones we love. It was always possible that something like this would occur. It’s why I didn’t claim her. There was always the risk I would be forced to go against her wishes, and I’d already put her through enough hell as it was.

Kieran departed quickly, one arm holding Gabriella as she admonished him, the other holding Dahlia. Once she was safely gone and trapped away from harm, I dipped my head at Redmond, bidding farewell and preparing to sift.

The sound of swarming wings filled my ears, and my gaze whipped to the barrier the witches had been patrolling. Eulalia and Isadora stood straight, hands linked as they shouted a spell, no longer pretending to enjoy their assorted spread of appetizers.

Dark shadows spilled in through the crack, wrenching and cleaving it apart, and beyond those shadows stood the demon king, Malachi, an army of shades at his back.

It was too late.

There was a reason Dahlia and Gabriella’s names hadn’t been called, and it was because the two armies had come for them and only them. The rest of us would die. Orders spilled from my lips, commands to attack and defend. Evander and his summer court soldiers remained on the wall, drawing their bows and awaiting the opportunity to strike. The autumn court lord and his soldiers sifted to the yard outside the palace, funneling immense power, preparing for an attack. The mages ran from the inner staircase, spilling out into the yard below, muttering spells and drawing on their elemental abilities.

The dragons flew through the sky, some coming from other courts as they received the mental message from their lord that the time was now. The place was here, in the central kingdom. Fin roared in the sky, soaring above his mate, green and gold scales shining as he opened his mouth, fire collecting and swirling just behind his teeth.

The only court not present was the spring court. I cursed beneath my breath.

Lyra. She knew. She knew this would happen. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d been the one to reveal the location of the crack out of pure spite.

I gripped Redmond’s shoulder. “You are a scientist, a scholar. You will come with me and search for a weakness, any weakness that can help us.”

He put his hand to his chest, a solemn vow, and I sifted us to the grassy lawn.

We waited and watched as the shadows slowly pulled and tore at the small opening, putting enough pressure on it to tear the entire barrier that wrapped around Faerie down. It would only be a matter of time.

At least Dahlia was safe.

As if he had been summoned by the thought, Kieran appeared at my side, sending out a vibration that would call the soldiers of his court for aid.

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