Page 17 of Fates of Monsters

I lift my head, fury burning through me as darkness floods my mind. I’m not alone anymore. I never will be. Emerson forms next to me in the dream, our mate bond allowing him into my mind and into my dreams. I smile as Louie looks shocked, and he actually takes a step back. He fears Emerson, but I don’t understand why. Louie is powerful with the crown, and Emerson is powerful too, but not in the same way. Darkness shakes the world around us, cracking darkness into the dream, making it look like an old, dried out painting, cracking under the pressure. “I will see you on the battlefield, Louie, and your time in our world will be over.” Emerson wraps his arm around my waist, never taking his eyes off Louie, and the look he gives him is more sinister than his shadows and darkness. “Now get the fuck out of my queen’s head. She. Is. Mine.”

The dream explodes In darkness, and Louie roars. I wake up breathless, and I turn to Emerson as he sits up in our bed. “He’s here.”

ChapterEleven

After waking up, everything becomes a blur, and I can barely get my thoughts in order. War is here and I know one of us will not survive this, and we might not win. The sword never told me if I win this war. I glance at the box in the corner, where the crown from the Rift Queen is hidden away. It feels wrong to use it, but maybe we shouldn’t leave it here. There isn’t time to ponder it as I continue getting dressed.

Emerson was out of bed in seconds, dressed, swords on his back, and barking orders to everyone nearby to get the armies ready as I throw my leather clothes on, clipping all my daggers in place on my hips and putting the sword on my back last. I find Emerson outside the throne room, talking with Nathiel and Ferris. Ferris bows his head my way. “Thank you for the warning. We will be ready, Queen Calliophe.”

“It’s just Calli,” I mutter, but he is already gone. Nathiel stays a few steps away from Emerson, waiting, as Emerson cups the back of my neck and kisses me. His kiss is consuming, his hot lips devouring mine like it’s the last time we will ever get to kiss each other. I refuse to let that be true. It will not be the last time. It can’t be. “I don’t want to leave you—”

I kiss him once. “You’re their king and I am fine here.”

He leans down, burying his head in my shoulder, and he groans softly. “It is fucking painful to leave you. I will be at your side long before he gets close to here.”

“I know you will,” I softly whisper. He needs to be there, getting the army ready, and I need to be here, making sure this castle is empty because Louie will be able to see it soon. He will attack here. We planned to evacuate the castle in the next few days, but Louie has surprised us for the last time. “Go be their king. I will get Nerelyth, your father, the kids, and anyone else here out of the castle before joining you at the front.”

As I lift my head, I see groups of Wyerns heading to the portals or jumping out of the windows to fly to the city. Thunder flashes outside the windows, heavy rain pouring against the old walls of the castle. It’s dawn, but the sky is dark enough that I can only just make out the rising sunlight. Zurine and Posy are together, running down the corridor to us. Posy meets my eyes and nods once. I speak into Emerson’s mind. “I have to free the gods. Posy said they have agreed to our deal.”

Emerson looks down at me, tension radiating off every inch of his body. His features ripple into his monster form. My monster king, the love of my life, my mate. “Make the deal. I will hold him off.” My heart lurches. I want to be at his side. “Calliophe, I love you. I’m thankful for every single second we have been allowed to have together, and there isn’t anything I would change. I am in love with you, my beautiful queen, and we will survive this. Death will not take the years we deserve together away. I have planned out those years with you, and we are going to fight for them. For us.”

Tears fill my eyes and I make sure they don’t fall. There is nothing I can say back to him that means more than three words, three words that are etched into my heart, soul, and mind. “I love you.”

Clearing my throat, I force my gaze away to Zurine and Posy. I can’t watch him leave. He looks at Zurine. “We need Lorenzo. Go to the witches. It’s now or never for their help.”

“Of course.” Zurine nods in agreement, looking at me. “Are you going to be safe here? I want to fight at your side, my queen.” She smiles as she calls me her queen. Zurine was always on my side, always told me I’d be her queen one day. She was one of my best friends from the moment we met. My sister in my soul and we even share blood…although distant. Posy and Nerelyth are the same to me. I want to fight next to her too, not send her away to the witches.

“I won’t be here for long. Posy and I have something to do,” I answer. “And we need Lorenzo and the witches.”

“I’ll help you on the way to the portals,” Zurine replies, and I look back, seeing Emerson is gone. Nathiel remains behind and I sigh. He is here to protect me, I’d guess. I should have known. He bows his head once, and my heart hurts when I meet his eyes. He looks so much like his brother sometimes.

“Let’s move,” I state, knowing time isn’t on our side right now. We get to Nerry’s room first, and I hold my hand up at the door. They wordlessly stay outside as I go in, the fae lights burning brighter for me. Nerry doesn’t look up, but she knows it’s me. She’s curled up on the bed, and she doesn’t even flinch when I pull her blanket back. She’s so pale, and the room smells of sickness as I push her red hair off her face. Her green eyes meet mine. “We need to leave here. I’m sorry, I know you want to stay in here, but you cannot.”

“Leave, there is no one here worth waiting for,” she dully responds.

I shake my head. “No, my best friend is here and too weak to fight. I’m not leaving.” I blow out a breath. “Please. I don’t want to fight you on this, but I won’t leave you here.”

I don’t want to warn her about who is coming, but we both know she is aware. “Leave me a dagger and I’ll be fine. He can take my dead body.”

The floorboards creak and I turn to see Nathiel step into the room. Nerry looks up, her eyes widening. “My brother died, and he would haunt me if I didn’t save you now. Don’t give up on life when his was stolen. It would be a dishonor to my brother. I know what happened to you, and most of us would understand if you wanted to give up, if you want to die, but your life has barely begun, and ending it now would let the monster who hurt you win. He would win with your death. I won’t plead with you to get up and live, but for Felix, I’m begging you to come with me. For my brother, for his memory, for how he was a good person who loved you endlessly.”

I expect her to scream, to do nothing, to ask for a dagger once more, but she doesn’t. She stares and stares at him. Tears so clear they could be jewels fall down her cheeks in the minutes that pass. “He died for me. He tried to protect me, and if I go with you all, you might have the same fate. I can’t…”

“You can.” Nathiel is firm, but gentle. He comes over and offers her his hand. “Come with me, Amor de Sereia.”

To my shock, she takes his hand. He helps her stand, and I grab a cloak off a hook on the wall and pull it over her arms, clipping it in the front. Nathiel nods at me, staying at Nerry’s side. She trusts him. It’s enough for me. Posy and Zurine are as surprised as I am when he leads Nerry out into the corridor, and we all head towards the mirrors without another word. We don’t have time to talk about it.

I stop to search for Emerson’s father, but he isn’t in his room or in the piano room. “Where is he?”

Posy runs off to grab Paxton and his friend. Zurine shakes her head. “I don’t know. He doesn’t usually leave these rooms. Let’s get Posy and the kids to the portal, and we can search quicker without them. He wouldn’t have gone far.”

“You need to get to the witches. Lorenzo must know—”

“Lorenzo is with the witches?” Nerry stops. “No! You can’t trust them! The queen—” She blanches. “She is in love with him, and they will side with the Rift army!”

My blood runs cold. Lorenzo has been there for a day. He’s been with our enemy for a day. No. “What did you just say?”

I turn to look at Posy, as the color drains from her face. From all of ours. She is holding a little girl, and Paxton is at her side, but I can see the world has disappeared. Nerry sobs. “Lorenzo is in danger. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry—”

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