Page 111 of Renegade Kings

Fizzle hissed again, diving to the side when Dean swatted out at him. But then, shaking his head, Dean’s eyes widened as he glanced around our group, realising what we’d done and where we still sat.

The magic that had been building inside of me was gone as quickly as it had started and my hand came to my chest as I rubbed at the strangeness of the empty feeling it had left behind.

What had just happened?

“I’m sorry, Fizzle. You’re right. We shouldn’t have tried to do something so risky at a time like this.” It seemed like the right words to say, but I didn’t for the life of me know what we’d started or how it had escalated so quickly. We’d only been trying to test out the connections between us.

Fizzle apparently had nothing left to say to us as he turned on his wing and soared away, his grumbled insults still recognisable as he left us once again with nothing but questions.

“I’m sorry,” Ryder said. “I didn’t mean to start something that…”

“It’s not your fault,” I quickly interrupted. “None of us could have known that would happen, and while it’s not something we can do again now, we definitely need to attempt it again soon. Did you… I thought…”

How did you ask someone if they heard a voice in the wind without sounding like a crazy person?

“Hear a woman whispering something I couldn’t quite make out?” Dean finished wryly.

Wow, so apparently it was that easy.

“What the hell is going on?” Tank asked, reaching for me as if to check me over.

I shook my head in denial because I didn’t have any answers for them. And whilst I was freaking out about what it could have been, there was also a part of me that was happy. I, at least, knew now that I could access a power I hadn’t even known existed between us.

The problem was, I had no idea what door we’d opened and if it would cause us problems in the future. But what choice did we have when it was the only thing that could potentially save us all tomorrow?

Chapter 44

Tank

Dean was securing Damon to a nearby tree, and he glared at him with a hatred I didn’t think the brother had possessed before he came to Nymeria. Apparently, being repeatedly chained up wasn’t something Damon liked, but realistically, it was more likely the nightmare we were seeing right now. We hadn’t thought through bringing him with us. Obviously, we couldn’t take him onto the battlefield with us. We had no idea if he’d turn against us or even if he’d take the chance to run. He still could if he tried hard enough.

None of us could stay behind to watch him. We didn’t know if proximity would be an issue with Alyssa accessing the bond, and it wasn’t a risk we’d take.

This was the only choice we’d been left with.

Damon was looking around as Dean tested that the chains were secured. He looked confused. Maybe it was actually Damon we were dealing with, at least for now.

“This isn’t the Autumn Court,” he realised aloud. “What’s happening?”

It was obvious we were preparing for the fight. Our fighters had abandoned their packs and were testing their armour and weapons. The atmosphere alone was sombre enough to know something was happening.

Alyssa was the one to answer him, and for some reason, it felt right that it should be her.

“No. This is Arik’s training camp at the top of the Ice Falls. We attack in an hour.”

There was no point hiding it from him now. Even if Arik had some kind of connection with the nightmare, there was little he could do to move his forces in time now. Not when they were on a completely different coastline.

“But… but he saw it. You don’t understand. Arik has something that lets him glimpse the future. He saw you freeing the Autumn Court.”

“A court isn’t really a place. It’s the people who live there and the magic they wield. It’s the connections we have with each other and the love we share. These people deserve to be free, and they will be. Once we liberate them, the Autumn Court will be saved.”

Damon’s mouth hung open as he shook his head in disbelief, and then his expression changed as he looked around himself again. It was a look of hope, and an expression I hadn’t seen on his face before.

Maybe he wasn’t lost to us yet, after all.

Dean, Maddox, and Ryder all said a hasty goodbye to their brother, who still looked like he couldn’t believe what was actually happening. It was hard to watch. What Damon was going through was affecting their bond even if they didn’t want to admit it, but none of them wanted to walk away from this moment without at least saying something.

I moved away with Alyssa, letting them have some peace to do what they needed to do.

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