Page 57 of King

They disappear behind the others, and I scramble toward the doors to follow them. The cave gryphon swoops overhead and lands in front of me, blocking my way. I snap out of it and sigh, knowing I can’t go with him.

Being torn apart like this over and over again is leaving scars on my soul. This is the last time. If he survives, I’m never leaving his side again. If he falls, I’ll be joining him still.

Chapter 20

Durin

The gryphon releases me from its tight grip just outside the tree line. My feet thud quietly against the ground as I land, and I quickly turn to Folas and put my finger over my lips. He nods and looks nervously at the intense Alphas in front of him.

The gryphons fly off, but they don’t head back to the castle. They veer toward the shouts and howls outside the castle’s walls. One by one, they dive into the chaos. Screams erupt almost immediately after their descent. Moments later, one gryphon reappears, flying toward the forest with a noble clutched in its talons. His white uniform is drenched in blood. I’m not sure if it’s from the battle or the gryphon itself, but either way, that noble is done for.

With the kelpies, wolves, and now gryphons all working together, the nobles stand no chance. The seer was right. They have it under control. I can finally shift my focus to the queen, free from the gnawing worry for the others.

I turn back and notice a dark path snaking across the lifeless ground, leading into the trees. The bases of the trunks near the path are blackened, and the encroaching darkness seems to claw its way up, reaching hungrily for the branches and leaves above. Inside the castle, colors fade. Out here, it feels like light itself is lost.

There’s no rustling of leaves or roots guiding our feet. It’s eerily still and far too quiet. As we move along the path, the darkness beneath me feels like it’s sucking me in. I move as stealthily as the Alphas, but Lucas has to hoist Folas over his shoulder. His clumsy movements betray his lack of training.

After a few minutes, the ground vibrates beneath my feet. I stop, and the others halt behind me. Peering ahead into the shadows, I catch sight of the queen on her hands and knees beneath a small copse of blackened trees. Dryad trees… or what once were.

Her fingers trace patterns in the dirt as she murmurs to the ground. She’s absorbed in her task, completely oblivious to our presence.

“Is it her?” Vaegon asks, appearing to my right.

I nod and take a step closer. When he and his brothers follow, a loud hissing and shrieking fills the air around us. I don’t have to see to know it’s the lost mixed fae. They immediately begin peeking around tree trunks and crawling out of the underbrush, forming a mob that moves quickly toward us.

I search the shadows for Kahras, but he doesn’t seem to be controlling them. They’re under the queen’s spell, submitting to her power. There’s no recognition in their eyes from the day I met them in the dungeon. They seem to want me dead, just like on my first day in the castle.

Vaegon and I could easily defeat them, but he could have ended up just like them. And Kahras cares for them. They matter. We can’t just kill them and move on. I turn to see Vaegon raising his hands to strike as they close in on us.

“Don’t kill them,” I tell him. “Just disable them.” He nods in understanding and turns to face them.

I raise my hands, trying to work out how to keep from harming them too severely. But before we can bring a spark to our fingertips, the mixed fae freeze mid-step or on their handsand knees. Some close their eyes and sigh, while others look around frantically before stumbling forward.

Straight toward Anders.

If I needed more proof of his elven heritage, this would do it. Anyone else would flee from a hoard of mixed fae coming for them. Not Anders. He stands unfazed, calmly observing them as they approach.

“The spell…” Lucas mutters as the mixed fae gather around his brother. No hissing or growling. They’re no longer violent. They’re emotional, falling at his feet and grasping at his clothes. He lets them, even opening his arms to the ones who haven’t reached him yet.

Folas peeks out from behind a tree and asks, “How is he doing this?”

I don’t bother responding to him. “Anders, stay here with them. If their rage returns, call for us. And make sure Folas doesn’t run off.”

He nods, and his brothers smile proudly at him before falling in beside me. I take one last look at the peaceful mixed fae, hoping Kahras is alive to witness what Anders can do for them.

We move forward without worry of the mixed fae, closing in on the queen in seconds. She doesn’t even glance up as we approach. She’s either relying on the mixed fae for protection or lost in whatever task she’s currently in the middle of. Or maybe both. She’s filthy and disheveled. Her hair is a stringy mess, and her dress and hands are stained black from the ground beneath her.

I missed it before, but now that we’re closer, I notice a body on the ground beside her. My heart sinks when I notice the light blue braid lying beside it, caked with dirt and leaves. It’s Kahras.

I can see his chest rise and fall with his breath. Thankfully, he’s still alive. His eyes snap open and meet mine as a tear rolls down his face. He stayed with the mixed fae until the very end,and I’ll stand by him now. He has the missing piece to his cure. I’ll make sure he gets to use it.

I start to shout for Lucas to get Kahras out of here, but I freeze when I see strange shadows sprouting out of the ground all around him. The black wisps snake over his body and tighten around him, holding him in place as the queen continues to murmur to the dirt.

Kahras quickly grows pale, and his eyelids droop. But the queen seems to flourish. She rises to her knees and stretches her arms out to each side. Her eyes flick open, and tiny shadows spill out and begin swirling around her. The weight of her magic presses against us, growing stronger as her dark ritual continues.

Kahras is her sacrifice. The darkness is draining his life to fuel the queen’s power.

“We need to kill her while she’s distracted!” Vaegon growls.

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