Page 96 of Wicked Fate

They didn’t tell me either. But the man that was in your bedroom—he’s like our great great great great…I trailed off.Fuck, I don’t know how many greats to put in before grandfather, but that was him.

The creepy guy in my bedroom?Her head jerked back.Ew. And why didn’t you tell me?

I just found out today, and everything has been going to hell since then.My head spun.And I wasn’t sure if I believed him.

Briar's expression shifted, the shock of the revelation giving way to determination. "We'll talk about this later. Right now, we have vampires to kill."

I nodded, relief washing through me at her understanding.

Kendric's hand suddenly dropped from his chest and touched my knee. His fingers trembled slightly, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

"Thank you," he whispered, voice raw with emotion. His eyes, clear and alert, held mine with an intensity that made my breath catch. "I was dying. I felt it. And then... fire. Your fire pulled me back."

Before I could respond, shouts erupted outside the SUV.

"Ryker! Ember!" several voices called in unison, their tones urgent. “Reid, Sun, Bruce, and Cassi want to talk to you. We need to move.”

"Stay here. Keep an eye on him." I glanced at Kendric. "He needs rest."

Briar pursed her lips and leaned her head back. "Go. We'll handle things here."

Ryker helped me out of the SUV, his hand at my elbow steadying me as my legs trembled. The energy drain from healing Kendric had left me weaker than I wanted to admit.

You should rest too,he linked, the skin around his eyes tightening.

I shook my head.Not a chance. I'm not sitting this out.

He inhaled deeply, but he didn't argue as we made our way toward Reid’s truck. Reid, Sun, Bruce, and Zoya were huddled around a map spread across the hood.

Reid tapped his fingers on the map. "We need to move fast. Ashlyn says the cloaking spell will start regenerating in about two hours."

"What can you tell us about the palace?" Sun rocked back on her heels. "You know it better than any of us."

Ryker leaned over the map, studying it for a moment before placing his finger on a spot near the center. "Here. The royal palace sits in the heart of what used to be the Grimstone pack's territory since we were their protectors." His finger traced a circle around the building. "It's fortified, designed to withstand attacks from all sides, but there are hidden tunnels."

Bruce frowned. "Entry points?"

Ryker nodded.

"This approach is solid," Zoya stretched out her fingers. "But if these tunnels have been there for centuries, could the vampires know about them too?"

"They were known only to the Grimstone pack’s inner circle. Even most of the royals didn't know they existed." Ryker rolled his neck.

I leaned my head on his arm. "Then we split into two teams."

"We’ll need a mix of our packs and witches," Reid replied. "Bruce, do you have any men who could meet us there?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "Yes, I’m mobilizing them now. Since the place is four towns over, we’ll be getting there right when the witch could be strong enough to cloak them again. We need to move quickly before they recover, but we can't leave our injured unprotected. There are about forty of them."

With her amber eyes flashing, Zoya stepped forward. "Ashlyn's unveiling spell can be performed again. She’s stronger than any witch I’ve ever seen, and she’s only ten." She gestured to the little girl, who was huddled near a circle of stones, watching us.

"That little girl is amazing." Despite my exhaustion, hope spread in my chest.

Ryker's hand slid to the small of my back as he addressed Bruce. "The injured can stay here. This is a campground, and they should be safe this far away.”

Sun clapped her hands together with a sharp, decisive sound that cut through our discussion. "Sounds like we have a plan. Let's load everyone up and go. If we're going to hit them while they're weak, every minute counts."

Around us, shifters and witches began moving with renewed purpose, their earlier exhaustion replaced by the electric energy of impending retribution.

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