Page 172 of Night Meets the Elf Queen

“My wife doesn’t lie. She never has. So, you want to kill me too? I thought primordials were bonded?” Atlanta boomed.

“We are. Which is why we need to band together to restore the balance. The way to Runevale is open again but unless this fight ends with the council, what’s to stop Valeen from closing it again?”

The anger started slipping, and Katana clamped her hands into fists.No, they can’t find peace or come to an agreement.“Look at him, Atlanta. He is cursed by demon magic. He shouldn’t have the immortal sword.”

“No, he shouldn’t,” Atlanta agreed. “I will take it to the council where it belongs.” He held out his hand and Synick angled his hip away from him.

“I was head of the council.”

“Long ago.”

“The demons have gotten to his mind,” Katana added. Holding Atlanta’s waist, she slipped behind him. “I can see it. You know I see auras, Atlanta. His is as black as a raven’sfeather. He is wicked. He is more demon than god now. We must take the sword.”

“Shut up, bitch,” Synick snarled.

“Do not speak to my wife that way.” Atlanta’s trident appeared in his hand, and he slammed the end of it to the marble floor with a loudcrack. “If you are trustworthy, give me the sword, and we shall go to the council together.”

“Two thousand years of torture wouldn’t make me give up this sword. I will go to the council myself.”

“He will poison Pricilla’s mind just as he has everyone else’s,” Katana whispered. “The aura doesn’t lie, blackness oozes from him. You know I speak the truth, Atlanta.” The truth was more powerful than all of his deception, and all she had to do was tell it.

Atlanta tilted his trident points at Synick, and Katana slowly backed away.

VALEEN

Paintingson the walls blurred as Valeen tore through the halls. She dashed past the guards and servants, down stairs and through twisting corridors. Talon and her group of friends quickly stepped aside when they saw her coming. Thane’s sister had been unusually quiet and kept to herself since the death of her mother. Probably afraid she’d be next.

She hurried past the towering bookshelves and the smell of old paper, until she found her way up the metal spiraling stairwell to Presco’s loft. He was pouring a deep-purple liquid into a larger beaker when she reached the top.

“My queen.” His brow creased with worry. “What’s wrong?”

She leaned back against the railing and took a few breaths. “He took her. Atlanta, took Katana, and Synick is with him. The wall is up so as long as she doesn’t allow them through they won’t be able to leave the city, but I have no idea where they are, and Hel and Thane are not back. We must go to them.”

“Right away,” he agreed and set down his vial.

They hurried down the steps, and marched side by side. Shelves of books towered above both their heads. A soft music played from enchanted strings in the musical section. “The only one who might be able to find her is Thane.”

Presco nudged his gold glasses up higher on his nose. “Why is that?”

It was strange to say aloud but, “I think he is her mate. A sun tattoo appeared on her back after they slept together. He might not know it yet but if he accepts the bond, he might be able to communicate with her or at least be led to her.”

With his brows practically hitting his hairline, he said, “I have been out of the loop. I wasn’t aware they were intimate. Are you certain of this?”

“Not certain because Katana didn’t see a mark on Thane.”

“He might have noticed it, don’t you think?”

“Unless it’s somewhere he didn’t see it. Or he didn’t tell anyone.”

Once they set foot out the front doors, one of the soldiers stopped her. “Lady, the king’s Ravens are coming back. They say it was a retreat. What should we do?”

Valeen’s heart skipped a beat, and she peered across the bridge and up the Valley’s hill beyond the castle grounds. Dragons came into view followed by the first of the Ravens. She gritted her teeth and the ruler in her came forward. “Prepare for an attack. All available fighters in the city need to get to the wall and to their stations immediately.”

Standingat the entrance in the city wall, Presco and Valeen watched for Hel and Thane. Elves in Raven armor, many she’d fought beside before, marched past them. Ronan soared above, signaling for his dragons to land inside.

She approached one of the Ravens and held up a hand to stop him. “What happened?”

“Lady Lightbringer.” He bowed his head then lifted his chin, face covered in mud and splatters of dried blood. “We thought we had victory in our grasp then their reinforcements came. A thousand or more. We had to retreat. There were… things we’ve never fought before. The High King has been warning us for months, but it was different seeing it.” He had a far-off look on his face. For having only just learned there were other realms and marching through a portal to get to one, they had a remarkable amount of trust in Thane. Enough trust and adoration to follow their High King into a battle with pale ones and not against them. They would follow him anywhere.

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