Page 120 of Guardians of the Assassins
The screams were cut off so abruptly that the sound of silence echoed loudly.
Dark shapes began to wiggle and press against the darkness, wanting out.
“Morgan!” Kincade stepped in front of her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You need to stop. The guards have surrendered.”
She frowned, then glanced around the room in confusion. The soldiers had indeed surrendered, kneeling on the ground with their hands raised. They were surrounded by wolves, and her men were holding the weapons.
“They were going to kill you. Why should I stop? They will only keep coming after us.” With each word, the darkness pressed farther into the room, stealing two more feet as it moved closer.
Caedmon grabbed her elbow and pulled her around to face him. “Both queens have agreed to close Faerie. They give their vow to protect you. You will not only have your guardians, but you can have the vampires, Cashure, and a few of his men.”
“Really?” That was when she recognized Cashure amongst the guards.
And she couldn’t help but wonder if he sent them inside to be killed.
She must have spoken out loud, because he answered. “Never. I was ordered to make sure you stayed alive. If I wanted you dead, I only had to leave you for the patrols to find.”
She tilted her head and took a step toward him. “Who gave you the order?”
“I did. Faerie would’ve killed you had she wanted you dead. Who am I to go against her?” The dark queen studied the void with fascination, refusing to back down or show fear. Then she purposely turned her back on it. “Do you agree to the terms of the accord?”
Morgan glanced at her men and wanted nothing more than to go home.
“Very well.” She released a begrudging sigh, then walked toward the void wall and placed her hand against the surface. It rippled under her touch, as if in welcome, before it collapsed back into itself, leaving behind a faint echo of the solar system etched on the wall in a swirl of purples, blues and blacks. If she stared at it long enough, she’d swear that it even whirled.
It was a stark reminder of what would happen if they ever broke the accords.
The spell to bind Faerie was relatively simple—a sacrifice of blood.
They entered a hidden room behind the throne, and Morgan gasped in surprise to see a majestic tree fill the space. She approached the ancient tree reverently. Hundreds of gnarled branches hung low, the leaves a deep red that carried a metallic sheen the color of blood.
“It’s called the heart of Faerie—a view very few are privileged to see.” The dark fae queen paused at her side, gazing up at the tree with pure adoration. “There are only two left in existence.”
“Why share it with me?” Morgan asked, suspicious of her motives, the tree obviously special to Faerie.
“Things will become clear after the ritual,” she murmured softly.
The light fae queen stopped on the other side of the dark queen, a moue of disgust on her face. “This is a waste of time. Without the blood of the gods, it won’t work.”
“And yet we will do it anyway.” The dark fae cut her hand without hesitation and painted a sigil on the tree. The light fae sliced her hand reluctantly, affront in every line of her body.Morgan followed their lead, her cut shallow so she wouldn’t leave behind even a drop of wasted blood.
Together, the three of them reached out at the same time, placed their hand on the tree, and activated the spell.
Instead of touching the tree, it felt like she connected directly to Faerie. Her palm warmed, and flashes of memories not her own flooded her mind. Before she could process the information, a blast walloped her in the chest, sending her flying backwards, and she landed with a nasty thump that knocked her on her ass.
Her brain felt foggy, everything distant, her ears ringing like she’d gotten hit with an electrical shock.
“Morgan!” Ryder roared, then a stampede of feet thundered toward her.
“What the fuck happened?” Draven was pissed, his voice full of vengeance and retribution.
Morgan groaned, cracking open her eyes to see her mates dropping to their knees around her. She scanned their concerned faces, only breathing a sigh of relief when they looked whole.
And safely back home.
Tears burned her eyes at being back at the coven.
They’d made it.
