Page 121 of Guardians of the Assassins
They’d survived.
Though it had only been a few days, it felt like they’ve been gone forever.
She pushed herself upright but didn’t have the energy to stand yet. Loki was crouched on all fours, inching his way between the men to rest his head on her thigh. The wolves surrounded them in a protective circle, searching for a threat. They hunkered down, as if prepared to wait until she was well enough to move.
Across from the house stood three dozen confused vampires and approximately seven fae, a combination of light and dark, two of which she recognized—Cashure and Atlas’s cousin. Cashure and a few of the vampires smiled at the sight of her. When her mates refused to move from her side, Louis rose and took over. “I’ll show them around.”
Kincade nodded gratefully, then swept her up in his arms. He rose to his feet, and the rest of the guys followed as they headed toward the house. Ryder ran forward, opening the door. Instead of heading to the office, they all headed up the stairs, the guys forming a protective circle around her.
No one spoke as they stripped her, carefully inspecting her for any injury. They lightly ran their fingers over her skin but didn’t linger. She shivered at the touch of their hands, each caress bringing her out of her shock.
Atlas went to her closet, then dressed her in her most comfortable clothing. When Caedmon pulled back the blankets, Ascher swept her off her feet and deposited her on the bed.
“I think I can manage to walk a few feet.” She flashed them a wry smile, her throat slightly scratchy, but none of them were amused.
They deposited her in the center of the bed, Ryder sweeping the covers over her until she was tussled up like a burrito, with only enough room to wiggle her toes. Once she was securely trapped, the guys took up positions around the room.
Draven took a station by the window, Caedmon stood by the door, both standing guard. Atlas stood in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, gazing down at her unblinkingly. Ryder refused to leave her side, planting himself next to her so close his leg brushed against her hip, while Ascher and Kincade took up residence on the other side. Even Loki had jumped on the bed, then lay across the bottom, pinning her legs.
“Tell us what happened,” Kincade ordered.
Now that she was safe and under his watch, he would no longer be put off.
“Faerie is not what everyone thinks.” Her mind boggled at what she’d learned when she touched the tree of life. “The queens know the truth. It was why the light fae was so interested in obtaining the blood of the gods.
“Faerie was created when a god died and their blood was spilled. It soaked into the ground and absorbed her powers. Over time, the fae felt the magic and settled on the land. It helpedthem grow stronger. When the fae died, their power was soaked back into the ground.” She smoothed out the blankets, still rattled by the information. “They now feed off each other to stay alive, growing slightly stronger, neither able to live without the other. Without Faerie, the fae would weaken, and without fae, Faerie would slowly fade.”
The whole room fell silent at the unbelievable story, and she gave a slightly crazed chuckle. “Yeah, I can’t believe it myself.”
“How did you figure it out?” Draven wore a baffled expression.
“Because Faerie spoke to her when she touched the tree of life,” Caedmon responded, running a hand over the back of his neck. “It’s why the trees are so fiercely protected.”
Morgan confirmed his suspicions with a nod. “Faerie is sentient in a way, more emotions and feelings, but no direct thoughts. Her only goal is to survive.”
Ryder picked up her hand, then frowned when he glanced down at her palm, running his fingers lightly over her skin. “What is this?”
Morgan raised her hand, and her brows lifted in surprise. A deeply red symbol, the same metallic red sheen from the leaves of the tree of life, rested in the center of her palm. It was created from a single line, a diamond shape on the bottom with a swirly, partially upside down triangle balanced directly on top. “It’s a protection rune.”
Atlas sucked in a startled breath, his eyes wide in wonder. He took an unconscious step toward her. When he lifted his gaze, he stared at her reverently. “It’s more than that—it’s a vow of protection directly from Faerie.”
“Faerie claimed you for her own.” Caedmon looked both horrified and relieved. “You’re connected to her now, much like the fae.”
While Morgan didn’t understand all the ramifications, she had no doubt that Faerie had plans for her and her mates, but that concern was for a different day. Right now, she was just happy to be home and surrounded by her men.
“You can’t keep me locked in this room forever! It’s been three days.” Morgan paced the room from one end to the other, her feet cutting a groove in the floor, and she glared at Ryder the whole time.
The guys were overprotective freaks.
They insisted she was allowed to do nothing but rest.
And she was going out of her ever-loving mind. No amount of threats, pleading, or cajoling would move them…although a few no longer felt safe to come alone any more for fear they would give into her feminine wiles.
Morgan rolled her eyes at their dramatics.
They took shifts at watching her to make sure she didn’t sneak off. Well, except for Draven. After taking him on a midnight raid of the kitchen when the others were out, he’d since been banned from guard duty.
Her mates were taking things too far, the cavemen antics both exasperating and annoying.
