Though, I didn’t tell them about my deal with Drollmor, or that the Bonecrown witches were around, looking for Farrah.
I stared at Luana, hoping she still had some kind of affection for me. “We were able to rally six other frost fae who aren’t too weak or hurt to help us, but that’s not enough.”
“You want our help,” Keeran said, his tone flat.
I swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Yes.”
Like true mates, Luana and Keeran exchanged a look. An entire conversation passed through their eyes in matters of seconds.
Finally, Luana glanced at me again. A slow smile crept up her lips. “Of course we’ll help you.”
It took over a day to organize everything, get werewolves and warlocks together, and move out to the Shade Fortress. An entire fucking day Farrah remained in that place, suffering at the hands of that crazy prince.
But once we arrived, it didn’t take long to put our plan in action.
As soon as the sun went down behind the mountain, Luana and Keeran led an army of a hundred wolves and warlocks, marching directly to the fortress front doors. They launched an assault the moment they were in close range, sending bolts of magic and ripping the throat of the fae who dared try to defend the fortress.
While they kept the soldiers busy and snatched the attention of the shadow prison, Ariella, Kayden, Daleigh, and I sneaked through the back. This time, we didn’t bother putting on glamours. We attacked the soldiers guarding the back gates full on.
With the surprise, they went down easily.
And then we entered the fortress.
23
Farrah
I wasn’t taken directly to Prince Lark’s chambers, as I thought. First, I was taken to my own bedroom, where I was ordered to bathe, then change into my most beautiful gown. A young female fae came in when I was getting dressed, to help me with my makeup and my hair. The poor thing didn’t look up once, and her hands shook so hard …
I couldn’t blame her. By now the entire fortress must have heard I tried escaping and that Jennie died in the process.
My stomach contracted. The other female fae, the winemaker, and now Jennie. All of them had died at the ends of the fae prince—because of me. Their deaths were on me, and I would never forgive myself for that.
After I was all dolled up, the guards guided me to Lark’s chambers on the other side of the fortress. They pushed me inside and closed the doors behind me with a definite thud.
I was locked in here with the evil prince.
Dressed in his best suit, Lark turned to me with a wide smile. “You look beautiful.” I winced. Coming from him, this compliment meant nothing. He stalked to me, like a predator sizing up his prey. “Relax, my dear Farrah. I’m not mad at you. I’m actually very amused and impressed. You have skills. You’re a strong fae, which means our children will be stronger than both of us together.”
I winced again, but this time I held on to the disgust that rolled within me. “We’ll never have children.”
Lark halted just a foot in front of me. “Of course we will. And we’ll start working on it tonight.” He gestured to his large bed across the room.
I shook my head, my eyes never leaving his. “You don’t understand. I can’t have your children, because I’ve already been with someone else.”
His dark eyes widened and his breathing stopped. A sheen of rage changed his expression from amusement to fury. He balled his hands. “You’re lying. You’re stalling so I won’t take you to my bed.”
“Here.” I showed him the looking glass I had brought with me. “See it for yourself.”
The prince’s brows curled down. Hesitant, he picked up the looking glass. He paced in front of me, his eyes glued to the looking glass as the images showed him the truth. I didn’t try seeing what he was seeing. I knew that somehow the looking glass would show him about Wyatt and me.
About my mate.
With a roar, Lark threw the looking glass on the dark stone floor, shattering it in a million pieces. I flinched from the flying shards but held my ground. I wouldn’t succumb to fear now.
With murderous eyes, Lark lunged at me. He closed his hand around my neck. “If you can’t be really mine, then you won’t be anyone’s.” Dark shadows appeared around him. His magic. “I’ll hurt you, I’ll torture you, and then I’ll kill you.”
I gasped, even though I knew this was coming.
He tightened his grip and I gagged. Focus, Farrah. I clutched his shirt and tugged him even closer. As fast as I could, I slipped my hands on his pants pockets. Bingo. My right hand closed around the Frost Pendant.
Instantly, my powers came alive and I embraced them.
Lark’s eyes rounded as he noticed what I had done. His grip loosened around my neck. With a wicked smile of my own, I rested my hands over his chest and sent my magic into him.
Inch by inch, the frost spread over his skin, inside his body, around his organs. In less than a minute, Lark had become a frozen statue.
I let out a long breath.
This wasn’t over yet.
Grunting, I pushed Lark’s frozen form until it tipped over and fell on the floor. He shattered just like the looking glass had. A million pieces scattered on the dark floor.
Prince Lark was dead.
I didn’t waste time. I flung the doors of his chambers open and ran out. The guards turned to me, but before they could blink, I had frozen them too.
I ran through the hallway and down the stairs. That was when I realized something was wrong. The only other guards I had seen were running to the front of the fortress.
Then a muted boom shook the fortress.
We were under attack?
“Farrah!”
I turned around, my hands up to send my magic out. But my shoulders sagged in relief. It was Wyatt, and behind him were Daleigh, Ariella, and a blaze fae. A blaze fae? I shook my head, not caring about that right now.
“You’ve come,” I said.
Wyatt grabbed my hand, holding tight. His eyes landed on my wrist, bracelet-free. A small smile crept up his lips. “Let’s get out of here.”
24
Wyatt
It was easier to sneak into the fortress, and then out, since it was in chaos because of Luana’s and Keeran’s attack. While we ran out, we had to fight only a handful of soldiers.
Once we exited through the back, Farrah told us about the Frost Pendant, how she got rid of the bracelet, and about killing the fae prince. I almost tripped at my own feet when she said that. Not that I was shocked she did, but then because our mission here was done. All we had to do now was make his soldiers surrender so we could take over the Shade Fortress, and Kayden could claim it.
But as we made our way to the front of the fortress to join Luana’s and Keeran’s forces, the ground began shaking.
Suddenly, dark smoke rose from the ground near the fortress, black and thick.
Magical.
We ran faster, putting some distance between us and the fortress as the smoke rose up and up, covering the fortress in darkness.
We reached the front of the fortress, where the battle seemed to have paused as fae, werewolves, and warlocks gaped at the thick smoke rising to the sky.