“What’s the matter?” Drek asked as the other guard took a shaky breath when he stopped before us.

“Smoke rising from the west,” he gasped. “Appears to be a pack gathering.”

Shit. I’d been so focussed on getting Isay out of the forest that I’d not disposed of the corpse. Drek’s glance my way indicated that he knew it too and considered me reckless if not outright stupid. It was my mess, and I would deal with it.

“A pack?” Isay whispered.

“Princess, it is time for you to return to your quarters,” I insisted. “I trust you will find your way.”

“Karmuth, if there’s a pack gathering—”

“Princess,” I repeated myself, not letting the new guard hear what she’d have to suggest. Likely something about needing to help out with that situation. Not going to happen; she’d feel ten times worse after repeating her previous party trick, and I couldn’t live with myself if she got hurt on my watch. “You will be safe inside.”

She looked like she wanted to protest but luckily took off toward the palace instead. Only looking back once to catch me trailing her departure with my eyes.

I hoped she’d stay in her room until the threat was over and one of us went to retrieve her.

“Delthers haven’t gathered in packs in ages,” the guard puffed—I didn’t know his name and frankly didn’t give a damn. “They must’ve been provoked. Pir said that someone went outside.”

Great, just what I needed, for this knowledge to spread until it came out me and Isay were behind this and the burnt patch of the forest.

I would make sure this would not go any further than it already had. Pir had to keep his mouth shut, or he’d find out what a death touch felt like. I would do it, too. I was extremely cranky all right.

The absence of Isay’s warmth against me left me grieving for it, and I wasn’t one hundred percent sane with the sense of loss and the delther’s venom slowly breaking apart in my bloodstream.

“Assemble the guard,” I ordered, since I was higher ranking than Drek to decide the course of action. “Everyone to the west towers, preferably with bows. We do not know how many of them are out there.”

“Yes, sir.” The guard saluted me, ready to follow the orders.

“One more thing,” I called out. “Whoever was out there is not worth mentioning, as they’re likely dead already.”

There was a warning in my voice that hinted on sanction should I hear any more mentions of it. He had to heed the warning, because from me there was only one possible punishment.

When the guard set off to gather our forces, me and Drek went straight to the tower.

“Be careful, Kar,” he warned. The electrified wall loomed straight ahead, and I could see the dark clouds rising above the forest already from where we stood. “She’ll make your life a living hell if you let her. You could’ve given her the blame and have less worries on your hands. If the king finds out you’re hiding something—”

“I’ll deal with it then,” I replied curtly.

He huffed, shaking his head. “Kar, you should reconsider—”

“I said I will deal with it then.”

“She’s his stepdaughter. What do you think he’ll do to her? You on the other hand? He expects more from you.”

“That’s enough!” I couldn’t stop the anger in my voice. Even though Drek had known me for years, he startled at my enraged shout. “You shall not say another word on this topic, and I expect Ronya to not utter a word either. Isay gave up a lot to do what she did for her.”

“It was just a rabbit.”

It hadn’t been just a rabbit. Not to Isay. I would’ve thought the same as Drek a few weeks ago, but something had changed since then. I’d seen the despair in her eyes. I’d felt her trembling body against mine.

The look I gave Drek shut him up. I was glad Isay had left, because I was sure I looked every part the monster she envisioned me as. Even Drek was afraid of me.

“I hope she’s worth it,” he finally said in surrender.

I knew he’d hold his tongue. Now I just needed to find Pir, and we had to take care of the delthers.

Based on the amount of smoke coming from the direction where I’d left the corpse, there were more than fifteen of them, and they were waiting for something. Reinforcements quite likely, as a full pack could be as big as fifty raging, smouldering beasts.

If that hit you, you’d be unable to see anything other than the smoke they emitted before you got hit by the tentacles. A pack this size would easily devour us for lunch.

Chapter 13

KARMUTH

THE TOWERS WERE CROWDED WITH ARCHERS WHILE THE WARRIORS gathered just behind the gate. I was a decent shot, but now that Prince Hiko was here, I needed to watch his back. I didn’t mind, though I felt a grip around my heart I couldn’t explain.

Must’ve had something to do with Isay. Every new sensation I’d had led straight to her. She didn’t care if I lived or died. I’d never cared if I lived or died either until now.

I said I didn’t mind playing the part of a trooper. Okay, I lied. I wanted to be safely in the tower, to survive this battle and go home to Isay. Even as completely ridiculous as that sounded. I had no home with Isay.

The smoke cloud moved steadily closer, and from the distance the sound of galloping hooves strode closer. The pack had reached its limit, and whether it was fifty delthers or less we’d find out shortly.

A flash of golden-brown hair brought my gaze away from the impending doom, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.

I would not be able to focus if Isay decided to not stay in her room as I ordered her to. Not that I had any authority to command the princess. I still hoped she’d have some common sense in her.

I searched the warriors around me, trying to see what had caught my eye while hoping my mind had played tricks on me. It hadn’t, but I let out a sigh of relief when I picked the queen out of the sea of black. It hadn’t been Isay.

Next to her, in full body armour stood the king. He was not happy to be dealing with delthers on his wedding week. He was likely more miserable with his queen insisting to stick around for the battle.

I for one was glad to have her on our side. If she could do what Isay had done in the forest I’d gladly have a pile of ash bordering our court.

As the noise grew closer my body automatically switched to fight mode. I’d killed one of those today already, my skin was crawling with the ecos Isay had pushed into me. I would last longer than any other warrior in this troop.

I was more worried about Drek beside me, who’d just gotten back his reason to live. The rest of my troop did not concern me as much.

“Archers, ready!” a fae called out, and the swish of hundreds of arrows being drawn silenced the rest of the warriors. Ferro was up there, while the rest of us flanked the prince.

The smoke was upon us, but when the delthers travelled in a pack, it always preceded the group. Everything grew still around us as we waited in the intensifying dark mist.

“Shoot!” the same fae shouted, and the arrows flew towards unseen markers. Several wails emitted from the smoke, but the pack did not slow as the rain of arrows continued nonstop after the first shout.

“The fence is going to keep them out,” Regar muttered. “It has always kept them out before.”

Still, several warriors jumped as the first delther followed the trail of blood I’d left behind and slammed into the iron. A sizzle of electricity followed the impact but didn’t stop the crazed animal.

Several fae with spears stepped forward, launching their weapons through the bars, hoping to kill the beast from safely behind the barrier when a second one suddenly sent the fence rattling, followed by another sizzle of electricity. The sparks flying highlighted the magnificent beast leaning against it and the warrior in front of it.