Page 70 of The Ruthless Fae King
I stood there in shock, trying to process what was happening, when Queen Kailani suddenly swam into view. She held a dagger, had soot on her fingers, and smelled oddly of… moonshine.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
She gave me a grim expression. “Lucien’s powers… barely work. The blood transfer weakened him considerably. We didn’t know that before you left.”
The world around me tilted then, causing dizziness to wash over me. Lucien saved my life, and in return I took his power? He’d never forgive me. Panic surged inside of me as I thought of our people out there getting slaughtered while Lucien couldn’t protect them.
A group of Nightfall soldiers advanced towards us then and Kailani reached down into a bag she had laid at her feet. Coming up with a moonshine bottle, she lit the little strip of cloth hanging out of the opening. It flared to life with fire and she chucked it at the oncoming men. When it crashed to the ground at their feet, it exploded, causing me to jump backwards with a yelp. The men retreated, some of them on fire, and Kailani readied another moonshine bomb.
Holy fae. This was war.
I peered out into the chaos looking for Lucien and found him. He was out in the battlefield with his men, throwing small little bursts of snow and ice at an advancing group of Nightfall warriors.
I didn’t think, I just ran. Guilt swirled inside of me as I thought about how he must be feeling. When Marcelle had cuffed me and I’d been without my power, I’d felt dead inside. I imagined he was going through the same thing. To be drained of power right before a war… it was a death sentence.
It was as if he sensed me. He turned, and when his gaze fell on me he dropped the sword he held and I leapt into his arms. A whimper ripped from his chest as his hands came up to grasp the sides of my face. “You’re alive,” he breathed.
Tears fell on my cheeks as war raged around us. I didn’t even know what to say.
I was about to start trying to form some kind of apology for stealing his power when someone yanked me from behind. I spun, preparing to fight, and came face to face with a beautiful white-haired queen wearing the Embergate crest on her breastplate. She was covered in blood and held a large hunting blade and a wild expression.
I knew who this was…Arwen Valdren,the dragon king’s wife.
“Are you the one who has the winter king’s magic now?” she asked, looking from Lucien to me.
I swallowed hard and gave her a nod.
“Thank the Maker you are finally here!” she said and began to pull me backwards, towards where her husband was still in dragon form. Lucien followed, leaving the frontlines and jogging after us.
I was so lost in this moment I just let her pull me around because with every second I was starting to feel like everyone here was going to die and Lucien was never going to forgive me.
I took his power.
When we got to the dragon king, Arwen looked me deep in the eyes. “I wouldkillfor my little sister. How about you?”
I swallowed hard, sobered by her serious question. I gave her a curt nod and she looked at the saddle on her husband’s back. “Those bastards tried to take your kin and they’ve been killing our men all day. Remember that now and make themhurt.”
I was so shocked by what she said that I just allowed her to shove me into the saddle. Lucien suddenly jumped in next to me and then Drae took off to the skies with a violent jerk.
“What’s happening?” I asked him, peering down at the ground as Arwen grew smaller. “Why are we flying again?” I didn’t want to leave, I wanted to help. I’d never met the dragon queen before, but it looked like she’d been fighting alongside our people all day and I respected the Hades out of her for it.
Lucien looked battle worn and weary. His was covered in snow and blood. Hopefully not his own. “You have to build the ice wall. We need time to regroup,” he said quickly. “Are the other courts coming?”
I was still in shock at this turn of events, but I nodded. “They are.”
Lucien grasped my hands and took them in his. “Madelynn, look at me.”
I turned and met his gaze. “Youhaveto save our people. I need you to call on the winter power you hold and build an ice wall as tall as a building.”
Panic spiraled inside of my chest. “Lucien, I don’t know how. I have made just a single ice shard—”
His hands dropped mine and then gripped the side of my face. “You can do this. I will help you. Wehaveto try. They’re slaughtering us.”
Seeing into his swimming gray eyes, I was wracked with guilt. If his people died because I stole his power, I would never forgive myself.
“Okay, tell me what to do.” I shook out my hands as he let go of my face, then I peered over the side of the dragon king. There was a line of bodies all along the border between Nightfall and Thorngate. Snow flurried everywhere as his men fought, but bursts of flames melted their hard work. The queen’s men had Summer Court power, among others, as I saw a small wind tunnel blow over one man.
Lucien leaned into me, pressing his mouth against my ear. “The trick with winter is that it’s unforgiving, brutal, and cares little for life.”
