“I love you, too.” Torion reached up and wiped her tears away. “I couldn’t ask for a better mother. Just, please”—he paused and swallowed, blinking back tears—“please come back.”

  Tenia nodded and pressed her lips to his forehead. She didn’t allow herself to linger because she wouldn’t let him go if she did. Releasing Torion, she rose to her feet. Skender’s hand reached out as if to grab her, but she stepped back and shook her head. “If everything you’ve said to me is true, if I really mean so much to you, then you will protect him until your last breath.”

  Skender’s eyes glowed bright with his wolf. “You know I will. I can’t tell you not to do this. But I don’t have to like it.”

  “Maybe we were mated for such a time as this.” Tenia took another step back and wiped her eyes. “Maybe this is why we’re true mates. Not because we were meant to have a future together. Whatever the reason, Skender, I am very glad we met, that you are mine, and I am yours. No matter how short that time may be.” Tenia’s stomach churned, and she felt bile rising in her throat.

  Skender’s eyes glowed bright with his wolf as he spoke. “I love you, Tenia of the fae, mate of mine and mother of our son. I will do everything I can to protect you both. Always.” A single tear slid down his cheek. Torion slipped his hand into Skender’s and leaned against him. Skender used his other hand to brush gently at her son’s hair. “We will be waiting for you, won’t we, little warrior?” Torion looked up at Skender and smiled. Even with tear-stained cheeks, the boy looked so determined. Skender had done that for her son. He’d built the boy’s confidence, shown Torion that he mattered.

  “Thank you,” she said and then flashed before she could fling herself in his arms, snatch Torion up, and take them as far from all the bloodshed and war as she could.

  Tenia reappeared behind the main building of the compound. The tears were falling freely, and she knew she needed to get herself under control. She hurried around the side of the building, wiping quickly at her face, ignoring glances from the supernaturals milling about. As soon as she stepped in the building, she looked up. People were walking all along the second story, which looked down over the main floor. Tenia searched for Myanin, her eyes darting around from one end of the overlook to the other. Then she saw the djinn step out from behind a large wolf. She walked in her usual confident manner, with her shoulders pulled back and chin jutting out, daring someone to challenge her. The woman’s head didn’t turn, though Tenia could see her eyes moving in all directions, taking in everything around her. As she walked, those in her way seemed to subconsciously step aside so as not to slow the djinn’s stride.

  She wanted to yell out to Myanin, to warn her to be on the lookout for Peri, but she couldn’t very well do that in a building full of loyal Order members. She started forward, heading toward a set of stairs that would take her to the second level. She’d only made it twenty feet when there was a flash of light, and then everything went dark. The building shook, and Tenia froze. Rumblings, growls, and curses filled the room, but they lasted only a moment. From one breath to the next, the darkness was replaced by blinding light. It was so bright Tenia had to shield her eyes. She squinted, looking toward the center of the room where she remembered Torion’s drawing had shown Peri. Her breath froze in her lungs as she took in the power that was the high fae.

  Perizada’s feet hovered several feet off the ground. The white dress and cloak she wore billowed around her, its movement coming from gusts of wind that had no natural way of existing inside the building. Her skin was illuminated, and blue fire danced across it, rippling and rolling as if caressing her. There was another pulse of power that caused the building to groan, and then everyone Tenia could see was on the floor, including herself. Her knees hit the ground with a painful thud. She sucked in a breath and forced her eyes to stay open and focused on Peri.

  “I am Perizada of the high fae, ambassador of the Great Luna.” Peri’s voice filled the space. Her glowing eyes looked around the room. They appeared to make contact with every single person, and when they did, the person on the other end of Peri’s gaze began to shake until the high fae looked away. “Judgement has come to the Order of the Burning Claw,” Peri continued. “The evil that fills this place is too great to be allowed to continue. This soil will be purified, the malice purged from every crevice. When all is said and done, the sacrifices made on this day will be worth the ends achieved. The world will be rid of the filth that is the Order. From this day forward, any remnant of the Order will be snuffed out, and there will be no mercy for those who have worked alongside them.” Peri paused and took a deep breath, then added, “May the Great Luna have mercy on you. I will not.”

  Tenia was suddenly flung backward. Peri’s head snapped to the sky, and light shot from her eyes, mouth, fingertips, and feet. Heat engulfed Tenia, and she felt as if her skin was going to melt from her bones. She couldn’t scream because she couldn’t breathe. The pain was too great.

  The ground beneath her began to move. It started as a tremor but grew in intensity until Tenia’s body shook right along with it. The walls of the building bowed in and out with the amount of power Peri was exerting. Some of the people around Tenia attempted to get up, but they collapsed back to the ground as if they’d been pushed by an invisible giant. Some hit the floor so hard the concrete cracked. Self-preservation started to kick in, and Tenia pushed herself up until she was on her knees. Her shoulders pressed down toward the ground, and her spine felt as if it might snap at any moment. She took a shallow breath and forced herself to calm down so her lungs would relax, though it was a monumental effort because her skin still felt as if it was being cooked. Tenia shifted, but she froze in place when the high fae spoke again.

  “You have been judged!” Perizada roared. “You have been found guilty, and you will bear not only the judgment of your own transgression but the responsibility of the deaths of the innocent this day.”

  More magic filled the air. The fire that moved over Peri crawled down her form until it touched the floor. It began to slide across the ground, like flames following the path of fuel. It branched off into arms that originated from their master. Peri’s head lowered, and her eyes followed the progression of the fire as it reached body after body and ignited them. The bellows and anguished wails were a sick serenade to the massacre happening around her.

  Tenia couldn’t take her eyes off of the horror around her until she saw blue moving out of the corner of her eye. Her head turned slowly, knowing what she was going to find, though hoping she was wrong. Blue flames undulated across the floor, slithering like a snake toward her. Tenia felt like she was under a spell, being charmed by the power and unable to flee. When it was close enough that she could feel the heat on her face, her mouth opened of its own accord, and she screamed, “PERIZADA!”

  The fire suddenly stopped advancing, though it continued to dance like a deranged killer, eager to do its master’s bidding. Tenia ripped her eyes away and looked to where the high fae hovered, righteous anger and resolve written on her face. Their gazes locked. Then Tenia saw a hint of emotion in Peri’s face. The high fae’s glowing eyes widened as she stared at Tenia. Her mouth tightened further across her beautiful face, and for a second, the light dimmed just a bit. Tenia blinked, and the brightness returned. Peri’s breathing was so hard that Tenia could see her chest rising and falling.

  “DON’T DO THIS,” Tenia pleaded, her words stilted as she fought the pain and magic that held her still. “THERE’S GOT TO BE ANOTHER WAY.”

  Peri’s head slowly moved back and forth. “There is no time to wait for another way.” The high fae’s voice filled Tenia’s mind. “The Order’s strength is growing faster than we can build an army to fight them. They must be stopped, no matter the cost.”

  Tenia’s brow furrowed. “Innocent life is never an acceptable cost,” she responded, using the fae magic that allowed them to communicate in such a way. It was foreign to Tenia because she’d not used it in a very long time, but at the moment it was easier than forcing words from her mouth.

  “What do you think is the cost of war, child?” Peri asked, reminding Tenia of how young she was in comparison to the ancient fae. “Are not those innocent who lose their lives fighting against evil? Do they not pay a price?”

  “By their own choice,” Tenia practically growled. “You are not giving the blameless ones here a choice. You’re stealing it from them.”

  “It is the task of the fae to police the supernaturals. I will not allow this depravity to continue. The innocents here have had their chance to leave. They could have chosen not to be party to what the Order has accomplished.”

  Peri’s words were a slap to the face. Tenia could have attempted to escape with Torion, and it would have most likely ended in torture and death for both of them. That was an unacceptable risk. That was no choice at all. She would not allow her son to be hurt, so long as she had breath in her lungs. As if she’d conjured her son by her thoughts, Torion appeared. He stood only a foot away from Perizada; his tiny figure looked even smaller next to the glowing, hovering high fae. Seeing him gave Tenia the strength to rise to her feet. Even once she was standing, she still could not move. Bone-deep fear filled Tenia, and she howled his name. “TORION!”

  Her son did not acknowledge her. Instead, his focus was on the high fae. The destruction continued around them. Tenia stared in fascination and horror as her small son stood boldly before the righteous glory of Perizada. His mouth moved, though Tenia could not hear what he was saying. Peri’s face slowly returned to that of a fierce warrior, though her eyes held a small amount of gentleness. The high fae shook her head, but that didn’t seem to discourage Torion. He stepped closer, and Tenia wanted to grab him into the shelter of her arms, but she still couldn’t move.

  His precious face was filled with passion while he spoke. Torion moved his arms away from his chest where they’d cradled something against him. Once fully outstretched, Tenia could see what her son held. The five fae stones, somehow smaller so they’d fit into his little hands. The surprise at seeing them only lasted a second because several things happened at once.

  Peri’s body jolted. A ring of blue power pulsed from her body, cutting through the air, its radius growing as it filled the space. Torion threw the fae stones into the air, and they flew in different directions. Tenia flung her body forward, trying to get to her son, but she was still rooted to the ground. Peri lowered herself until she knelt before Torion. She pulled him into her arms, tucked his head into her shoulder, and then her eyes met Tenia’s. “I’m sorry,” the high fae’s voice whispered into her mind. Another blast of power exploded from Peri, and the room was engulfed in light and fire. Tenia fell, her body collapsing until she laid on her back, her head hitting the ground. She stared up at the ceiling, watching it disintegrate until the night sky was revealed. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she saw the bright moon staring down at her. “Please, protect him,” she whispered, her final prayer to the Great Luna, even as the heat ripped through her body. The pain was like nothing she’d ever felt. All she could do was pray her son would live, that he wouldn’t endure such agony. Finally, the torture was too much, and her mouth opened. “TORION!” Her tormented cry was not just for her physical suffering, but for the indescribable loss that filled every empty place inside her, destroying any hope that might have once been.

  “This is not the end,” Skender’s voice suddenly filled her mind. She felt his hand cup her cheek and his lips against her own. Rage, pain, and determination flowed through their bond. Skender’s wolf fought the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him. It believed they were losing their mate. And maybe they would, despite the fact that she could feel the man's determination to somehow prevent her death. “You don’t deserve this. You and Torion deserve a beautiful life filled with love. I will make this right. I will trade my life for yours and our son’s.”

  Tenia choked on a sob. She kept her lips shut tight, knowing that if she allowed herself to open them, she would start screaming and might never stop. She would enter into eternity gutted and ruined, unable to do anything more than writhe in the agony of loss. Unless she could convince herself that Torion was safe. Somehow, Peri had managed to save him. She simply had to believe that because the alternative was too terrible to comprehend.

  Tenia turned her head and watched in complete horror as every building, body, and object was eaten by the flames. Everything was gone, just as Torion’s picture had foretold. And then the floor beneath her shuddered. The solidness of the ground disappeared, and her body fell. Skender was wrong. It was the end. Blue fire surrounded her until it was all she could see. “I love you, Skender. I would have fought for us. I would have fought for you.”

  Tenia closed her eyes, letting go of her fear and accepting her fate. Darkness swept over her, and then there was nothing.

  Chapter

  Fifteen

  “I’ve heard it said that the best things in life happen unexpectedly. Maybe, once upon a time, I would have believed that nonsense. But now I realize how foolish that statement is. At best, surprises have a fifty-fifty chance of turning out bad. Those aren’t great odds. If you happen to be at war with a group of evil supernaturals bent on taking over the world, then those odds go up to about ninety-nine percent.” ~Kara

  * * *

  One minute, Kara had been jogging, allowing the stresses of the day to leave her body like the sweat dripping from her pores. The next, she was pulled into the forest by an unseen force. An arm wrapped around her waist like a steel band, and a hand came over her mouth. Kara tried to bite the hand, but it tightened until she was worried it might break her jaw. If she was being abducted, she'd really rather not have a broken jaw, too.

  She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt a burning sensation down her arm. The iron smell of blood hit her nose, and then she felt something pushing into her mind. It hurt. Her mind began to feel hazy, her thoughts sluggish, and pain beat at the inside of her skull. It was worse than any migraine she ever remembered having. It seemed the pain would last forever, but then it disappeared in an instant. And so did something else. Kara didn’t know what it was, but all of a sudden, she knew something was missing that had once been a part of her. It was as if a part of her brain had simply been switched off.

  “If you scream, Cain will rip your heart from your chest,” a deep voice said in her ear.

  Kara nodded, and then the hand dropped away. She turned and faced three men. She didn’t recognize any of them, though they were obviously supernaturals of some kind because she could feel their magic. It was oily and dark and slithered around her. “What is with you guys and ripping out hearts?” She wiped her mouth, trying to get the feel of the hand away.

  “It’s an efficient, quick death,” the male on her right said. He had dark hair and eyes, giving him a mysterious look. “Though it can be a tad messy.” His grin revealed sharp incisors. Vampire.

  “There will be time for questions later,” one of the other men said. His long white hair reminded Kara of Peri’s. His steel-grey eyes bore into her with entirely too much interest, and the sharp angles of his face made his smile look sinister. “For now, all you need to know is that I am Alston, high fae and one of the leaders of the Order of the Burning Claw. This is Cain, king of the vampires, and Ludcarab”—he motioned to the man who’d remained quiet and simply stared at her—“the elf king. Introductions done, we must be on our way. There is much to do.”

  Kara did not appreciate the giddiness that filled his voice. “I realize that being creepy is sort of a bad guy's MO. But you’ve taken it to a whole new level.”

  Ludcarab chuckled. “She’s feisty. I like her.”

  And I don’t like you, creepy elf man.

  “If you seek to offend me, you will have to do better than that,” Alston said. “We have big plans, great and wondrous plans. And you are just one more step in seeing those plans come to fruition.” He grabbed her arm, and the other two males laid their hands on either of his shoulders, then he flashed.

  When they reappeared, they stood on a hill that looked down over a large valley currently engulfed in blue flames. Nothing was left untouched. Kara’s mouth dropped open. She watched as the land began to collapse, the blue flames following it down. The ground shook so hard that she stumbled but managed to stay on her feet.

  “I’m going to go out on a limb and say this wasn’t a part of your great and wondrous plans.” Regardless of her situation, Kara really wanted to laugh at what she was seeing. She knew the destruction laid out before her must have been their compound. Now, it was a massive sinkhole of blue fire. She turned her head and looked at her three captors who’d taken several steps toward the blaze. The looks on their faces were nearly identical—absolute shock and horror. Their eyes widened and mouths dropped open. Kara used their momentary distraction to attempt to reach through her bond but realized even before she started that she wouldn’t feel Nick. They’d done something to her mind. The three males were still gawking at their lost headquarters, so Kara did what any captive would do. She whipped around and ran. Her arms pumped in rhythm with her legs. Within a few seconds, she was gasping and her heart was trying to climb up out of her throat. Maybe I should have done track in high school. She’d made it less than a hundred yards when she suddenly slammed into an invisible wall. Thankfully, whatever the magic consisted of, it was a bit more forgiving than brick. She bounced back and fell on her rear end, but she didn’t think she’d broken anything.