CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Snow swirled across the battlefield.
The open space loomed far ahead, on the other side of the army that had gathered for Fallen and humans alike.
They’d parted like the Red Sea when we arrived, and hundreds of heads swiveled as we passed.
The final dregs of sunlight poured over the horizon and shone on their still faces.
I couldn’t decide if they were staring because everyone thought we were doomed, or because of the picture we made.
We did look pretty impressive, in my opinion.
Earlier tonight, Ariel had braided my hair back in several pieces that rested against my scalp.
So it would be harder for someone to grab in the battle, she’d explained.
I also wore the dark armor Viessa had sent over, which would make it even harder to fuck with me.
It was lighter than it looked, and I’d already half-forgotten about it.
The black plates made the slightest sound when they shifted with my movements, like whispers.
The final piece of my ensemble was the sword Gwyn’s blacksmith had forged. It was secured to my saddle at the moment, and there was a sheath on my back for later. Those ornate etchings caught the light with every step.
But I knew it wasn’t my face, my armor, or my sword that had everyone so spellbound.
No one had ridden a kelpie in thousands of years.
Sarod’s enormous body rippled beneath mine, and he held his head high as we passed the throngs of wererats and fae, displaying the fins on either side of his skull.
So far, we hadn’t exchanged a single word since we’d found each other.
I got the sense it was a kindness on Sarod’s part, since he knew how much his voice hurt me.
He was bigger than any horse I’d ever seen.
Certainly bigger than he’d looked in the water.
His coat was pure midnight black, and every so often, his scales caught the light in shimmers of purple and green.
As we passed the rows of fighters, Sarod’s white eyes roved over their faces, and he let out a deep sound that sent the closest figures skittering back.
I gritted my teeth and held the reins tighter, as though that would make a difference if my mount did decide to help himself to a snack.
Luckily, the crowds kept a wary distance from us.
We continued riding toward the front—Collith, me, Viessa, and Nuvian.
I craned my neck to search the crowd, looking for anyone familiar.
There had been no sign of Lyari or Nym at the house and I’d assumed I would find them here.
Cyrus and the others had left slightly earlier than me, but I didn’t see them, either.
My scan ended on the faerie riding beside the Unseelie Queen.
He must’ve felt my gaze, because Nuvian glanced over at me with an ill-disguised expression of contempt. Unable to resist, I blew a kiss at him.
“Fortuna, stop torturing my brother,” Viessa ordered.
Nuvian was openly glaring now. His expression made me think of Damon when we were kids, during one of the long road trips I’d teased him relentlessly in the backseat. My lips quirked, and I forced myself to look away. “But it’s so much fun.”
Viessa didn’t respond. Tonight, she was the Ice Queen.
Frost had spread over half her face, and her eyes shone such a bright, unnatural blue they almost looked white.
Shards of ice grew from her shoulders like spiked armor.
She’d left her fingers bare, exposing the black tips where she gripped her horse’s reins.
Her armor was similar to mine, and her horse—a dappled gray—must’ve been protected by a spell, because it didn’t seem to mind the layer of frost that had spread over most of its hide.
Its frozen mane clinked like eerie wind chimes with every step.
Halfway to the front, the sound of a neigh sliced through the air, and everyone turned in unison. The army had parted again, and a faerie rode toward us, sitting atop a gigantic white horse.
It took me a beat to comprehend that I was looking at King Laurelis of the Seelie Court.
He had never looked more like a fallen angel …
or a faerie. He wore intricate, gleaming armor that rivaled even his moonlight hair.
As Laurie drew nearer, I noticed there were delicate carvings along the edges of the breastplate, twining flowers and coiled vines that made me think of spring.
A silver circlet rested upon the king’s brow.
Laurie knew he had the attention of the entire field, of course, and he held it like he held his Court. Confidently. Dramatically. And maybe just a little arrogantly, too. Once he reached us, taking the spot on Collith’s other side, Laurie drew back on the reins. A gust of wind stirred his hair.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and I could tell Collith was fighting the same instinct. We all knew Laurie had planned his entrance down to the second. “Oh, are you? Are you really?” I drawled.
Nuvian muttered something under his breath.
As our small party continued toward that empty battlefield, the Seelie King’s bright eyes moved down my body. He took in the hair, the armor, and ended with the beast I rode. Laurie’s eyebrows rose with approval, and then he gave a slow shake of his head. “Fortuna Sworn … my work here is finished.”
A smile tugged at my lips as I realized that was how we’d started, Laurie and I—with the clothes, the looks, the messages I sent with an outfit or a streak of makeup.
He’d taught me the value of such things, along with the knowledge that even a dress could be used as a strategy.
I had also learned the benefit of restraint when the time came for it.
I was about to reply to Laurie when an unearthly scream tore through the night.
The sound made me picture a creature with long teeth and flesh-tearing claws, and my smile died instantly.
I turned my face back toward the horizon, wondering if I’d see whatever had made that noise against the fading sky.
“If you die, I’m taking your sword,” Laurie said without looking at me. His tone was grim.
“I’d miss you, too,” I said distractedly.
I didn’t look at him, either, because we’d reached the front.
Despite my relentless training, in spite of my constant warnings to the others, I wasn’t prepared for the sight before me.
I searched the army Lucifer had amassed, feeling the slow rise of disbelief.
It was so much worse than I’d imagined. There were so many.
The devil’s army writhed like a sea of wings and teeth, and the necrool soared above them, huge, winged carnivores that I had once watched from Lucifer’s tower.
He’d kept so much from me during my time in Hell, I thought as I scanned the creatures that looked like they had crawled straight out of a nightmare. Every one of them probably had a different ability or power.
And those things weren’t the only deadly opponents we’d face.
Amongst the demons were Fallen, too. Witches, goblins, werewolves, shapeshifters.
Creatures from my world that had pledged their lives to the Dark Prince and his cause.
As far as I was concerned, they were traitors.
I’d take no pleasure in their deaths, but I wouldn’t feel bad about them, either.
I strove to sound like Laurie as I added, “If I do die, please donate all my organs to those in need. Except for my middle finger—give that to Lucifer.”
My companions were silent, and the moment I finished speaking, I went quiet, too. Every single creature in the Flint Hills stared upward.
The Wild Hunt had arrived.
They came from the skies, just as they had when I’d been the quarry of this ancient, powerful force.
The sounds the horses made were not the sounds of normal beasts.
Goosebumps rose along my arms as ghostly screams echoed through the cold gloaming, but my prickle of fear was nothing compared to the relief I felt. I fought to keep a hard mask in place.
Gwyn had kept her promise. She’d shown up.
Although I couldn’t sense any fear coming from across the field, I noticed many of those distant figures watching Gwyn warily while others shifted in agitation.
Nervous chitters and shrieks echoed through the cold, and when I heard that, a flare of triumph lit up the gloom clinging to my thoughts.
The Wild Hunt was infamous and feared. Gwyn’s reputation might’ve held less sway in Hell, but to the Fallenkind fighting for Lucifer, this would be a terrifying development.
The huntress seemed completely unaware of the massive horde behind her.
Without sparing them a single glance, she swung her leg over her dark steed and dropped to the ground, her boots landing with such force that a cloud of snow billowed up from the half-frozen soil.
Laurie had made it a point to draw attention to himself, and I knew this was another show of power.
I decided to make one of my own and nudged Sarod forward, going to meet the huntress.
As she stalked toward us, the muscles in her thighs rippled with every step.
Her hunters remained where they were, watching silently.
It was the first time I’d seen Gwyn in armor, but unlike Laurie’s, her suit was simple and unadorned. She’d braided her hair similarly to mine, probably for the same reason, and the result was beautifully ferocious. A black line was smeared across her eyes.
The makeup was a stark contrast compared to my plain features—I hadn’t painted my face today.
Today, I wasn’t hiding.
Once we were within a few yards of each other, Gwyn stopped. I swung my leg over Sarod, dropped to the ground, and closed the distance between us.