Chapter 28
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Seraphina turned and ran to the front door, frantically clicking the locks and bolts. She threw the door open, bolted out, faster than a pregnant woman has ever moved before, and bounded down the steps like a rabbit.
It wasn’t over. I braced myself to fight the shifters on the lawn.
I looked out on my little front garden and let out a slightly hysterical bark of laughter. Bronwyn was there, wrestling the big shifter into a chokehold, a huge smile on her face.
So that’s why they hadn’t come after me yet.
Bronwyn and her hostage rescue team had arrived.
Two men, one woman, all wearing non-descript jeans and hoodies with serious expressions on their faces crouched low, hiding behind my small hedge.
The other three shifters were lying on their stomachs, their hands zip-tied behind their backs. Two of them were still unconscious.
Bronwyn spotted me and nodded, her hands still wrapped around the shifter’s neck.
“Bart got away,” she called. “We saw him drive off with Martina in the front seat, you just missed him.” The shifter’s eyes closed as he went limp.
She waited another moment, then rolled him onto his stomach and wrenched his arms behind his back.
A man stepped forward and zip-tied his hands together. “They’ve all got outstanding warrants,” he said in a clipped voice. “Some bad shit, too. I’ll call it in on a burner. Let’s get out of here.”
“Thanks, Mike.” Bronwyn jumped to her feet. “Come on, Susan, we gotta run.”
We had three blocks to run to get to the portal. I fell into step beside her. It would have been great to have Cecil here to change my outfit; I was still wearing my silky black dress. At least I had the Nikes on my feet. “Please tell me Connor didn’t kill any cops.”
“No,” she puffed. “Cress and Fionn engineered a wreck a block away from the station so they couldn’t get there.
Connor magicked off his cuffs, broke the car door, and slipped out as soon as the cruiser came to a stop.
He left the Andresanos behind. But he did break an officer’s hand getting his phone back. Otherwise, no humans died.”
I exhaled in relief. “He’s called his army. They’re all coming.”
“I know,” she said. “Cress says there’s a huge swarm of banwyn gathering at the Marina portal.”
“He’ll come with them.”
“The swarm is really big.” The hesitation in Bronwyn’s tone made my heart skip a beat. “She’s worried. They’ve been feeding.”
I didn’t say anything for a minute. I knew they’d been feeding. And I could guess what he’d been feeding them.
Everything. Everyone.
For Connor, the banwyn were a very convenient, expendable army.
He wanted them to be able to enter into every realm and every world with him, so he’d been feeding them the blood of as many different creatures as he possibly could.
I had no doubt they could enter the berserker realm easily.
By now, I expected some of them could go to the Upper World.
Expect the worst, hope for the best. “We can take them.” I ground my teeth as my feet pounded the pavement.
“He’s coming to wipe us out; I saw it in his eyes.
He wants the high fae spark stone more than anything.
He knows I’ve got it, and he knows it’s still open.
But he’ll let his army go first, and the banwyn second.
As usual, he’ll sweep in behind all of them. ”
We made a sharp left, heading towards Cow Hollow.
Suddenly, I was swept off my feet, but I kept moving at a blistering pace. I let out a little shriek. “Donovan!”
“Chosen.” He pressed his lips to mine quickly and hungrily, still running like a madman towards a chic little strip mall. “Forgive me; I could not wait at the portal any longer. My arms ached to hold you; my heart made my feet move to meet you as you approached. Are you well?”
“I’m fine. You can put me down.”
“I do not want to.”
Bronwyn called out from beside me. “Just go with it, Susan.”
Cress had appeared out of nowhere and was carrying Bronwyn, too, holding her in her arms, running just as fast.
“Let yourself be loved!” Bronwyn added.
I took her advice, snuggled into Donovan, and noticed something. “You’re wearing your battle armor.” Cress was wrapped in reptile leather and matt-black armor, too. God, I hope nobody saw us.
“My human clothes were ruined by banwyn blood. And I am more comfortable going to war in my own war-clothes.”
I bottled up my anxiety; I had enough to worry about. Thankfully, both siblings slowed to a jog as we reached the glass doors of the gym. A blinding neon light above the store read HIIT IT - For all your high-intensity workout needs.
Fionn stood outside; he’d changed back into his fae battle armor, too. He bowed when he saw me. “Lady Susan. And Lady Bronwyn.” A smile pricked at his lips. “I am so glad you are both well. I am blessed that my favorite children have chosen their mates so well.”
I gave him a smile.
A huge, familiar woman in bright-pink booty-shorts and a tiny crop top stepped through the doors. “Thank Arnold,” she cried out. “You’re here!”
I waved. “Hi, Candice.” Donovan placed me gently on my feet, and Candice wrapped me up in a hug. “Thanks for coming.” My bones groaned.
“Everything is set,” she said. “Are you ready to go through?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Donovan said at the same time. “Eryk and Nate are not back yet. They are making sure Audrina is safe.” He frowned. “And where is Cecil?”
“I’m here!” He padded forward in Labrador mode and shimmied into his usual duocorn form as soon as he walked into the reception of the gym. Standing upright, he put his hands on his hips, struck a pose, and threw me a wink. “Eryk and Nate are coming, too. Five minutes, tops.”
“We can’t wait,” I said. “We have to move now. Connor will be moving his army into the berserker realm as we speak.”
“He is,” Candice said grimly. “We already got word from the southern plains. They’re starting to empty out on the lowest level.”
“Good.” That’s where we needed them to be. “Can one of your people wait here to escort Eryk and Nate through?”
“Sure,” Candice said, leading us into the gym. A handful of over-muscled, slightly purple berserkers milled around inside. She clapped her hands. “Team up, everyone!”
A huge purple man with a mullet and a mustache, wearing a cropped shirt, swaggered towards me. “You’re mine, Chosen One.”
I recognized him. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Todd, but I don’t need an escort through the portal. I have berserker blood, remember?”
He pouted. “I forgot about that. Well…” He brightened. “You did promise me a rematch.”
“If you have any energy left after the war, Todd.” I put on my “patient teacher” voice. “I promise I’ll give you a rematch.”
He gave a fist pump. “Yesss.” He marched over to Bronwyn and thrust a finger at her. “You’re with me, sweet cheeks.”
Cress’s eyes bulged. “Did you just call her sweet cheeks?” Her hand went to her daggers.
“Honey!” Bronwyn called out sharply.
“Oh, dear God.” I rolled my eyes. “We’re all going to die.”
Donovan wrapped a huge arm around me and hugged me close to his body. “Then we will die together.”
Candice made Todd wait for Eryk and Nate as punishment for trying to fight Cress—I quickly showed him pictures of their faces so he would recognize them, just to be safe.
“They might be wearing some weird stuff,” I said, by way of explanation.
“Got it,” Todd said, a little sulky. He crossed his arms over his massive chest and plonked himself down in a chair behind the reception desk.
We walked to a small changing room. In an alcove between two lockers, a ring of purple flames circled a pitch-black void.
“Is everyone ready?” Candice took Bronwyn’s hand. An older male berserker with thighs bigger than my whole body took Fionn’s arm. Cress sulkily permitted a young man to take her arm.
I took a deep breath and held Donovan’s hand tightly. “Ready.”
It didn’t matter if we weren’t. We were going in.