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“I love you, Ruslan.”
“I love you, Izidora. Until my dying breath, and after.”
Voices drifted beneath the doors of our room, breaking our moment and forcing us to face what waited in the Agrenak Mountains. With a low groan, Ruslan unwrapped me, but he did not release my hand as we strode into our living space, where Liliana, Endre, Drazen, and Zuriel were all dressed for battle.
Endre had donned pieces of metal armor over his leathers, a symbol of his loyalty that wasn’t lost on me. His peridot eyes shone with a hardness that surprised me for the sensitive male, and he dipped his chin at me, acknowledging his future empress with deference.
Stepping forward, I looped my arm through my mate’s, and the others closed in around us, easing Ruslan’s magical burden. With a lurch, we landed in the war room at the barracks, where the officers were already arguing and soldiers raced in and out, requesting orders and rushing off to relay them.
The chaos ceased the moment their emperor arrived. Ruslan stood at his full height, his presence commanding obedience and loyalty in a way that made my core clench. He launched into battle plans, deciding that we had to attack first and control the field. The Night Fae could pop into existence beside us, and we needed to keep the fighting out of the Iron Realm.
Drazen, Artur, and the others agreed readily, and given they hadn’t seen the Dragons flying overhead, we had an element of surprise. The sun was dipping lower in the sky, and I chewed my lip as I glanced repeatedly out the window. If we were going to attack, we’d need to do it soon, before we slipped into darkness.
“The Night Fae’s magic is stronger at night, shouldn’t we wait until tomorrow?” I said, my voice wavering slightly.
“No. We need to attack now.” Ruslan’s tone was firm, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Trust me,”he spoke mind-to-mind.
Without missing a beat, he continued, “We’re vastly outnumbered, so we need to be smart.” His voice dripped withferocity, and I returned my attention to the room, scanning the faces of every last person gathered around the war table. Each held a grimness that came with the seriousness of battle, and only a few allowed the hint of fear that tasted like a bitter potion to show on their faces.
Rares entered the room, breathless as he shuffled forward. “The Mages and others who possess the talent are ready to move you, My Emperor.”
“Good. Any last questions?” Ruslan braced his metal-covered hand on the table and leveled a serious look at each attendee.
“No, My Emperor,” they said in unison.
Ruslan waved a hand, dismissing the group.
Then he turned to me, a darkness shining in his eyes that made my blood sing and my own darkness rise to the surface. “We stay together out there.” In one step, he closed the distance between us, a haunted expression emerging. “I’ve trained you well. Zuriel has trained you well. Drazen has trained you well. But I would die without you, Izidora, and I need you by my side as we fight. The Night Fae have proven they have hidden tricks, and I don’t trust them for a moment not to pull some other shit. I’m not arrogant enough to think we will win this without a lot of bloodshed, given their numbers against ours.”
He cupped the back of my head, supporting it as I gazed up at him. “But we have secret weapons too,” I whispered around the knot in my throat. “You’ve prepared well for this.”
“We do,” he murmured, his thumb caressing my cheek. “Give me your strength, and I will give you mine.”
“Us against the world,” I said, hands crawling up his armor until I stood on tiptoes and yanked his head down.
The moment our lips locked, the world fell away, and he consumed me like a wildfire. The kiss was desperate, filled with love, lust, and longing, the ache down our bond insatiable as we faced what was surely our end. We’d been playing defense thiswhole war, and as my body trembled against my mate’s, I wasn’t sure if it was from desire or genuine fear that we might lose.
Breathless, we broke apart, staring deep into one another’s souls and accepting that the prophecy that predicted we would change the world was about to come to pass.
The foothillsof the Agrenak Mountains provided cover for both our army and the Night Realm’s, unfortunately. Legion by legion, we moved across the border, re-entering what I had thought was my home, once upon a time. I chewed my lip as I surveyed the landscape, looking for each of my friends.
Zuriel and Ruslan were with me, leading an elite unit of Félvér, and at our back a massive white bear-like creature – a Fehérmedve – paced restlessly back and forth. My cousin went to the beast, threading a hand through his snow-white fur, and he calmed, gazing forward at the hill that barred us from view.
In the distance, Liliana, Drazen, and Endre directed foot soldiers toward what would be our front line.
Anton and Slavian were somewhere in the distance with more Félvér, and Xorrek and Gozzak, the two Demons whose blood had made such a difference in this war – and in my recovery. I couldn’t stress about all of my friends and family now, and as much as it pained me to do so, I locked my worry away in the far recesses of my mind.
Our army was scattered between the last sharp peak and the hills in front of us, preparing to circle and strike from every angle, splitting the Night Fae’s attention.
Kriath dove toward us in his massive Eagle form, shifting at the last moment and landing lightly on his feet in front of Ruslan and me. “All units are ready, My Emperor.”
“Good. Join Savich and the Telivér on the western flank,” Ruslan instructed.
Kriath brought his flattened palm to his forehead and offered Ruslan a sharp salute. His hands didn’t even tremble as he returned them to his side and called on his bird form again. With one last look at us, he soared away toward the far side of our army.
With a nod at Artur, Ruslan signaled the Dragons to shift and take to the skies. The giant red Dragon roared his fury as the shift tore through him, and he used the hilltop like a launchpad to spear into the air. The spikes on his tail smacked against the ground, sending dirt flying forward and toward the surprised Night Fae. Shouts rang out as more and more Dragons took to the sky, the dying sun glittering against their scales.
