Seducing Destiny(126)

                The Fairies worked tirelessly as they tried to save the Tree. They hadn’t made a difference in the ice, as every time they thawed a small piece, thicker ice replaced it. I exhaled a shaky breath and turned to look at Ryder, who was scouting the area with sharp eyes.

                “Feel anyone else?” I asked, knowing that the lesser Castes would soon be here, and while they would be a show of force, they were weaker than the others here.

                “No,” he said and turned his obsidian eyes on me. I watched as they glittered with the challenge facing us. I knew Ryder loved challenges. I was a challenge he’d enjoyed winning. This one, however…This one, everything was riding on. This was a big one, and we both knew it.

                “We can do this,” I whispered breathlessly. Anxiety was a bitch. I had it. I had so much of it right now. “We can do this, Ryder; tell me we can do this.”

                “We can do this,” he said softly, and I believed him. “You can do this; you’re one of the strongest women I know. You have escaped my grasp on many occasions. You stand up to the Horde King, and you make the beast purr like a kitten lapping at cream. I have no doubt that together we can save our children’s lives and fix this mess. With you at my side as my Queen, there is nothing we cannot do together.”

                I turned to watch as the Shadow Warriors sifted in behind Adam and the Dark Court. Their cloaks were silver, but the moment they caught the light, they turned black as the shadows they were named for. Adam walked proudly between his parents, his eyes on me and the Tree that stood in frozen stillness behind me.

                “We brought as many people as we could without leaving the Dark Kingdom vulnerable to an attack,” Adam said as his tri-colored green eyes watched me. “I hate not knowing what you’re feeling. I’d grown so used to it that I feel I’ve lost a piece of myself without it.”

                “I’m terrified,” I whispered. “I’m glad you came, and I’m also glad to have my best friend at my side for this, Adam,” I said as a tear slid down my cheek.

                “Don’t cry, Fancy Face,” Adrian chided as he sifted in. “Show no weakness,” he whispered as he bowed to me.

                The Light Fae sifted in next, without their King and Queen. I bowed to Shea, and judging from the crown of diamonds she wore, I was betting she’d taken the lead after the exile of her parents. Their warriors were cockier and hadn’t worn cloaks; instead they’d come dressed in full armor. Theirs looked as if it was created of the same material the Elite Guard used, only theirs were a shimmering white color. We watched as they joined us silently.

                “Thank you,” I said to Shea, as I squared my shoulders and tried to dislodge the fear I felt.

                “I wouldn’t have missed it,” she said as she looked to where Adam stood beside his parents.

                I looked at Adrian, who smiled knowingly back at me. “Don’t need super powers to feel that one, now do ya?” he said with an emphatic wink that was almost comical.

                I felt the power ripple through the air and turned to look at the Tree. Danu stood beside it, her eyes weary as she took in the damage.

                “Sister,” Liam’s voice sounded as he and my parents sifted in. The Blood Warriors sifted in around the King and Queen. Their armor was crimson in color, and had barbs of metal that were lined at strategic points that could easily be used against an enemy.

                I knew that the guards were all on edge. It was the first time in history that I knew of that every royal Caste was present with their entire guard in tow. Skeleton crews of guards had been left at the palaces, and while it wasn’t ideal, the more we had here, the better the chances were of fixing the Tree—or more to the point, saving my children.