“Synthia?”
“Now, Fairy! I’m in the throne room!” I screamed inside my head, knowing Ryder would be here in seconds, but seconds would be too late.
Chapter Four
By the slight rise of his chest, I could see that Adam was still alive, as well as Darynda. They’d been spared, for now, and I could feel the malice and evilness of the Mages that currently surrounded me. I could hear Ryder snarling and shouting inside of my head. He’d be here, but it wouldn’t be in time to save us.
The Mages were cloaked in invisibility, as they had been at the coronation, but someone else within the castle had to have let them in and draw me here. Ristan had told me to come, but deep down I knew he’d do anything to protect my unborn babes. No, this was an inside job. The Demon had to have been misled and this wasn’t something he’d known about.
That meant it had been someone else; someone from our inner circle or close to someone in it, was working against us. Someone we trusted had allowed the Mages to breach our defenses, and welcomed them into our sanctuary. I eyed the floor, seeing the crystals. I knew what crystals could be used for, and I had a feeling these ones were used to keep me in, and the guards out. No one would be able to remove the crystals with the exception of the person who spelled and placed them there, and that was something only a very talented Witch/Warlock/Mage could do. I knew it wasn’t easy to get the crystals to work right because this was something we’d learned to do at the Guild towards the end of our training.
I weighed my options.
They sucked.
Freaking hairy Fairy balls!
It wasn’t ideal to kick ass while pregnant, but it was doable. I’d fight to protect my children from being in the hands of these depraved assholes to my dying breath. I’d fight to keep them alive, that much I knew. I could still hear Ryder as he roared with anger. Zahruk and the rest sifted in close behind Ryder, and I watched as they moved to the motionless bodies of Adam and Darynda. Dristan and Asrian were examining the crystals blocking the entryway and the barrier they created. I could see Dristan touch the barrier and winced as he quickly pulled his fingers back.
“Get out of there, Syn!” Ryder ordered, even though he knew he was asking the impossible.
“You know I can’t, Fairy,” I replied on the mental path. I didn’t want the Mages listening in, or hearing my distress, which would be stark in my voice.
The fact that they’d waited to make a move until they had an audience was telling. It told me they wanted Ryder enraged, and to feel the loss where they could witness it. Idiots.
“Synthia,” Ryder continued as the first Mage took a shot.
It was deafening at this close proximity, but I’d felt the disturbance in the air and had easily dodged the attack even clumsy as I was with this new form. This was real, and I could feel my panic increasing with every passing second. They’d brought guns? Who the hell brings guns to a magic fight? Were they loaded with iron bullets or something? Something that could kill me was my guess.
“Fuck, Synthia, tell me how to get these fucking crystals down!”
“Calm down, I need to concentrate,” I ordered back. “Danu, I need you now,” I prayed, knowing Ryder could hear me. He probably thought I was asking for strength, but nope, I wanted my kick-ass Goddess mother to get her ass in here and now. “Danu!” I continued screaming inside my head. I could hear Ryder as he continued to order me to remove the crystals. Another bullet tore through the room, hitting my shoulder and grazing my flesh. “Mother! Right now, I need you now!”