Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

BASH

I walked over to a pile of rubble and heard a small cry coming from within. I bent down and lifted a piece of building up, only to find a small fae pinned beneath it. I pulled him out and shoved the rubble away. His wing was badly twisted and dark bruises ran from the side of his face down his neck and across his arm.

“We need some help over here.”

There was a blur of movement and one of the Vauntero vampires was at my side in an instant. He dropped a black bag next to the fae. “I’m Nash Vauntero, one of the doctors on the Island.”

He began working on the fae. His injuries looked severe enough that he might be permanently injured. Sure, we were immortal, but that was if we lived healthy, clean lives. If anything, the past few days showed how easily the fae could die.

The devastation was beyond anything I could imagine.

I gave him a nod and turned back toward the rest of the town. Peggy walked up beside me. Her hair was a mass of matted tangles, her clothing was ripped, and dirt covered her skin. Exhaustion showed on her face. She waved for her brood of children to follow her. They began walking down Main Street with their wands held high. Their magic slipped over the mangled buildings and the rubble rose from the ground. Slowly, the buildings began to mend back together.

“There.” Peggy pointed to a figure huddled on the ground where a pile of rubble had just been. “Get them to Nash.”

My wings fluttered on my back, and I scooped up a young shifter who’d gotten stuck in their wolf form. It was clear their back legs were broken. I flew to the middle of the park where it looked like Collins and her family were setting up a triage station. I placed the wolf on the ground at her feet.

“Help him . . . please.”

“Of course.” She turned away from me and called in the direction of another guy who looked more lumberjack than wolf. “Holden! We’ve got another one.”

A man with longer blond hair and deep brown eyes hurried forward. “Damn it, David. What the hell happened?”

“I think a building fell on him.”

“Thanks for finding him.” Holden picked him up and ran toward his pack. “Doc! We got another.”

“Bash!” Peggy yelled for me, and I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed whoever she told me to and hurried them to the center of the park. All the Vaunteros were taking orders from Nash. They bandaged the wounded and took notes on everyone, even the Queen had emerged from hiding and instructed her helpers to take all the children of the Island to the castle, which was, thankfully, still standing.

Hours went by. Peggy looked like she was about ready to fall over when she joined me and Collins. “We need to fix the barrier . . . make it stronger.”

“I’m ready.”

“I’ve been thinking and I . . . well I have new idea for the barrier that I should have thought of before.” Peggy glanced around the remaining injured. “I don’t want to see this again.”

“Agreed.” Collins lifted her hands, and the world around us rumbled.

Everyone took a step back and took cover, but I knew she’d never do them any harm. Dozens of tiny crystals rose from the ground. They were so fine they nearly looked like sand, except they were an array of colors that caught the sunlight. Rainbows danced across the Island as the fine crystals rose higher in the air. It was like watching a light show of the best kind. A sense of peace fell over the Island as everyone calmed from the chaos and watched how beautiful her powers were.

When the tiny specks were high above us all, Peggy lifted her wand. A bright red light glowed at the tip, then it grew with fiery sparks that bounced across the ground around her until it was a ball of burning fireworks. The heat melted the ground at her feet, and even Collins staggered away from her. The warmth licked at my skin and blew my hair back from my face.

Peggy stumbled back, then swung her arm toward the sky. The ball of fire grew to the size of a blimp and smacked into Collins’ floating crystals. The fire rippled out over it like gasoline catching a flame. It spread over the sky, illuminating it with blue and red flames. The heat was so intense I felt my skin instantly warm. The people of the town ducked down out of caution, even though it was so far away. It looked like the barrier turned hard after the heat touched the crystals, almost like putting a diamond shell over the entire Island.

The citizens of the island all clapped and whistled their approval, and Zuriel strolled out of nowhere. I thought he left the moment Tephine ran. He looked up at the barrier and nodded. He flicked his finger and a wave of wind shot from him. Everyone fell to the ground . . . everyone but Zuriel. His power blew across the land and over the barrier. It smoothed out the rough crystals and made it completely invisible. He just nodded.

“Will she be able to get in now?” I lurched to my feet.

“I dare her to try,” Zuriel said with a snarl and a growl.

Before I could say another word, he opened his wings and took off into the air. In seconds, he was out of sight, and all I could do was stand there and take in the level of power displayed with the flick of his finger. Collins walked beside me. Her eyes were wide and dirt marred her face and arms. Her hair was wrapped in wild tangles.

“We made a mistake coming here.”

I nodded. “Nothing is safe from her.”

“What do we do?” She looked up at me with wide aquamarine eyes.

I looked around at the way these people banded together and how my own realm needed this. They needed hope, they needed help . . . they needed us. “We kill them. Right now.”

Collins glanced around. “What?”

“She won’t expect it. Not after that battle. She’s gone back to Third Realm, and we need to make sure she never returns again. She ran . . . it’s time to pursue.”

Collins pressed her lips together. “We barely survived today.”

“I know.” I wrapped my hand around hers. “But I’m done letting innocent people get hurt in my place. We have to protect First Realm and take this fight back to Third.”