Chapter 21

I'm half mad with rage. Half warped, my body thicker, stronger, faster, my powers barely contained. Any control I thought I had left is long since gone, lost to my need to find Mina and wreak havoc and wrath on those who think to hurt her.

Those who have hurt her.

More have joined us, alongside Arietis and the wolf shifter. I'm too distracted, too undone to remember who they are, or why they joined us. A lion shifter, and another Starbound woman. She smiles at me now, and there's a promise of brutality in it that reminds me of Mina. Another Starbound woman rides a mean-spirited horse, a honed warrior at her side. A centaur, an archer with a huge quiver full of poison-tipped arrows.

A massive, fanged serpent slithers alongside our war party.

In front of us, the once glorious capital of Avleim stretches in the distance, glittering in the blazing afternoon sun.

It has been many, many years since I've beheld the capital city of Vraya, and now she's sullen, crushed beneath the boot of the conquering blood drinker horde.

"We will slaughter them all," I promise, and the dark-haired warrior nods his agreement. Tattoos twine around his arms, and the woman's too, in glowing lavender.

"Hold on to yourself," the man says, eyes narrowing.

"You would know," the woman quips, and he grins at her briefly before turning back to me.

"Your mate needs you. Try to hold on to who you are."

I narrow my eyes at him, trying to grasp who he is through the tumult of my surging emotions.

"Lesath means to say we also need you to try to hold on. For my sister, too, but so we also get out alive." The woman's eyes glow pale purple, her body wreathed in magic, and I hear her voice like a bell in my head.

You are not an animal, Hyadum. Use your power, don't let it use you.

I shake my head, and it's as though a fog has lifted.

"Lesath," I repeat, wonder creeping through the cracks of my battle rage.

"One and the same," he says, shooting a knowing glance at the blonde woman beside him. The serpent, a creature straight from legend, coils next to her, and she rests a palm on its horrifying head.

"I might've given you a little nudge," she says. "I'm Mina's sister, Ali. Welcome back. We need you to focus, so we can get her."

"And not die," Lesath adds.

"That is not helpful," a gravelly voice says from behind me. A face out of memory stares back at me with vivid blue eyes. A fierce woman holds his hand, smiling at me.

"Ras?"

"It is good to see you, old friend," the lion shifter says. "My mate is Lana, your mate's other sister."

"Hi," she says, and something blue glows in her fists.

"I am relieved you are both safe. That all of you are safe. My Mina has been beside herself with worry." I cannot wait to see her face when she reunites with them. My eyes shutter. She will reunite with them.

"Have you two…" Lana trails off, clearing her throat.

"Mated?" Ras finishes, a quizzical look on his face.

I shake my head. "No. Not yet."

"Damn," Ali says. "Any chance you know what her powers are? God, I hope she doesn't use them like I did."

"We'll be there for her if she has. We know what to do," Lesath says.

"What is the plan?" the Alpha asks, drawing closer. "My pack has need of me. Let us finish this business. Let us bathe in their blood."

"Wolves," the centaur says, eyeing the Alpha with distaste. Kaus, I remember. House Sagittarius.

My throat closes up with emotion. We are united again, many of the great houses of Vraya, against our shared enemy. We have the power of the Starbound women on our side, too.

The city in the distance will crawl with blood drinkers.

I have to believe we will be enough. I have to believe I will see my mate again, that I will hold her in my arms.

You will. We will.Ali's voice sounds in my head, drawing me back from the precipice of madness.

"How do you do that?" I ask.

"Animal communication. You get easier to pin down the angrier you are."

"He's always angry," Lesath says smoothly. His mate glares at him.

"You're not helping."

Lesath shrugs, a smug grin on his face.

"Not anymore," I tell him. His grin fades, his mouth pressing thin.

"They'll be holding her in a secure place," Ras says. "We have several options. We could go in loud and engage fully, possibly suffering many casualties, but with the element of surprise on our side. We could try stealth, but I doubt we'll get far. Or, we can do both." He spreads his hands wide. "We can send in a diversionary force, and a separate team to extract Mina at the same time."

"I don't think we should split up," Ali says immediately.

"You will not be leaving my side," Lesath tells her. She quiets, taking his hand in hers.

"Mated pairs stay together," I tell them.

"A diversion and extraction is our best bet," the Alpha says. "The question is, what will shift their focus fully from Mina?"

"The women," Lana says, her gaze clear. A shadow passes over her eyes as she glances at Ali. "Ali Lamn, we're gonna have to get tough."

"I was born tough," her sister says, scowling. The serpent raises its head, hissing slightly.

I make a mental note not to anger either of them.

"We stay with you," Ras says, agreeing to their plan. "You two go into the city and wreak havoc, and Lesath and I will have your back. Use your powers, stay alive. Be loud. Hyadum, wolf, Kaus, and Arietis, you go for Mina."

"We'll need a signal to call you off once we have her," I manage. I will not imagine an alternative.

"I will give the signal. My howl will shake the foundations of the city," the Alpha says, matter-of-fact.

"If he falls, I have an exploding arrow I can fire into the sky."

Ras nods. "Good. Meet back here. Dabin's people and the Westshear cavalry are a half a day behind us, if not less. The blood drinkers will have more than they bargained for on their hands."

I pinch the bridge of my nose, clear enough to search out the bond with Mina. "I can feel her. She's alive. Not at her best, perhaps, but alive."

"Can you tell where?"

"The castle."

"Probably the dungeon," Lesath mutters, then grimaces at me in apology. "We will retrieve her."

"She's stronger than both of us," Lana says.

Ali nods in agreement, but her eyes are troubled.

"Have faith," adds Ras.

I grunt. I will not allow any other outcome.