Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

ORION

T he first of the undying assbugs crashed into a waiting Anya. She snatched the woman, rapidly spinning her silk, mummifying the fae.

Anya tossed the wrapped body aside as a second attacker arrived, spraying silk in his face.

"What do we do?" I asked, wishing for an axe or two.

"Give me a moment," Wendy called from the cell. "I'm almost done."

Prince Dorian covered his brother. "Even though you're an idiot I won't let you die here." The prince scooped up his twin and moved to the side, visibly unsure of his next move.

Anya tackled a third undying one, while a fourth managed to squeeze past her.

Stars!

Brandishing an axe, he went for Dorian. The prince barely dodged in time, almost losing his footing as he stumbled into the wall.

I reacted without thinking, surging forward. The undying fae spotted me and threw the axe. I ducked, the weapon landing heavily by the edge of the moat.

"Die, cherry fae!" Dawn screamed from its mouth.

My heart in my throat, I dove for the axe, grabbing the handle as the man came after me. I screamed, bringing the axe up in a vertical swipe. The sharp edge of the glinting silver head went through his chin, his nose, tearing his face in half. Pink smoke whistled from the wound like steam from a kettle.

For several seconds, he stood there, arms by his sides, no reaction. In that time, Anya dealt with another guy, more eyes blinking to life in the tunnel.

We really had to get out of here.

The undying fae broke free of his trance, lunging at me. My reaction took me by surprise, instincts reacting of their own volition. The axe cleaved his head off in one slice.

"Wow…" I breathed, wiping sweat from my brow.

After a messy afternoon fighting zombies with a rolling pin, I vowed to try using axes from that moment on. I seemed to shine brightest with an axe in my hand.

A yeti's roar cranked up the tension, another fae feeling the sticky consequences of Anya's rage.

Wendy buzzed, appearing before me, carrying a sack made of what appeared to be spun sugar. Six glistening balls of honey sat inside the netted bag.

How did she manage to carry it? It was more than quadruple her size, and those gossamer threads had no business being that tough.

Thank the stars they were.

A yeti bellowed a threat into the tunnel. "You killed Erna. Come out and let me rip your cock off!"

Was it possessed by Dawn or just out for my blood? Hmmm. Probably both.

Another undying fae scurried into the hive. Anya dealt with it quickly.

"I can get you close to the gates," Wendy said, landing on my arm. "But only you."

Prince Dorian smiled as I glanced at him. "Don't even worry about me. I'll get out of here."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Wendy responded. "I only have the strength for Orion. And he needs to get this honey to his mate."

"Of course. Do what you have to do."

Anya's urticating hairs swayed like grass in a breeze. "I shall protect the good-hearted prince. We shall. My brothers and sisters are coming. They will fight the yetis and the undying one."

I swallowed a heavy lump in my throat. "Oh, stars. I…" I honestly didn't know what to say other than, "Thank you."

"Get to the?—"

Pink smoke ensnared her, seeping into her body. Horror became an iron ball in my chest, a snow spider under Dawn's control would be a new type of nightmare.

She hissed. "I will… You will not have me!"

Black goo leaked out of her in less than a minute.

Anya reared, triumphant. "Go, Your Majesty! Get this done, Orion. Save us all."

I locked eyes with the prince as my body ignited in golden light, Wendy's warmth engulfing me.

"Thank you for saving my life," I managed to get out before leaving the hive.

Please let him be okay…

My feet connected with the white sands of Crystal Beach, the heat a shock to my system. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sun, to take in the palm trees and gorgeous blue waters of the ocean.

"We're here," I breathed. "Oh. I dropped the axe."

Curses!

The gates lay up ahead, minutes away if I jogged.

"You really are a golden gift," I told Wendy, expecting to see her in my hand.

But she wasn't there.

Panic ensued, my heart a kickdrum. "Wendy?"

"Here."

There on the sand, at my feet, struggling to breathe.

"Are you okay?" I moved the sack's threads to my shoulder and plucked her from the hot sand, sheltering her from the sun with my hands.

"I… I must sleep. I must…" She said no more, buzzing in panting-like beats against my palm.

"You rest," I soothed.

What thank you gift would suit a queen bee? A big bouquet of flowers?

Okay. All I had to do now was get off the sand and follow the path to the gates. But how did I get them open? Beg? Offer a deal? From my position, I made out the plethora of guards by the freestanding silver door beyond the market stalls. The huge white-gold lever gleamed in the sunshine, so tantalizing. Give it a pull and hello London.

"How did you do that?" a woman in a bikini asked me.

I ignored her, other fae staring at me.

"Well? What do you have to say?"

That your nosiness will trip you up one day.

Keeping my lips sealed, I hurried up the sand, joining the path. A group of bikers gathered on the grassy side of the beach were also staring at me, leaning on their big blue vehicles.

Maybe I could borrow one after I got the gates open. None of them looked particularly friendly, though.

Hmmm. Time to think.

"What you got there?" one of the bikers asked.

"Looks like balls of honey," another answered.

I hurried along the path away from them, sweating profusely from the sunshine. Back in my zombie-free days, I would never grace this beach in a jumper and jeans. And I certainly wouldn't stink like dirt and onions.

Should I ask the guards nicely to open the gates?

I quickly dropped that ridiculous idea. What would I do, bat my lashes, twiddle my thumbs, radiate cuteness? They'd laugh in my face and have me arrested for wasting their time.

Crap.

How much did they know? Should I go for honesty—the full kind where I threw in details about the royal brothers' predicament? Or was that asking for trouble? The truth might get me arrested, sounding like a threat to these guards.

What to do. I had nothing to bargain with, no authority. What a shame Prince Dorian couldn't be here.

Oh, well. I'd figure it out when I got there.

Come on, Orion , I told myself. Let's go.

Less than three meters into my walk, the screaming started.