Hunted By Firelight by Krista Street
Chapter 21
~ AVERY ~
Mission Red?
Meestry’s eyes widened for the merest second before he gave a shaky bow. “Of course, my lord.” He scurried from the room, his face pale.
“Holy shit, Mission Red?” Excited energy danced in Charlotte’s eyes.
My stomach dropped. If Charlotte looked that way, then Mission Red was bad news.
Wyatt’s arms tightened around me more. “Avery’s going in the safe room now.”
“Already on it,” Bavar replied.
My heart felt like it was thudding a thousand times a minute. Squad Three was acting like the elf lord could be here in seconds. “Care to fill me in? What’s Mission Red, and what’s the safe room?”
Wyatt took a deep breath. “Mission Red is a code word we use in safe houses when shit’s getting bad. It’s to ensure the safety of bystanders and civilians.”
The blood drained from my face. “But nothing’s bad yet. Nothing’s happened!”
“But if Lord Godasara knows where you are, things can go south fast. For all we know, he’s already here in the Shroud Forest, just waiting to pounce.”
“But I thought the forest would deter him?”
“It would if he wasn’t an elf lord.” Wyatt’s mouth flattened into a tight line. “The ancient elf lords were able to commune with forests.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s true.” Bavar sidled closer to us, strapping more swords, daggers, and other sharp pointy things to his body. “If Lord Godasara has truly risen and has located you in your dream, then being surrounded by the Shroud Forest can actually work against us, an absolute first.”
“We need to get you in the Whimsical Room.” Wyatt tugged me toward the door, but I dug my heels in.
“Wyatt, I can’t go to the safe room. I can’t hide while all of you fight. I can fight him, remember? I saved you and Charlotte the last time he attacked.”
A deadly scowl formed on his face. “Can you call upon that power now? Right this instant and make time stop again?”
I flinched. He knew I couldn’t do that. I’d had this power for two days not years. I had no idea how to wield it. “Not exactly.”
Wyatt cupped my cheeks, his expression softening. “Exactly, which is why you’re not going to fight. The Whimsical Room will keep you safe, Little Flower, just like it was designed to do, and it will allow us to do our jobs without worrying about you.”
Movement in my peripheral vision made my gaze shift. Marnee watched Wyatt and me, but the second I turned my head in the siren’s direction, she resumed checking her weapons.
“So I’m being sent where?” I huffed.
“You and Nicholas will both go to the Whimsical Room. It’s impenetrable. As long as this castle stands, nobody can reach you in there.”
“Nicholas too?”
“He’s a consultant, not a squad member. He’s not trained to fight. You’ll both be safe there.”
“If it’s really that safe then why don’t we all go in there?” Fear coated my insides, and the power inside me rumbled.
The golden glow encircling Wyatt’s green eyes intensified. “Then we wouldn’t be doing our job. The SF is the one who stands against threats to peace. We don’t hide.”
Nausea made my stomach roil when Heidi’s earlier comments returned. “We’ve never returned with a full squad.”
I dug my feet in more. “But what if I can stop time again? What if I use this new power inside me to—”
“No!” Wyatt’s one word, uttered with such ferocity and growly determination, made me pause. “You’re not an SF member, Avery. And I know you’re strong. I know you can fight—you were trained to fight at the SF even if you don’t remember—but you’re not a squad member. The training you received isn’t what Charlotte received, and you still don’t know how to control the power inside you. To the SF, you’re a civilian. I can’t allow you out there with us.” The golden light around his irises swelled, and his expression turned pleading.
And in that look I saw it. He wouldn’t make me do anything, but he was begging me to do as he asked.
“Please, Little Flower,” he whispered. “If they’re coming for you, then you’re who we need to protect.”
“But what if someone in this room dies because of me? What if you die? Or Charlotte dies? Or Bavar dies?”
His gaze hardened. “Then we die with honor, protecting who we all vowed to keep safe.”
My breath stopped, and it felt as if my heart shattered. “But if all Lord Godasara wants is me, and I’m stronger now and can fight him—”
“NO!” he bellowed. He took a deep breath, and his hands dropped to his side. Hairs sprouted on the backs of them as his chest heaved. “He can’t have you.” Raw pain filled his eyes. “Please, Avery. Please. I can’t lose you. Not again.”
The stark terror in his words cut my heart into jagged pieces. But I could fight. I knew I could. Maybe I didn’t have absolute control of the power inside me, but I’d saved him and Charlotte when the elf lord last attacked. If I was afraid enough, the goddess’s power would come out. I knew it would.
“Please don’t ask this of me,” I whispered.
His expression hardened, his jaw tightening.
I opened my mouth to tell him that I wouldn’t be a liability, that I truly could help, but a great rumble rattled the windows. My head whipped to them. “What was that?”
Bavar’s mouth thinned, the starkness of his cheekbones looking ready to cut through his skin. My lips parted as I took in the deadly glint in his eyes.
“That, Ms. Meyers, were the wards. They’re being tested. Squad Three, Wyatt, Nicholas, I fear they’ve arrived.”
Terry scowled. “And backup isn’t here.”
“I’ve alerted the Fae Guard while we wait for SF backup.” Bavar checked his remaining straps. “We won’t be in this battle alone.”
“But the Fae Guard aren’t here yet either,” Bishop said.
“Regardless, if the wards fall, we will fight.” Bavar slammed his last sword into place, then began issuing orders. “Lex, on the roof above the potions nook in Eucaladas wing. Charlotte, the balcony off the sewing room in Titun’s wing. Heidi—”
When Bavar had finished, everyone turned into a blur. In a blink, Squad Three was out of the room, kicking into action, which left me momentarily alone with Wyatt as Nicholas waited in the hallway.
“Avery, I need you safe.” His expression turned to stone, a cold mask descending over his features. Gone was the tender, loving wolf from my bed this morning. Gone was the man who’d nipped my skin and playfully kissed my neck. In his place, an alpha warrior had been born, and murder shone in his eyes.
My shoulders fell, a deep feeling of resignation tightening my insides. No matter what I said, no matter what I did, no matter how strong the power was flowing inside me, he would never see me as strong enough to fight.
And we were out of time for arguing.
I eyed Nicholas, who watched us from the door, before I sighed in defeat. “Fine, I’ll go to the room.”
