The fairies have a glowing tunnel made for us through the creatures who have horns, tails and silver teeth.

It hurts something within to know they were once human, but at this point, death is a mercy. I just hope reversing this is possible.

The blades leave my hands, sinking into the shoulder of a creature about to release that bright pulsating light again, but I threw all the fairies into maintaining a hole in the center. I slide, ducking a farted fireball. I officially hate fireballs. Especially ones that somehow smell of a bonfire mixed with Jack’s passed gas.

“Get through to Fox!” someone yells, speaking of the other team of mages and knights gathered to help us push the creatures into the trap.

Thats when someone behind us screams, “Incoming!”

I spin, keeping Silver at my back, and see the back is being bombarded by lightning, fire, and acid. Along with strangely built creatures with whips as tails. One man screams as a creature bites down on his arm, severing it.

“Move! Silver, get them through, I’m going to send these guys packing,” I say, already gathering a ball of fear.

I jump when someone sets a hand on my shoulder. “Let me,” the woman says, her blue eyes piercing beneath her hood. She’s the one who is a classic Empath… and knows her stuff. I try not to be jealous of how easy and gentle her emotions branch out, so I nod.

I turn back to the front. “Protect her with your life,” Silver growls at Master Black.

Black gives him a straight look, one that reminds me of the look Momma gives when I say something remarkably dumb.

Then me and him jump in the fray, aiming to clear out the creatures in front of the tunnel and get our people through. He kills two, but more try to come. I growl, throwing out my hand and throwing a messy ball of fear at the few in front of us. They falter, and that gives me and Silver along with Nika enough time to drive through them.

“Go go go!” Silver yells, getting our knights and mages through the tunnel and to the other side. I guard one side while they slip through, most having to duck as the pulsating tunnel of white light is only about as tall as me. Xonier, the idiot, hoots and hollers, giving a running leap and slides along the top, lopping off heads and arms and neatly rolling on the other side.

My heart gradually eases itself back into my chest from my throat as he laughs, and then I duck, the fireball farter singeing the top of my short hair. I throw three blades, and then comes the other Empath. She feels so… familiar. Her blue eyes meet mine, and they communicate something I can’t quite put into words.

It’s a mixture of pride and fear and joy and sorrow mixed with something only a beloved person could invoke.

And then she ducks into the tunnel, Master Black seamlessly blocking and dodging and stabbing behind her like a fey of old. Never have I seen someone move so very fast. He threw a knife to block a blade coming at the Empath while doing a flip to avoid a set of claws. He drew a shield from nowhere that blocked acid as the woman walked like a queen with no fear, even in the depths of such a despicable and stinky place.

Once they are through, Silver motions me to go ahead.

I set my teeth and growl, but he glances back at me, his eyes unyielding and his jaw tight. And I know.

He will never leave me again. And he sure as heck isn’t taking his eyes off me.

I duck through the tunnel, sprinting with Arin on my heels as the fairies work to close off the other end and raise a simultaneous bubble around those already through. The sputtering beginnings of a shield rise from the floor just as me and Arin dive through, one severed arm grasping Arin’s leg.

A few dive over the shield that has grown to about twice my height, but they are easily dispatched as we cluster in a half-circle with an empty tunnel at our backs and the fairie’s prism-esque shield before us. We are at the Y and need them to go down the other side. But now we’re stuck here.

But back-up is coming.

I let my head fall against the grimy stone floor at my back, letting my heart come back to normal. Laughter erupts from my lips.

A hand appears above me, and I use it to lever myself upright.

“You’re crazy,” General Verand says, levering me to my feet.

Silver, still on the ground, shakes his head, his eyes burning brightly as a half-smile forms around his lips.

“You don’t know the half of it, sir,” he says, deadpan.

To which I drop a knife on his stomach. Hilt-first, of course.

The lout grabs it before it can hit him, sending me a wink.

I roll my eyes, but can’t help the smile fluttering on my lips.