Evermore Academy (Evermore Academy #3) - Audrey Grey Page 0,102

her later. That would be the smart thing to do.

And yet . . . “Why do you want to marry the Winter Prince?”

Hurt ripples across her face—she wasn’t expecting that. I wait for her to lash out, to tell me I’m stupid and quit, but instead she stares into the darkness outside the cave. Long seconds trickle by, the crackling fire the only sound.

“I’ve wanted to be the Winter Prince’s wife since I knew what that word meant.” She just keeps staring into the shadows as if he’s there somewhere. “For most Fae males with his kind of power and influence, females only exist to secure their power or increase it. We’re not beings, just things.” Her bitter voice sounds close to cracking, but she continues. “The Winter Prince is the only one who ever looked at me like I existed outside of his wants and needs. Like I was real.”

My chest tightens. Whatever her motive for telling me this, I know by the raw emotion in her voice she speaks the truth. That’s what she thinks I’m taking from her. A lifetime of mattering. Of being seen by the male you’re bound to for a lifetime.

A rustle in my lap draws my attention to Ruby. The injured sprite flies over to Inara and drops a green Sour Patch Kid—her favorite—in her lap.

Watching Ruby struggle to fly back to me, her shredded wing uselessly batting the air, because of something Inara did reminds me that her world has probably damaged her beyond repair. She will never be good or kind or understand true, selfless love. She is a creature of the Everwilde, formed by influences outside her control just like the poor creatures below.

Both are driven to do horrible things by a desperate need that eclipses all others.

And while the darklings are driven by insatiable hunger, all Inara seeks is to be loved. Really, truly loved in a way most Fae aren’t capable.

But Valerian is, and we both know that, even if he doesn’t.

Inara’s gaze jerks from the shadows to me, that cruel fence she uses to keep everyone locked out slamming shut. “How was that for your stupid game?”

I open my mouth even though I’m not sure what to say when a snarl splits the night.

“That sounded really close,” Mack whispers just as a pale gray shape crawls over the ledge.

I snatch my crossbow from the ground. “I guess there’s a few gifted and talented darklings in the bunch after all.”

Except as the air explodes with screeching and grunting, we realize it’s not just a few. The darklings might be stupid, but they can apparently mimic patterns. All it took was one darkling to discover the path up the cliff and the rest surge after it.

I barely get my crossbow loaded before they come flooding over the side of the ledge like a nightmarish wave of death.

43

In less than the span of five breaths, I’m out of bolts. I had twelve left. Twelve. Now there’s none. Shock takes over. I grab the two short iron swords I borrowed from the armory this morning—what feels like a lifetime ago—and rush to the snarling wall of fangs and black claws.

I refuse to hide in the cave like the rabbit Hellebore thinks I am. If I have to die this way, I’m going down fighting.

Mack flanks my left, Inara my right. The darklings are everywhere. Seemingly bubbling up from the ground like demons escaping Hell. More than before.

Too many.

Black claws close around my ankle. I kick at the grotesque head as it tries to bite me. Ram my sword into its skull. Continue.

I slash and cut and stab and scream, a wild instinct to survive taking over. Dark, oily blood rains down over Zinnia’s uniform. It coats my hair, my mouth, makes the cave floor slick with blood.

A darkling howls as it stumbles into the fire, the ragged clothes clinging to its cadaverous body catching flame. Mack finishes it with her sword.

Inara stalks the darklings, her speed giving her an advantage. She’s a blur, moving in and out of the creatures. Hitting them with punches, kicks.

She darts from a group as three tumble over the cliff. I can’t imagine how lethal she would be with her magic.

White-hot pain rips through my side. I look down to see a darkling ripping its claws from my abdomen, blood flying.

Zinnia is going to be pissed, I think in total shock. The pain fades to a dull roar. I cut the darkling down and another lunges