sprang into my eyes as I knelt next to Rage, and she pulled me in for a hug. She grabbed Rage’s hand and tsked before turning her glistening gaze on me. “You should have told me about your fated mate,” she said, shaking her head at her son. “I would have helped you.”
Her voice broke, and I gave him the evil eye for making his mom cry.
Redness crept up his cheeks, and he hung his head. “I fought it myself for a while.”
“A long while,” I muttered, which earned me a laugh from my … future mother-in-law? Wow. Not sure where that rogue thought came from.
Rage crouched low and held his mom’s cheek. “I saw Dad. He’s with Honor, but we’re getting him back.”
She froze, and her brow pulled down in confusion. “You what?”
I swallowed hard and then stammered, “I’m a spirit walker … a high mage of spirit, I guess. We went to the Realm of the Dead. Now we have roughly thirty-five hours to kill Surlama and then we’ll be able to bring Honor back.”
Way to explain things, Nai. I was 67.4% sure that made no sense.
“Surlama,” Elaine hissed. “She’s in the basement of the south tower with the king. She said she’d help make sure the breeding companions got pregnant.”
Wait. What?
Rage shook himself. “Declan took a breeding companion?”
His mom stood, her nostrils flaring. “The king, my … husband—” she growled both titles with the same amount of respect—as in none. “—has taken multiple breeding companions. I’ve been moved into the guest quarters of the castle. He wants at least two heirs by next year. His own blood, not his brother’s.”
My mouth dropped open. More than one breeding companion was just disrespectful. If a woman could no longer have children, you took one breeding companion, not several.
Pig.
“Do you know where Justice and Noble are being held?” Rage asked. “He’s torturing them.”
“Torture?” she snarled, and black fur rippled down her arms. “That liar. He said he just wanted to ask them a few questions.” She heaved a breath and pointed at the castle. “They’re all in the south tower.”
One of the twins shrieked behind us, and I spun as the headmistress gasped.
Four selkie warriors held Sadie and Audrey on the shore, knives at their throats, as ten more selkies waded out of the water.
Shit.
Adrenaline coursed through me, and I wished for a blade before remembering my magic was stronger than any weapon.
“What have we got here?” one of them asked, cocking his head to the side. “A family reunion?”
‘Wait for them to get closer,’ Rage said, his chest rumbling with anger as his wolf surged to the surface. ‘If you use a lot of magic, the king’s guards will notice.’
“A royal family reunion,” another growled, drawing his blade. “Maybe now the king—”
Shadows danced behind the tree line, and then a deafening battle cry came from inland.
What the…? I blinked to clear my vision. My eyes adjusted, and I gaped as hundreds of royal guards spilled down the pathways toward the beach.
My stomach fell as I realized we’d been spotted by the royal guard.
Rock: guards. Hard place: selkies. Why were all our options total crap?
“Grab them!” one of the selkies snarled.
“Rage!” his mother yelled.
I sucked in a deep breath and gathered my magic, preparing for an epic blast.
“Careful, Nai,” Elaine shouted at me, shaking her head. “If you kill Declan’s guards, he’ll have one more reason to ask Surlama to break the shield oath and then kill you.”
Break the shield oath … can he do that?
I gulped, unsure what to do now. Did I protect us by fighting the guards, or go for the selkies who were creeping closer?
Rage shifted into his wolf instantly and bared his teeth at the selkie warriors.
“Stop!” Elaine shouted to the advancing guards, her voice deep and commanding. “Protect us from the selkies. That’s an order.”
The guard pulled his sword and pointed it at Rage. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ve got different orders.”
He looked to his right at a huge beefy dude. “Get the prince. At all costs.”
Shit.
Elaine growled low in her throat, and I knew we were screwed. Try to fight a hundred royal guards or half dozen selkies? My gaze jumped from Rage’s mom to the selkie who’d commented about the royal family reunion. He advanced on me quickly. I was distracted between the two foes and who needed my help more, Rage’s mom or Sadie and Audrey.
The selkie nearest me curled his upper lip, and I didn’t like the glimmer in his