safe, and she can use a portal, and she has a pegasus.”
“She is a Valkyrie,” Queen Orfhlaith said.
“That means super special, right?”
Toby covered his eyes with his hand, sending a quick prayer to Brooks’s Goddess for patience. It couldn’t hurt to try, right? He moved his hand in enough time to see the queen twitch before she pasted on a smile.
“Yes, Jeremy. Hildr is super special.”
Kavalan coughed, drawing his mother’s ire. Toby was pretty sure he saw some pretty dark magic in her eyes.
“Jeremy, quiet now, okay? Let’s figure out how to get home. Then you can talk to Hildr.”
Jeremy nodded.
Of course, it wasn’t meant to be.
“Up!”
With a groan, Toby glanced down. The toddler he’d expected to find at his feet wasn’t there. Oh no. He wasn’t that lucky.
“Gus,” Toby whispered. “Let’s leave the queen alone, okay?”
“Up!”
Queen Orfhlaith looked down at Gus, her eyes doing the swirly magic thing again.
Gus beamed up at her, raising his arms.
The queen paused for one second too long.
Gus’s lip began to wobble. His eyes filled with tears.
“I’ll get him—”
But the queen had already lifted Gus into her arms. He snuggled up against her, rubbing his face against her shoulder and letting out a very contented sigh.
She twitched again.
“Your Majesty…” Toby stopped talking. He had absolutely no idea what to say. “This has been the weirdest day.”
“I would imagine so.” She turned and barked at one of the satyrs. “Diarmed, prepare your guard. We’re taking the Smith pack home. My sprites will accompany us. If there is an Erlking left, I want it taken care of immediately.”
“Yes, my queen.”
“Jus?” Gus asked sweetly, beaming his toothy smile at her while blinking shyly.
She frowned at Toby. “What is this?”
“Juice. He would like a drink. I can—”
“Germanà, get the child a drink. You are coming with us as well. Gather your charges.”
“Yes, my queen.”
She turned her attention to Toby. “This is not to be spoken of. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She grunted at him as she awkwardly petted Gus on the back. He began a babbling conversation at her with waving arms and wide eyes. She looked terrified.
Toby bit his lip and turned to help Germanà get the rest of the kids ready to leave. They grumbled and blinked awake, most of them exhausted and groggy.
Daisy refused to let go of the soft, shimmering blanket Germanà had covered her with, so Toby gave up and picked her up, blanket and all. She fell asleep against his shoulder after burying her nose against his neck.
Marigold blinked sleepily up at him, her lip trembling. “Brooks?”
“The queen is taking us home, sweetie. Hold my hand.”
All of the kids huddled around Toby, and he heard multiple warning sniffs.
“We should go,” Toby said softly.
The queen looked at them all, and panic filled her gaze.
“They need their alpha, Your Majesty.”
She nodded once, sharp and fast, before turning to the others. “Guards!”
She opened a portal, and the satyrs marched through with sprites dancing around them. Prince Kavalan stayed behind with a few satyrs at his side.
“Thanks,” Toby whispered as they passed him.
Kavalan nodded regally, then turned his attention elsewhere.
Toby followed the queen, making sure to keep the kids close as they stepped through the portal and emerged into the field. It was eerily quiet for a moment, and then a roar filled the night air.
A steak of golden fur ran toward them. Toby didn’t even have to do a thing. The kids took off running, except for Daisy, who was sound asleep in his arms, and Gus, who didn’t appear to have any intention of letting go of the queen.
Of course, Nick’s roar was loud enough to wake everyone in the compound, and seconds later, the others emerged from the rec hall. Toby had no doubt they’d been having one of their meetings, where everyone but Nick was rational and trying to come up with solutions. They’d probably kicked him out of the room until they’d formulated some kind of plan.
It meant that Brooks came out of the door too. He took one look across the field and started running. Toby couldn’t move. He held on to Daisy and waited.
“Gus!”
“Bear?” Gus’s little head finally lifted from the queen’s shoulder at the sound of his father’s voice. “Bear! Bird!”
As Brooks closed the distance between them, Toby tore his eyes away only long enough to find Jeremy. The little guy searched the adults coming out of the rec hall with eager eyes. Hildr finally emerged at the end, and Jeremy’s smile lit up the night sky.