him. Tears streaked her face as Archer helped me to my feet. She grabbed me, pulling me into a bone-crushing embrace.
“You stupid, stupid girl. What were you thinking?”
“I...I wasn’t,” I said. “Are they gone?”
“Yes,” Archer said. “They’re all gone. Krall, Moren, all of them.”
I sensed my father above me. Circling. Still cloaked. Searching to make sure no other threat came close.
“Not all of them,” I said. “The Ring is too big for just that.”
“Well, you’ve done some real damage to this corner of the world. Just like you said.”
“We’re not alone,” I said, sensing my mother’s people coming close.
Archer held me against him. “My God,” he said. “You’re so strong.”
I saw the trees they’d bound Archer to then. They’d been ripped out by the roots.
I froze when I saw the bodies. Moren. The six other fae.
“Don’t look,” Archer said. But I couldn’t look away.
“It’s over, my love,” he said. “You did it. I don’t know what you did, but you did it.”
I smiled. “I had some help. And it’s time for you to meet them.”
“Do you feel strong enough to walk? We’re not far from the Neutral Zone, I don’t think.”
I touched his face. “Archer, with you at my side, I think I’m strong enough to fly.”
I felt his pulse grow stronger. Heat flared at the base of my neck. I wanted him. Was desperate for him. But we were still too far away from safety. Archer took my hand in his and we walked out of the darkness together.
22
Archer
I didn’t want to let her go. My beautiful, powerful, amazing Phaedra. I held her against me even though she didn’t need my physical support.
She glowed.
She’d been to hell and back. I saw it. Felt it. And yet new strength seemed to flow through her. Fire crackled from her fingertips. Blue and orange sparks that hit the ground and skittered into nothing. She didn’t even seem to be aware of it.
It took the night, but we made our way out the other side of the forest. Following along the river’s edge, we’d reached the borderlands near Durness. As we crossed into a clearing, a man and woman approached. He was big. Tall as me with a powerful stride. He held the woman’s hand. She smiled brighter than the coming dawn.
“Archer,” Phaedra said. “I’d like you to meet my parents. Gemma and Finn Brandhart.”
Finn Brandhart. The name meant something. Over the years I’d heard it whispered by J.C. and some men he worked for.
Brandhart.
Before the Shifter Attacks, I’d seen their names in the news plenty. Billionaire real estate moguls or something. Philanthropists. But I’d always heard of them referred to as the Brandhart brothers. Dragons. All of them. And now I knew their family secret.
“Mom, Dad, this is Archer…” She hesitated. I had no last name. My chest hollowed out. Except now I knew that I did.
Valent.
Finn Brandhart regarded me with cold eyes. He knew who I was; rather, he knew what I was. An Alpha wolf, yes. But his daughter’s mate. He looked equal parts curious and murderous. My wolf flared in answer.
I sensed the beast inside of him. Fire and rage. Power and ancient fury. Familiar enough that I recognized his connection to Phaedra.
Family. Danger.
Finn finally put a hand out. “It’s good to meet you,” he said. His grip was strong. Bone-crushing if I hadn’t been who I was. I squeezed back.
Gemma rushed past us and threw her arms around Phaedra.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” Gemma asked. Her voice was almost identical to Phaedra’s. They had the same golden hair. The same shape to their jaw. She was beautiful, Gemma Brandhart. Her fire simmered, and I knew its power too. She was strong. An ancient line. But I knew Phaedra was even stronger.
“It’s okay,” Phaedra said. “It worked. Can’t you feel it? I think I closed the leak. The Ring is gone.”
“Not gone.” Both Brandhart and I said it together. He sensed what I did.
“Not gone,” Finn repeated. “But they’re in retreat, at least here. Gemma…”
“You broke the link,” Gemma said. “I don’t know how you did it, but you sealed off the Source from them. We’re already getting messages from covens all over the country. Witches who went missing months ago are reconnecting. They’re free. You’ve taken the Source back for us. At least in this part of the country. It might take weeks until we understand the full scope of what you did today.”
“They’ll find another way in,” I said.
“Maybe,” Gemma answered. “But not