The Fae King's Dream (Between Dawn and Dusk #2) - Jamie Schlosser Page 0,44

kicking out behind. My foot connects with a knee, but as the man goes down, his dagger slices through the bottom of my wing.

He’ll pay for that. I spin, and a satisfying crunch of bone follows as my machete chops off his hand. Unless he knows a Regenerator, it won’t grow back.

I turn, only to realize the third man is retreating, running into the woods to make his getaway.

How disappointing. We can’t have that.

Swiping his friend’s dagger, I throw it in the direction of the snapping twigs and smile when I hear it sever a spine. Direct hit.

I’m breathing hard as I trudge through the leaves and bushes to bring the coward back. Bending, I grab his boot and ignore his pleas to let him go as I drag him to the road. Except for a few pitiful groans, the noise has died down.

Well, that was over fast, and hopefully our group fared well.

Despite the pain in my wing, I feel good. Revived.

“Roll call!” I shout to my friends.

“Not a scratch,” Kirian boasts, while Torius and Dermott let me know their injuries are already being tended to by Kai.

“Tibbs!” Isla gasps, scrambling from the carriage to kneel next to my warrior.

Funny, I’m not sure I’ve heard Isla talk to many men before. Besides Kirian and me, she avoids the company of males. She’s shy, and no one could blame her. Kidnapped and sold in the Day Realm at the age of fifteen, she was traumatized by the abuse she endured.

But she’s obviously made friends with my soldier.

“Tibbult?” I use his full name out of respect. As I approach him, I smell blood. A lot of it. “How bad?”

“A neck wound,” he chokes out with a wet cough. “I’m already healing it.”

“Good. Bound the prisoners with the iron shackles and take them back to Cassia. Then send a sprite to the Day Realm to let King Zander know we have twelve of his men—”

“Nine,” Torius corrects. “I beheaded one, and Kai got two.”

“Nine men,” I go on without skipping a beat. “He can execute them in his court or let me do it in mine. Either way, these criminals will die for trying to steal the king’s mate.”

Several of the bandits gasp, realizing the error of their ways. They fucked with the wrong people this time.

Sitting up, Tibbs still struggles to speak when he rasps, “Yes, your majesty.”

“But he’s hurt,” Isla protests vehemently, much to my surprise.

Well, well. Guess this is more than friendship. Someone’s got a crush.

Tibbs pats her hand. “You can’t talk to the king that way.”

I wave off his concern. I won’t punish the girl for being concerned about him. “Also, convey our intent with the coven. King Zander might want to send reinforcements since it’ll help his cause.” I hold out a hand to Tibbs, and he grasps my forearm so I can pull him up. “Once you’ve done that, fly to rejoin us at the citadel.”

Isla fusses over him a little more, then resigns herself to the fact that he really is fine, and he has to complete this mission. At least she decides to help. Putting on iron-proof gloves, she and Tibbs secure the shackles on the wrists and necks of our prisoners.

Quinn sidles up to me. “It looks like I’m going to lose my personal companion to your kingdom.”

“Are they fated?” I wince when Kai puts his palm on my slashed wing, but the tissues fuse back together almost immediately.

“No, but there’s nothing wrong with falling in love anyway.”

“She’s not old enough,” Kirian interjects, sounding like a protective father.

Quinn nudges him. “Let them date. They don’t have to get married tomorrow.”

He grumbles an agreement. If Isla were my daughter, or even my friend for that matter, I’d encourage her to wait. I truly believe fate rewards those who are patient.

Kirian claps me on the back. “Since when can you fight like that, cousin?”

“Maybe I got lucky.”

“Uh huh.” His tone is disbelieving, and I smirk as we begin collecting our enemies’ weapons.

My ability to fight isn’t the only skill I’ve downplayed in the past. Up until two years ago, I kept my slumber power a secret. Even in battle, I held it back. When no one is aware of your strengths, they can’t exploit them. If someone thinks you to be weak, it’s easier to take them by surprise, which leads to a better chance of victory when you really need it.

Everything is different now, though. I have a mate to protect, and I’ll be