way down to the magma at the core of the planet … I felt it all. The earth, the air, the moisture and humidity, and the heat. I was one with everything around me, even the ethers. I felt the stars, their burning hot gasses, and something blissful just beyond where this world ended. I floated over Rage, my feet skimming his fur, and all three Daybreak Clan took a step back, eyes wide with fear.
Inhaling through my nose and breathing through my mouth, I released a cooling mist to douse the fire still licking Rage’s wolf; his fur sizzled as the burns cooled.
Instead of bringing me relief, my anger spiked at the audacity of their clan—at the betrayal of my cousin and, most of all, at the treachery of the alpha king. Filled with power and indignation, I turned just as Nolan lunged for me.
Instead of modulating the power I held, I lashed out … with all of it.
Whip-like tendrils of blue light burst from my fingers, and at the same time, Nolan released the knife in his hand, sending it right for me.
Knife. When did he get that?
I exhaled a sharp breath and tilted my head, sending a gust of wind to throw the knife out of my way. The blue light from my fingertips wrapped around Nolan like bands of silk. The magic caught Sean as well, the little threads of energy twisting tight like magical string. When I felt the urge to tug, I yanked my hands apart, telling the power what it should do.
Because no one, ever, would harm my mate and live to tell about it. The entire realm needed to know what would happen if they dared try. The bands sliced through Nolan and Sean like a hot knife through butter. Their bodies fell to the ground in pieces of flesh and droplets of blood, and gasps rang throughout the entire forest.
“High crime!” the king’s voice came from somewhere far off in the woods, startling me.
Holy. Frickin’. Mage. My feet slammed to the ground as my power waned. He’d seen me rip Nolan apart through the opening in the trees, and now he came with a pack of guards, headed my way.
“High crime!” a dozen more voices took up his pronouncement, and the guards voiced their agreement, the thudding of their feet coming at us from the woods.
Was killing Nolan a high crime? Frick.
I dropped to the ground and buried my hands in Rage’s singed fur.
“Rage, they’re coming for us.” Fear and confusion stole my confidence, and the magic left me. I looked up. Kaja stared at me, her jaw unhinged. Mallory and Heather were gone.
The three remaining Midnight brothers stepped out from behind my best friend, in their human form, all of them wearing the same look of shock.
“It’s you,” Justice said, his voice hoarse. “You’re the high crime.”
What did that mean? I gulped, and tears burned my eyes. Blinking to clear them, I felt the tears drip onto Rage’s wolf as I looked down at him. “What am I?”
Rage’s yellow eyes pierced my soul, holding me captive. He bared his teeth, but without a growl or snarl, I didn’t understand. I frowned, but before I could ask why he looked like he wanted to rip my head off … he bit me.
As soon as his teeth broke my skin, his wolf’s voice filled my mind. ‘I am your shield. Any harm that comes to you will first pass through me.’
Gone was the short beast like speech of his wolf. This was … magic, a spell, a … shield spell. Dizziness rocked me, and I swayed.
Why would Rage be my shield unless…
The truth hit me like a ton of bricks.
The marks.
What Nolan said about pretending to be a high mage.
Was I … the high crime my clan was banished for?
That was impossible, right?
My uncle had committed the high crime.
My breathing grew shallow.
Was it me?
Justice, Honor, and Noble appeared before me, all in their black wolf forms. One by one, they tore at my flesh with their teeth until my blood soaked their gums.
‘I am your shield. Any harm that comes to you will first pass through me,’ Justice said in my mind.
‘I am your shield,’ Noble said. ‘Any harm that comes to you will first pass through me.’
And then Honor pledged, ‘I am your shield. Any harm that comes to you, will first pass through me.’
Four shields.
All four Midnight brothers had just pledged and sacrificed their life before mine.
I stood, lips parted