Night Fae (Dark Fae Kings #3) - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,41

thumb at Northton before the kings glared at him. “Director Northton is right about your unfriendly banter.”

Mom darted a gaze between the kings and me, worry creasing her brows. Fae kings were infamous for being ruthless, cruel, and violent, and Mom feared that I might not be able to handle them.

“Perhaps we should go over the rules and tricks of the Wild Hunt with Princess Ileana one more time and brainstorm a better tactic?” Northton offered, trying to cut through the tension.

Ever since I’d answered the call of the Wild Hunt, both of my mates had tensed up nearly to breaking point. It was obvious they were deeply concerned, no matter how hard they tried to conceal their fear and anxiety.

Losing a mate was unthinkable to a Fae.

“I got this,” I said, rubbing my temples. “I can actually recite the rules backward. My head will explode if any of you drill any more of the rules and traps of the Wild Hunt into my poor skull.”

Everyone already knew that at this point no amount of training could help me become more prepared for the hunt. While everyone else remained terrified for me, I was relatively level-headed.

“I’m not sure how effective these amulets will be inside the Wild Hunt,” Northton said, pulling out a ruby amulet and a black opal amulet, intriguing runes etched on each talisman.

I’d heard that a magical amulet was often commissioned to confer protection upon its bearer. It was invaluable.

“My best mages and I imbued spells of protection into the talismans to fight off any outside influence and compulsion,” Northton continued. “We made the spells compatible with the elements of your courts. The ruby amulet is for the Summer King, and the black gemstone is best suited for the Night King. We’re unable to test them, since none of us has ever been inside the Wild Hunt. This is the best we can do in such a limited time.”

My eyes moistened. “Thank you, Director Northton.”

I owed a lot of debts.

Dad nodded his appreciation at his boss, worry lines etched around his eyes. The last time I saw him, he hadn’t had so many gray hairs.

“The mating bond is the most powerful mystic magic,” Baron said, bowing slightly to Northton. “Naturally, we won’t harm our mate. Even so, I’ll take every precaution. Thank you, High Mage; I won’t forget this debt.”

“The mages are known to be the best spell casters,” Rydstrom said. “I’ll wear this. Thank you, Jett. I won’t forget that the Silver Circle aided my mate and me in our time of need.” He accepted the black opal amulet from Northton and hung the silver chain around his neck.

“We have a common goal and a common enemy,” Northton said.

Rydstrom turned to Baron. “When and if it comes to the worst, we must incapacitate ourselves inside the game before we succumb to the ancient hunting force.”

“Believe me, Rydstrom,” Baron said, “I’ve considered all possibilities to protect my mate.”

A feeling of foreboding washed over me, and cold fear turned my blood to ice.

“I won’t allow you to sacrifice yourself for me,” I said sternly. “If you die, there’ll be no reason for me to continue.”

I wouldn’t want to live in the world without them, and I could afford to do that, now my parents had returned and my siblings had shelter.

My mates squeezed my hand on either side.

“We won’t die, love,” Rydstrom said.

“We’ll do this together,” Baron promised.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before I turned to Northton. “Is there anything we can do to slow down the spread of Pestilence at least?”

A bleak expression instantly darkened the director’s hard face.

“The USA and France are in the grip of Pestilence now,” Northton said. “Nothing can slow down the plague. Humans are dying in droves. Riots and looting and even murders have started breaking out everywhere. Civilization is collapsing. I’ve already talked to our connections in the White House. I warned them to put California in quarantine, but there’ve been political battles in the United States. The politicians are more afraid of the mass panic it would cause and how it might affect their careers. The ones in office also don’t want the public to know about the existence of the supernaturals in the human world, let alone a fairyland that exists in a parallel realm. Canada, Australia, and the UK have acted faster. They’re about to seal their borders.” Northton shook his head. “We can’t rely on the human governments, and human scientists have no