Night Fae (Dark Fae Kings #3) - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,70

it out,” Richie said, squatting beside me.

He didn’t sound that confident, and no one seemed to be convinced.

A nagging feeling whirled in my gut. What if the game never ended until I was dead? Wasn’t that the whole point of the Wild Hunt?

How long could I keep going? If I tossed myself at the hunters’ mercy, would the Furies allow my team and my brother to go home? If that was what it took to save them, I’d do it. However, I did not trust the Furies.

I’d have to wait until my mates came for me, either to rescue me or hunt me. I’d make a bargain with them and entrust them with the safety of my brother.

“We haven’t lost, Commander,” Nox said, biting into the last piece of his turkey sandwich. “I believe in you. You kept Asuka and all of us safe when our parents couldn’t. You came for me and protected me. You cut the aliens. No one could escape them, but you did.”

I hadn’t exactly escaped them. The aliens were waiting outside while terrorizing us. Eventually they’d get to us.

“You’ll get us out, Evie,” Nox continued, not aware of the fear and turmoil churning inside me. “I’ll follow all your orders from now on without questioning them. When we’re home, I’ll do more cleaning in the house. I’ll do laundry. And I won’t fight with Cassidy to use the bathroom first every morning.”

I kissed his crown. “That’s a deal, Nox. All the dirty dishes will be yours to wash.”

He widened his eyes. “You ask too much, Commander. What about Cassidy and Emmett? Shouldn’t they take more responsibility? I’m only one person. I can only do so much!”

“Your twin will help you,” I said coolly.

“The kid is right,” Megan said, chiming in. “You’re our ace. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

“Think of the rest of the first hunting gang,” Jill murmured, adjusting her glasses. “They were all dead.” She shuddered, and our group traded glances, remembering the terror of seeing bloody human heads and body parts dropping from the alien’s enormous jaw.

“Evie,” Richie said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to guard your back and protect your brother.” Remorse or probably something more passed over his sooty face. “I won’t ask for your forgiveness, and I’m sorry for everything. If I’d truly seen you, I’d never have given up on you. But then”—he flashed a resigned, sad smile—“I never truly had a chance. Megan is right. I’m not in your league, and we all owe you our lives.”

“Thank me when we get out of here,” I said. “Let the past be the past. Let’s focus on surviving. The hunters want me instead of any of you. I’ll lead them away from you, and when it happens, you run like hell. Find another shelter. My hellhound will guard all of you and help you get out of the game. If I survive, I’ll come for you.”

If they were better off without me, I’d stay away from them. Joy would take care of Nox for me.

“We’re not letting you sacrifice yourself again,” Megan said, shame flashing in her eyes. “We all panicked, but I’m getting my shit together.”

Jill nodded. “We won’t let you die for us.” She laid her hand on mine. “We’re all in this together. We’ll fight and live through this together or die trying.”

The rest of the team placed their hands on top of Jill’s and mine.

“Can I join you guys? I don’t want to be left out,” Nox asked sheepishly, since he was the only kid in the group. He’d gotten used to me yelling at him and my other siblings, demanding they excuse themselves from the table when the Fae kings visited.

I’d been a bad sister.

Then suddenly, the cave ceased rumbling. It didn’t ease our minds, though. We traded worried, fearful, and slightly hopeful looks in the eerie quietness.

“Did they give up?” Jill whispered. “It’s good, right?”

“Maybe they’re tired,” Richie whispered back. “They can’t keep it up forever. I’m getting drained just by sitting here.”

I didn’t tell my companions that the aliens could go on bombarding the cave for days, if not weeks. I’d caught a glimpse of what they truly were in their own realm. A new wave of dread twisted my insides. Had the intelligent, monstrous beings figured out how to topple the cave? I hadn’t come up with a countermeasure yet; I was spent and injured. Jill had only patched my flesh wounds. My broken ribs