It was startling to see Kymaris’ savior standing there, his own broad sword held with bulging muscles to protect his queen.
Amell.
Wings tucked behind his back, dressed head to toe in leather, and looking rageful.
Carrick held his tongue as well as his expression of recognition. Despite the fact Amell was here and declaring his loyalty to Kymaris in this fight, Carrick would never betray that Amell had been the one helping Zora in the Underworld.
And, for some annoying reason, Carrick second-guessed whether he should kill Amell along with Kymaris.
The hesitation cost him and Amell pulled his sword up viciously, causing Carrick’s to lift away from Kymaris, who rolled away to safety. He then gave a mighty shove that caused Carrick to stumble back a few feet.
And then the demi-god faced off against the Dark Fae.
Before either could throw the first strike, Maddox came sliding into the foyer, apparently running toward the sound of clashing weapons. Carrick had no clue whether Maddox had found other fae in the house or not, but he thought not because he was weaponless.
That didn’t last long as Maddox conjured his own sword and positioned himself beside Carrick to face Amell.
Kymaris slowly rose to her feet, leaving her own sword on the tile floor. She moved to Amell’s side, and it was now two demi-gods facing two Dark Fae.
Admittedly, Carrick didn’t actually want to kill Amell because he knew it would sadden Zora, but he loved Finley and his loyalty was to her. It was Maddox, however, who took a slight step forward and to the side until he lined up directly across from the winged fae.
Given how he’d slept with Zora, Carrick figured Maddox had no such weakness of conscience. He therefore squared up to Kymaris, wondering why she left her sword on the floor.
He almost thought to ask her—in a taunting way, of course, for he meant to kill her swiftly—but before he could even open his mouth, Kymaris smiled at him victoriously.
The gemstone on her chest went from the blackened reddish color to a bright glowing crimson, and Carrick could feel the immense power surrounding them. It hummed with menace. Before he could even think to defend himself or his brother, a wave of dark magic hit him dead in the center of his chest.
Maddox, too, and both demi-gods were lifted off their feet and propelled backward toward the front door they had come in ten minutes earlier.
The force was so immense, the brothers crashed through the door, shredding wood, nails, and support beams in the process. Chunks of drywall and stucco were ground to fine dust from the blast of power.
Carrick and Maddox were launched as if fired from a cannon, and their bodies crashed down onto the limestone pebbled driveway some fifty feet from the front of the house.
It was a shocking show of force by Kymaris, but it wasn’t enough to even scratch the brothers. They both jumped to their feet, new swords conjured since the other ones were knocked free of their hands, and they went rushing back into the villa.
Up the portico steps, through the massive hole in the front of the house, and into an empty foyer littered with dust and debris.
Amell and Kymaris were gone.
“Fuck,” Maddox growled, then took off running down the hall he’d gone down before. They couldn’t assume that just because Amell and Kymaris were no longer in the foyer that they’d left the villa.
Carrick moved up the staircase to the top landing where just minutes ago he’d launched Kymaris through the metal railing. He ran his fingers over the still-intact railing and felt the iron within it. He remembered her going through, knew the metal had cut her, but he didn’t recall her skin sizzling. He could have missed it, of course, but his gut instinct told him that Kymaris had some immunity against iron now. That had to be from the Blood Stone, and it had clearly given her forceful magic that, while it didn’t kill Carrick and Maddox, it put them at a disadvantage with the way she used it.
He was efficient in checking each of the rooms, but there was no sign of Kymaris, Amell, or any other fae or daemons. As she had declared, she must have transported everyone out the minute the demi-gods had arrived.
Carrick moved back down the stairs, seeing Maddox standing there. With slight surprise, he noted Circe, the god of Fate was there, too. Ironic that she was here because Carrick had just failed in exercising free will to circumvent Finley’s fate to save the world. Perhaps she felt the need to lecture.
Maddox and Circe’s heads swiveled up to watch him descend the stairs. He’d banished his sword after he’d checked the last room.
Circe was styled typically—fifty’s pinup model—with a dress showcasing her ample bust, a well fit waistline, and billowy skirt. Her platinum hair was done in a sleek pageboy style and red lipstick was the only makeup on her perfect face.