“So you do know of the human woman.” The unseelie prince leveled his glowing sword, pointing the blade at Aodhan’s chest. “Do not attempt deceit. I know she came to this realm in search of her child, and followed his trail into the seelie lands. What have you done with her?”
Protective rage surged through his veins, filling him with new strength. He squared up to Morcant, wand burning as bright as the prince’s sword.
“She is mine,” he snarled. For the first time in his life, he reached for a spell not to defend or transform, but to kill. “The only way you’re getting to her is over my dead body.”
The high sidhe’s frosty expression chilled even further, his mouth thinning. “As you wish.”
He thrust his sword forward, and a spear of pale blue light lanced from the point. Aodhan braced his feet as it punched into his wards. A storm of icy shards tore at his shield, stripping through the layers of protective spells.
Aodhan made no attempt to repair the damage. His wards might protect him from Morcant, but they also stopped him from attacking the high sidhe. He waited, wand poised, the deadly syllables of a curse ready on his lips.
I’m only going to get one shot at this.
He was under no illusions that he stood any chance of actually killing an unseelie prince, but he could at least take down the griffin. If Morcant wanted to get to Cathy, he would have to walk there—and by then, she would be long gone from this realm.
Cathy.
The bond glowed on his wrist. In these final moments, he couldn’t resist reaching for her, opening the link that he’d fought so hard to deny. Her bright warmth flooded through his soul, wrapping around him like armor. He could almost smell the sweetness of roses.
He could smell roses.
“Oh no,” he breathed. He whirled round, all thought of Morcant forgotten. “No!”
But she was there. Cathy charged for him, unarmored, her iron sword in her hand. Light swirled around her in a glittering halo. With every step she took, roses bloomed across her brow.
“No!” Aodhan shouted as his shield shattered. “Cathy, no!”
Too late. As Morcant’s cold magic lanced for his heart, Cathy flung herself in the way. Light coalesced into shining white armor just in time. The icy blast shattered on her mailed shoulder, puffing apart into a harmless swirl of snowflakes.
Cathy skidded to a halt in a flurry of rose petals, iron sword raised and ready. Green stalks burst from the ground in front of her, thrusting out thorns as long as daggers to bar the griffin’s way.
The ice griffin checked itself mid-leap, scrabbling back from the prickly barrier. Even Morcant’s discipline cracked. The prince goggled at Cathy in open astonishment, all dignity lost.
“What are you doing here?” Aodhan tried to push in front of her. Given his exhaustion and her armor, he might as well have attempted to move a mountain. “Damn it, Cathy! You should be back in your own world by now!”
Morcant’s gaze flicked from Cathy to him, then back again. “Cathy?”
Well, that’s torn it.
Aodhan silently cursed himself. He mustered the last of his strength, ready to fend off Morcant’s inevitable attack.
Which, to his surprise, didn’t come. Morcant lowered his weapon, the glow around the blade fading.
“You?” he said, sounding rather less cold and remote now. “You are the boy’s mother?”
Cathy’s blade didn’t waver. “Among other things.”
“But your aura,” Morcant started, and then stopped. He looked at Aodhan again. “You said you’d concealed her. This was what you meant. Very clever.”
“Thank you.” Aodhan raised his wand, trying to look more dangerous than he felt. “Are we still fighting, or are we swapping compliments now?”
Apparently Morcant wasn’t sure about that one either. The high sidhe looked round as though searching for something. “And the boy? Where is he?”
“Safe.” Cathy’s tone was as steady as her sword. “Even if you manage to get past us, you won’t find him.”
Aodhan didn’t dare speak out loud, but there was no need for words. Not with the bond wide open; a bright, broad path connecting their souls.
*Is Kevin safe?* he sent to her down that private link.