Macy POV
I spent the rest of the night comforting Wren. Her hesitation to speak to me wore off as the hours went by, and we found ourselves laughing together. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Winston came looking for us. Both he and Edward curled up on the hard floor and fell asleep around me. Winston cuddled with his head in my lap, and I stroked his hair as I spoke to Wren. She watched my every move carefully. Eventually, a silence fell between Wren and me.
"What's it like?" She asks in a low voice.
"What's what like?"
"Having a mate?" Her face blushes a deep shade of red.
"It is like having a missing piece of a puzzle," I admit. "A piece that I didn't know was missing. They complete me in different ways. Edward does his best to keep me level headed, and Winston cares for me like no one in my life ever has. They make me crazy sometimes, but I could not live without them. I need them by my side."
"I wonder where my mate is?" She sighs.
"You will find him when all of this is over," I promise her.
Footsteps echo on the stairs, and I look up to see Cassian in full armor. There is a solemn look on his face, and I know that it is time. He looks me up and down, and his frown deepens. "You aren't ready."
I look down at my leather pants and shirt. "I am ready."
"You will be wounded in that," he scoffs.
I roll my eyes. "Don't worry about me."
Cassian continues down the stairs. "The warriors are waiting for us outside."
A feeling of sickness settles in my stomach. I am not ready for this, but I have to follow through. So many people are depending on me, and now that I know Raven is sick, she is depending on me too.
I tug gently on Winston's hair, and he lifts his head from my lap with a pout. "I have to address the warriors."
Edward stirs at my feet. "We will get ready and meet you out there."
"I want you by my side," I whisper.
"There is no time," Cassian interrupts us. "They will have to meet us at the portal. Nyx will stay behind and show them the way."
I swallow hard. I need my mates by my side. "I am not leaving without them."
"You have to," Cassian snaps at me. "You have been preaching about putting others before yourself. Now is the time to prove you mean your words."
Edward grips my chin and forces me to look into his eyes. "I don't want to admit it, but Cassian is right. Go command your warriors. We will be right behind you."
I nod painfully and force the tears away from my eyes. He presses his lips to mine forcefully, and I let out a silent sob. He pulls away and presses a kiss to my forehead. When he steps away, Winston takes his place. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he tips my head backward. His dark eyes gaze into mine. Without saying a word, he tells me everything that is in his heart.
"I love you too," I whisper. "I promise to be safe."
He smiles weakly before kissing me in the identical way Edward did. When he pulls away, they both walk down the hallway, and Wren follows behind them. I watch them until they disappear around the corner, then I turn to Cassian.
He doesn't look pleased with me. I choose to ignore his mood and walk to the front door of the palace. I pull an elastic off my wrist and pull back my hair. The doors swing open, and the sunlight shines on me. The warmth is inviting, but it feels wrong. Where are the storm clouds? We are going to war. It should be depressing outside.
As my eyes adjust to the light, I see hundreds of fae warriors. They are dressed in armor that matches Cassian's. Swords glisten at their sides, and I know they are made of silver. There will be no mercy in this war. Anyone fighting for Selene will die.
Another group of warriors is standing off to the side. They are dressed more like me. Lycans. More of them showed up than I expected. That gives me some comfort.
Cassian stands beside me and surveys the warriors. He leans close to me and hisses through his teeth. "Where are the Gray Creatures?"
I straighten my shoulders. "I don't know."
"We can't win this without them," Cassian snarls. "I allowed them to make you their Queen for nothing."
"Allowed them?" I snap.
"Did you really think I would let them crown you as their Queen without conditions?" He growls.
My teeth grind together. "We can talk about this later? Like you said, there is no time for delay."
The trees rustle, and Gracus steps from beneath the canopy. I let out a sigh of relief. "We are here," he shouts. "There is no reason to torment our Queen."
The Fae warriors all take a wary glance in Gracus's direction, but he stand proudly.
"Thank you, Gracus," I try to smile.
He nods before returning to the safety of the trees.
Cassian clears his throat and the Fae warriors snap to attention. "Today we fight to restore the Immortal Realm."
"We don't want to hear from you," a lycan snarls.
Cassian snaps his head in their direction but the lycan does not back down. "Who would you expect to hear from?"
"Our Queen," the lycan replies, not taking his eyes off me.
I feel Cassian tense up at my side and I am worried he might explode. He cracks his neck and gestures at me. "Your Queen."
Murmurs travel through the Fae forces and I worry that I will loose their loyalty if Cassian choses to leave my side. I have no choice but to voice the truth. "Roland and Selene made terrible choices that put the Immortal Realm at risk. I believe that your realm is dying without access to the Human Realm. I only want to set things right."
"Then you can be on the frontlines," a Fae warrior speaks up. "With your lycans and you disgusting Gray Creatures."
My Gray Creature in my mind stirs at the insult, but she doesn't emerge. "I will be happy to be on the frontlines."
I walk down the steps of the palace and into the trees. Gracus is waiting to lead me to the portal. I don't look back, but I can hear people coming behind me. I just hope it is enough of them.
When we reach the portal it is already glowing brightly. I pause before I walk through. I need to wait for Edward and Winston, but I am pushed from behind. The sound of bones cracking and howling echoes through the trees. The pull of the moon in the Human Realm is forcing the lycans to shift.
Desperation seems to take over as the turn into their lycans and they race toward the portal. I am being pushed and shoved. Suddenly, I land on my hands and knees on the other side of the portal. My wings feel like they are on fire. I scream as they turn to ash.
Terrifying laughter fills my head and I scramble to my feet. I turn back toward the portal, but it is closed.