Wren POV
We run for days as our wolves and the twins riding on our backs. Veyra and Coren don't complain about the lack of stops or the fact that we have left their home and belongings behind. They are decidedly quiet, but Veyra can't hide her emotions as well as her brother. Her fingers tangle in Jasmine's fur, and her tears fall freely. I wish I could comfort her, but I don't know what to say. Even now, I can feel the bond between Destin and me fading. I worry that we will be too late.
When the portal finally comes into view, Jasmine howls mournfully. The guards on either side don't try to stop us from coming through; it's as if they knew we were coming. As we step through the magic of the Immortal Realm tangles around the twins. It pulls them from our backs, and they twist uncomfortably on the ground.
Veyra screams, but Coren suffers in silence. The wings that had turned to ash on their backs in the Human Realm are now regrowing. I shift back into my human form and gather them in my arms. I smooth their hair from their faces and try to comfort them as they retake their natural form.
The ground is stained with speckles of blood when Veyra stops screaming. Her wings outstretch behind her, and they are much larger than I remember. Coren's are the same, but he doesn't take the time to appreciate them. He flaps them wildly, ascending into the sky, and he flies gracefully in the direction of the Fae Palace.
Not wanting to be left behind, Veyra follows him. Her flight is less graceful but she manages to keep up with him. Charlie and I run below them, keeping our eyes on the growing towers of the palace.
I burst through the palace doors. "Macy!"
She appears at the top of the stairs with my brothers at her side. Edward groans loudly and covers his eyes. "You are naked."
I roll my eyes, but do not respond to him. "Where is Destin?"
Macy's lips press together in a hard line. "He is up here."
I bound up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and shoving Edward to the side as I barrel past him. Macy points to a room at the end of the hall, and I freeze. My body refuses to move forward. "Is he…?" I can't finish the question.
Macy takes my hand and pulls me in the direction of the room. "Gracus attacked him with an iron blade. His wings have been severed from his back, and the iron is poisoning his blood. We have done everything we can."
Winston taps me on the shoulder before I enter the room. He drapes a robe over my shoulders and places a kiss on the top of my head. "Be brave, Princess."
I look over my shoulder and see Charlie at the end of the hall. The twins are holding onto his hands, and their eyes are wide. I choke back the sobs in my chest. "Don't let anyone take them from you."
He pulls the twins closer to him and growls at Edward when he approaches him with a pair of shorts. My heart is torn. The urge to protect the twins is battling with my need to be with my dying mate. My eyes dart between the room and Charlie, and tears run down my cheeks.
"No one will take them," Macy assures me. "That was never part of the plan."
I breathe in deeply. She can't lie to me. Placing my hand on the doorknob, I twist it gently. As soon as I open the door, the scent of blood is overwhelming. Destin lies on his stomach, with massive bandages covering his back. His breaths are slow and too far between. He is close to death. I would be a fool not to see it.
I approach the bed silently and sit down on the edge. My fingers itch to touch him, but I am afraid I will hurt him more than he already is. I let my eyes graze over his body. I have never seen him like this before. He looks weak, and I hate it.
"Destin," I whisper his name.
At the sound of my voice, his eyelids flutter open, and hope grows in my chest. Sliding off the bed, I drop my knees to the floor and look at his sleeping face.
"Destin," I whisper again. "Can you hear me?"
"Kitten," his voice rasps. "What took you so long?"
I press my hand to his cheek and my lips against his. He opens a single eye and attempts a feeble smile. He tries to roll onto his back, but I hold him down. "Don't do that. You are hurt."
He sighs and his eyes close again. I run my fingers over his skin, and the tingling of the mate bond grows stronger. My heart is racing when someone bursts through the door.
Coren is standing with his hands on his hips. "I can save him."
His little legs carry him across the room, and he lays a hand on Destin's shoulder. He closes his eyes and whispers under his breath. A soft light glows from around his touch, but Coren begins to sway on his feet.
Panic fills my chest, and I pull him away from Destin. Coren's heart is pounding, and his eyes are growing heavy. "I tried."
"Shh," I coo. "I know you did, but the cost is too much."
"I need a nap," he yawns.
Crawling off my lap, he curls up on the floor beside me and falls fast asleep. Charlie clears his throat from the doorway with Veyra sleeping in his arms. "He got away from me."
"It's okay. He wanted to help."
Charlie looks at Destin and steps into the room. "Did he?"
"I don't know. He started to grow weak, and I pulled him away. The whole point was to keep them together. I couldn't let him die to save Destin."
Charlie sits down on the floor beside me. "You did the right thing."
I glance at Charlie and a gasp rises in my throat. This was my vision. He wasn't broken because he couldn't find me. It was because his best friend is dying and there is nothing he can do about it. I want to tell him it will be okay, but I am unable to find the words. Not this time.