“No, the three of you should stay here to help the Royal Guard. I’ll lure the rebels away alone. I won’t put you three in unnecessary risk. I can take them alone.” Her words are clipped, like she doesn’t even want to take the time to utter them in her impatience to release her fury on the rebels attacking. But the thought of her going after them alone makes my heart race. This is different from the throne room attack where we used her as bait. That was a controlled environment. We have no idea how many of them there are, how many might wait in the shadows to come after us as soon as we turn our backs.

“Laurel, other than you, Fionn and I are the next two strongest fae alive. Silene is as skilled a fighter as Fionn. We’ll be okay. You don’t have to do this alone. We’re stronger together.” I keep the pleading from my words, trying to sound like the equal partner she deserves her mate to be.

She hesitates, uncertainty and the desire to do everything herself as clear to me as the mating bond. Her eyes flash to Silene, who resents Laurel’s protection. Silene has spent her life training, trying to compensate for her less than average magic. She won’t be left behind, but Silene can tell Laurel that herself.

“I’ll be fine,” Silene says firmly. “Plus, I have a small amount of thayar concentrate left.” She pulls a vial strung on a leather cord around her neck from under her shirt. “It’s a small amount, but enough to give me a few hours of a boost.”

Finally, Laurel nods, and Silene downs the small bit of elixir. Explosions and the sounds of hand-to-hand fighting continue to ring out around us as we strategize our attack. Thankfully, my order to the Royal Guards seems to have made the rounds, because they’ve set up their own perimeter around the valley, fighting the rebels that continue to advance inward.

“Look over there,” Fionn says, nodding his head toward a stream entering the valley from a canyon carved into the mountain. Dozens of rebels gather there while their lower ranks continue the assault on the valley proper. Laurel nods, staring into each of our eyes for a brief moment before taking my hand and aerstepping all four of us to a shadowy crevice near them.