“Trik, seriously I can keep up,” she said as she attempted to wiggle out of his hold.

“I’ve no doubt about your ability, Beautiful. Perhaps I simply want to hold my wife.”

Her mouth dropped open as she looked up at him. She was still in awe of his beauty but even more so because of the charm that came with it. He was a warrior, assassin, and king, but he was also the flirty bad boy she’d met in an office conference room and he was hers.

“You like calling me your wife,” she pointed out.

He grinned down at her briefly but then looked back up to watch where he was going as he moved swiftly around trees and bushes. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat as he hauled her with his army through the forest. She didn’t know how long it had been when he began to slow and then finally came to a stop. He slid her to the ground and kept his hands on her waist until she was standing steady.

“Are we here?” she asked in a hushed whisper. Trik motioned with his head behind her and she turned. She felt chills break out across her skin as the dark-elf castle rose up before them. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, pushing away the memories of what had taken place the last time she had been there, but still her heartbeat quickened with fear.

“Cassie,” Trik’s lips were against her ear. “He’s not going to hurt you, Love, not ever again.”

She nodded. She knew his words were true. She knew that Trik would walk through the fires of hell to keep her safe.

“And kill every demon I meet while there,” he told her, having heard her thoughts.

She pulled her shoulders back and straightened her spine. She was a queen; she would not give Lorsan the satisfaction of seeing her scared.

“That’s my girl,” Trik said as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

He made a motion with his hands and slowly warriors began making their way closer to the castle. She followed his lead, all the while silencing the little girl in her begging her not to go any closer.

Trik could feel the anxiety pouring off of Cassie and he hated himself for bringing her back to the one place where a measure of her innocence had been stripped against her will. If it was up to him she would never have to endure another day of pain, be it physical or emotional, but he wasn’t a god to be able to hold her fate in his hands. All he could do was protect her to the best of his ability and that started with defeating their most dangerous enemy. He moved quietly with her by his side as they drew closer and closer to the castle he had once called home. His heartbeat was steady in his chest and his breathing was even. Just like before any kill, he was calm. His palms didn’t sweat and his mouth didn’t get dry. He was completely unaffected by what was to come; he always had been. Killing was a part of him. It was as natural to him as breathing, a necessary part of his world.

Tamsin let out a sharp whistle and lifted his hand causing all the warriors to stop in their tracks. They all grew very still, listening for whatever it was that had alerted the light-elf king. Trik’s head snapped around as he heard movement. As soon as he sees the large, lithe bodies of Tyndril and Tao, he knows that he has only seen them because they allowed it. Tao’s large eyes met his as the beast nodded his head at him, letting him know that he and Tyndril were there for him, that they would fight with him.

“The Tiriths,” Cassie whispered in awe as she watched the two beasts pace back and forth in the forest.

“They’re itching for a good kill,” Trik told her.

“So they like dark meat?” Cassie winked at him and he couldn’t help but chuckle under his breath at her superbly bad joke.

“They fight whoever I fight, so really they like any meat,” he told her. He looked over at Tamsin and nodded. “Let’s do this.” He stood up straight and held his hands out towards the castle and began pulling on the power that had been bestowed on him by the Forest Lords. He called on the elements around him, seeking help from all of nature and beginning to channel the power through his body and out of his hands. A pulse of light shot out of his palms and Trik directed it with his mind to find the weakest point of the castle. His power hit it with a force that shook the ground beneath them.

“And so it begins,” Cassie said as she watched part of the right side of the castle explode.

“They’ve begun their attack,” Ilyrana said unnecessarily. “I suppose Tran and Agog were not successful in their attempt to take his Chosen.”

“My love, is there any reason that you insist on standing there spouting off the obvious while our home is being destroyed?” he snapped at his Chosen even knowing he shouldn’t but unable to stop himself.

Ilyrana turned to look at him; her eyes narrowed in anger. “Even dark elves treat their Chosen with respect and love, and yet you have treated me with much less than this for the past couple of weeks. Why?”

“Ilyrana I don’t have time to sooth your ruffled feathers. You know that I love you and for now that will have to be enough. I have Trik and his warriors of light knocking on my door. I have no idea how our dark elves are doing with Rapture in the human realm, and frankly, I’m tired of listening to you whine about how I do or do not treat you.”

Just then Melda walked into the throne room as he finished speaking. She walked past Ilyrana and straight up to him, looking way too interested for his liking.

“My king,” she bowed her head.

“You would be wise to acknowledge your queen as well,” he growled at her. Lorsan had put on the charm to get her to betray the human and now she honestly believed he was interested in her. Despite how he had been treating his Chosen, could the she elf not see his queen and how lovely she was. This whelp didn’t hold a candle to her, yet she stupidly believed that he would stray from his mate—as if he could. But even if he could, he wouldn’t want to, foolish woman. Her eyes widened as she turned to look at Ilyrana who stared back at her with murder in her eyes.