Chapter 127

When Lyle told Dayanara that he needed her, my heart broke. I tried to read Dayanara to see what she was thinking. Lyle’s body was so close to hers that I couldn’t see her that much. Then she suddenly shoved at his chest, but he didn’t move.

“You’re suffocating me,” her voice was thin, almost childlike.

He eased back half a step, hands raised in surrender. “I’m sorry. I just—Dayanara, please. Give me a chance. One fucking chance.”

She was silent for a long moment and I could see the turmoil in her eyes. She was torn and in pain. It did something to me. The strange power inside of me began to bubble and grow. It spread through my body, leaking into every vein. The feeling grew and buzzed up my spine. This was a living pulse inside of me, but it wasn’t me. It was my baby. It was strange, but I think it was reacting to the fight. Feeding off my feelings and wanting to stop it.

I felt the edges of my control slipping. Static electricity sizzled through my hair. I tried to look away from Dayanara and Lyle, but I couldn’t. They were the epicenter, and I was the lightning rod.

I clenched my teeth, trying to will the sensation away, but it only got worse. My vision swam, and the blue glow crept up my arms, lacing through the veins, a constellation of fire beneath my skin. What was my unborn baby about to do?! What if it was going to hurt them? I had to stop it.

“Enough!” I growled, my voice was loud, booming through the tunnel, echoing off the stone. Shit … I said it out loud. The power snapped off, just like that. But all eyes were on me now. Dayanara and Lyle looked up and realized they were being watched the entire time.

Well, now I was committed and had to say something. I walked over toward them. Darren was right behind me and I could tell he was concerned.

“Sorry … hormones, you know? Listen …” I looked pointedly at Lyle.

“You can’t force her, Lyle. The bond is there, but that doesn’t mean you get to decide how it goes.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but I held up a hand. “Seriously. Give her time. And Dayanara … maybe give him a shot? Don’t make a decision out of haste. Look at the perks … like you’ll get to live with me.” I grinned at her and she let out a small laugh. “Honestly, I vouch for him. He’s one of the good ones, and he would be an amazing mate, if given the chance.”

Dayanara sighed, some of the fight going out of her. “I’m sure he would be. This isn’t about Lyle …” She then turned her attention to him. “It’s not you. I’m sure you would be an amazing mate. I’ve seen firsthand how much you care for others. Your love for your brother and Allissa. Those are great qualities. You’re a good looking guy, too. I thought so before the mate bond.” She gave him a half smile and we were all waiting for the ‘but,’ because you could tell it was coming. “I know you aren't … him. But my past happened. Back then … gods, I felt like I was worth nothing. I was a weapon. Hell, even some of my family turned from me when I blocked my magic. Everything I thought I knew … lies. I need to sort this out with myself. I need to come to terms with the pain and what happened. And I’m going to have to face my family again now. They will all realize I hid my powers, and I’m going to have to face them, my sister and her husband, the man who was my mate. And I—”

“You don’t have to do it alone.” Lyle looked at her, and I pursed my lips as I saw the pain in his blue eyes. “We don’t have to move fast. I’m not asking you to jump into my bed. Just give me a chance to be there for you. Let me prove myself to you. Let me love you—”

“I’m not lovable right now. That's what I’m trying to tell you. I don’t—”

Lyle’s arms wrapped around her. He pulled her to his chest and held her head there. She didn’t fight it, allowing him to hold her.

“You're hurt. It’s okay to hurt. Let me be your friend. Lean on me. I just want to be part of your life in any way I can. If you can only accept my friendship, then please … just take that. I’ll control myself. Just let me be part of your life.”

Did my heart break? Yes. I felt my eyes welling up with tears. Darren’s hand moved around my waist as he led me away. They weren’t dolls, and we couldn’t force the relationship we wanted. I hurt for them both. I just wanted them to have what I did.

“What if that part of me is broken? Gods, how is that fair to you?” I heard Dayanara whisper.

“You aren’t broken. You’re in pain and trapped in it.” I glanced back to see Lyle resting his cheek on Dayanara’s head. His eyes were closed and you could see he was just happy to have her close. Honestly, Dayanara looked content, too.

“I’m feisty.”

“Even better.”

“I like to have my way.”

“I’ll make it my way, too.”

“I eat weird things.”

“Who doesn’t like diversity?”

“I can’t promise anything.”

“I’m just asking for a chance.”

“A chance … that’s all?” I watched as Dayanara looked up to meet his gaze.

“Yes, just a chance.”

“As a friend for now?” she asked hesitantly, still not sure he could be just friends.

“Yes, whatever you need me to be, as long as I’m in your life.”

I could see her eyes soften. How could they not, hearing his words?

“I’m sorry … I’m difficult.”

I watched as Lyle grinned, tucking her red hair behind her ear. “I like challenges.”

“I just don’t want you to be disappointed in me, if I can’t be what you want.”

“I don’t want you to be anything other than you. Besides, don’t you think I’ve already seen you? That beautiful, red-headed temper that lives on the surface … it's captivating.”

Dayanara let out a soft laugh and I could see the shine in her eyes. She smiled up at Lyle. “I guess we’ll start by seeing if we can survive this war. I’m going to have my hands full keeping you alive from the vampires.”

“My hero.” He winked at her and I felt myself sigh with relief. It was a start.

Toril called out, “Time to move, unless you want to spend the night freezing in this rat’s nest.” Sven dipped into a tunnel opening and we all followed. The tunnel twisted and narrowed, and our group stretched out in single file. I felt Darren behind me, keeping his hand on my back. Every so often, he’d brush his lips over my hair or the back of my neck, reminding me that he was with me.

Things settled with Dayanara and Lyle, but my mind was racing. What was this power my baby had? It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. Part of it … felt malevolent, and it scared me.

The air changed. I felt it before I heard it, a new current, a promise of open space ahead. Toril and Sven stopped suddenly, and the rest of us bunched up behind them, everyone breathing hard.

We’d reached a dead end. The rock ahead was smooth, almost polished, as if a giant hand had smoothed it into place to keep the world out. For a second, I thought we were lost, that all of this was a setup, a joke at our expense.

Sven turned to us, his black eyes glittering. “Stay close,” he said. “This is the tricky part.”

“Ally … what is it?” Darren’s lips whispered against my ear. He was too observant for his own good. I glanced up at his eyes and could see he looked anxious. He knew something was bothering me, and he was worrying.

“I felt our baby’s power inside of me. It felt … aggressive—” I didn’t get to finish before Sven answered.

“It was.”

We all looked at Sven, who smiled. “You know what you learned from Azrael about your past. You know now … that knowledge has awakened that blood. Knowledge is power, and that truth is real when it comes to …” You having hellhound blood. He stopped talking out loud to enter my mind. So he knew the secret, too. Of course he did … he could read minds or memories or something like that. “It’s awakened in your baby. It’s fierce, aggressive, and very protective. You may want to keep that in mind as they grow up,” he said with a wink before turning to face the rock with Toril.

He and Toril pressed their palms flat against the rock. They started to chant, the words old and strange, scraping against my ears like a thousand tiny knives. The air vibrated, the stone trembling beneath our feet.

The wall began to glow, first a faint pulse, then brighter and brighter, until it hurt to look at. Then, with a crack like a gunshot, the stone split down the middle. It didn’t crumble or break; it parted, a perfect seam opening into a narrow passage, light pouring through the gap.

Tell me more about the baby and the power after we’re out of here, Darren mindlinked me as he guided me closer.

Toril’s wings spread wide, catching the new current, and she strode through first, her silhouette outlined in the light. Sven followed, motioning for us to hurry.

We shuffled through, single file, my heart pounding. The light grew and grew until I had to shield my eyes, the world blinding for a moment.

Then it broke, and we were outside.

The change was instant. Gone was the damp, the cold, the claustrophobia of the tunnel. Now there was sky … wide, endless, so blue it made my teeth ache. The sun was a hammer, smashing every shadow, every hidden thing. I blinked, tearing up, until my vision finally cleared.

We stood on a ridge, high above a plain that stretched to the horizon. But it wasn’t empty. Below us, in perfect, terrifying formation, stood an army.

Thousands upon thousands of drow and drangel soldiers. They stood shoulder to shoulder, black and white and every shade in between, armor gleaming in the sun, weapons raised in silent salute. Banners snapped in the wind, their colors unfamiliar but bold crimson, sapphire, obsidian. The army didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. They just watched us, a living wall of eyes and ambition.

I’d seen lycan armies, dragon flights, even the ragged bands of human rebels. But nothing like this. The discipline, the stillness, was more terrifying than any roar or battle cry. They didn’t look like they were waiting for orders.

They looked like they were waiting for us.

Toril turned, her wings casting a sharp shadow on the grass. “This is what we bring to the table,” she said, her voice clear and authoritative. “You wanted powerful alliances. You have it.”

Sven looked at me proudly with his sharp, quiet gaze.  “Our armies will now join the war. We march at dawn.”