“Thalion.” Cyn’s voice held a hint of apprehension as she watched him struggle with the information they had shared.

Thalion finally looked up and met Cyn’s eyes. “I will have the necessary weapons made and my army will join with you to fight.” His jaw tensed. “I have been foolish to ignore the happenings in the mortal realm.”

Cyn smiled. “Well, you aren’t the only ones. It took a moon goddess to get my race to act.”

“What do you mean it took a moon goddess?” Thalion asked, with narrowed eyes.

“The Great Luna has caused matings between the wolves and Fae. She also gave the command to the Fae council to call the packs together,” Cyn explained.

Cypher took a step forward. “You haven’t mentioned this.”

“I was waiting for the right moment.”

“When you say ‘the packs,’” Thalion interrupted. “Do you mean all of them?”

“If by all of them you mean all of them, then yes.” Cyn nodded.

Lilly shook her head at Cyn’s sarcasm. “I’ve created a monster,” she grumbled.

Thalion continued to meet Cyn’s gaze as he thought of the implications of her words. “For the Great Luna to be involved,”

“It’s bad,” Cyn agreed.

“Um, I have to agree that this all stinks to high heaven, but can I ask something,” Lilly spoke up. “I know you said that you are Thalion and we know you are an elf, obviously, but can you just clarify exactly how you are able to bring an army to help us?”

A ghost of a smile crept across his lips. “Of course, I am not just any run of the mill elf. I am Thalion, Prince of the Elves.”

Lilly’s eyes widened. “Prince,” she murmured, and then looked over at Cyn. “You didn’t mention that your contact was royalty.”

Cyn shrugged. “You didn’t ask.”

Thalion stood and the others did as well. “I need one night to get everything together,” he told them. “I’m going to ask that you pass back to your realm and wait for me there.” Then he walked over to Cyn and took her hand. “Excuse us for a second please,” he said to Cypher and Lilly as he pulled Cyn several feet away.

Cyn looked up at Thalion in surprise. He frowned at her.

“Don’t look surprised, Cyn. You’ve known for a long time.”

She dropped her eyes, not wanting him to see the truth behind them, but he wouldn’t let her hide that easily. He tilted her chin up with a finger until her eyes met his.

“Why have you stayed away for so long?”

“Why have you?” She countered.

“You know that it is hard for me to leave. I don’t have someone in place to take over while I’m gone like thewolves do. I don’t have a council watching over my people like the Fae do. It is me and me alone that the burden falls to.”

Cyn nodded. “I know.”

Thalion’s eyes narrowed. “And?”

“And what? We both have responsibilities that we can’t just walk away from. I am a guardian, you are a prince, and those are the facts. We do not have the luxury of following our hearts.”

A small smile appeared on the prince’s face. “So, your heart leads you to me?”

“You know it does,” she whispered, shyly.

Before she could anticipate his next move, his lips were suddenly pressed to hers. It was a firm, quick kiss—it was a promise.

“I’ll see you very soon.” He gave her one last meaningful stare, and if looks could wrap arms around a person and possess them, then she would be locked in his.

Cyn walked back over to Lilly and Cypher in a daze.

“You didn’t see that coming did you?” Lilly asked.

Cyn shook her head, still unable to put any words together.

“Yeah well, there’s a lot of that going around so welcome to the club.”

Q

“SHE DID WHAT!” Desdemona yelled and the walls of the small building shook. The windows rattled and threatened to shatter as a wave of her power whipped through the air. Mona stared in the direction of the voice, though she could not see the owner. Once again, the Fae traitor had come to her, offering her information, because she hated one of her own.

“They are no longer in the In-Between,” the Fae reiterated.

“Yes, I kind of figured that’s what you meant when you said that Peri rescued them,” Mona spat at the cloaked figure. She still could not determine the identity of the Fae and it was really beginning to tick her off.

“Don’t take your incompetence out on me,” the Fae snapped back.

Mona froze. Very few beings would dare to talk to her that way and live to tell about it. She turned slowly to face the figure. Her hands itched to work their magic and the darkness swirled inside her pulsing, pushing to be released.

“I told you that I could help you Desdemona. I also told you that you were not my only option. I bring you this information to show you that I am telling you the truth when I say I want Perizada stripped of her power, kneeling before me knowing that her death is upon her.”

Mona couldn’t help the shriek of laughter that bolted out of her. “Damn, I thought I was blood thirsty, but I’m beginning to think that some of you so called good guys are even nastier than little ‘ole me.”

The cloaked figure stepped forward and the darkness around it slowly faded as the hood fell away. Mona laughed as she saw who stood before her.