Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(135)

Dev turned, his skin turning pale. “Daniel…”

Daniel nodded. “Whatever you need, man.”

Dev looked to the door. “The battle can only be ended by each side blowing the battle horns. One is not enough.”

“I’ll find my father,” Chima promised.

“You will not be going onto a battlefield, wife. You could be killed,” Declan protested. His voice was slightly subdued as though he realized how much his previous actions might cost him.

Chima sighed and a weary look crossed her face. “Then I suggest that you defend me, Declan. I’m tired of fighting with you already. I am going to offer you a deal. You may take it or leave it. Though I worry a marriage to you will not be happy, I’m willing to accept your claim if it will bring our tribes together.”

Something like hope lit Declan’s green eyes. He took Chima’s hands in his. “I love you, Chima. I have since we were children. I promise I will try to work with the Unseelie if it means we can be together. I want to know our son.”

“Yes,” Chima said. “You’ll need him since it appears you’ve lost your brother.”

Declan’s face turned stubborn. “It is for my son that I wish my brother had not proven to be so selfish. He chose that goddess of his over our people. Perhaps he is not fit to be our priest.”

“You’ll work with him as he is still the Unseelie priest. He’s the Unseelie’s High Priest.” Chima made sure to enunciate the honor she bestowed upon him and looked at Dev expectantly.

“My goddess and I will use our paltry power to aid you in any way possible,” he promised. He got back to his battle plans. “Zoey, Neil, and I will make our way around the edges of the battle to try to get to my mother. Zack and Lee will stay with Daniel.”

“And I will be?” Daniel asked.

“Providing one hell of a diversion,” Dev replied.

Daniel smiled slowly, looking forward to the violence. “I might need to refuel during battle, depending on how long it takes.”

“As long as you don’t drain the warriors, they should survive the experience,” Dev offered. “That’s what Zack and Lee will be there for. They’ll protect you should you be forced to take a lunch break. You should try one of the goblins. I’ve heard their blood is exotic.”

“Never had one before,” Daniel acknowledged.

“Hunter,” Dev called. “You will join us?”

The Hunter nodded his assent. “I’ll be ready should you desire to call upon me and mine.”

Dev’s face turned savage, and I knew he was thinking about the Duke of Ain and his family. “I’ll be calling on you, Hunter. Make sure you are ready to ride. Now, Daniel, if you wouldn’t mind getting that door open for us.”

Running faster than I could track him, Daniel hit the enormous gates and they exploded outward under the force of his arms. The sounds of battle assaulted us.

Dev took my hand and we found ourselves in the middle of a war.





Chapter Thirty-Three





It was my first look at the plain that separated the sitheins.

“It’s daylight.” I started to try to reach for Daniel, but he was already running away from me.

“It’s a magical light, Zoey.” Dev’s eyes moved across the plain, taking in the battle in front of us. “It won’t affect him at all. It’s always daylight on this plain. It’s another defense mechanism.”

I was certain that on a normal day, it was peaceful and beautiful. The grassy plain was flat and almost certainly would be a fertile green had it not become saturated with blood. The sounds of sword hitting sword rang across the field. Even as Dev pulled me along, I turned my head and watched as Declan led Chima and Nim to the back of the Unseelie war machine. There were several tents set up, and I could see what must be the king’s advisors meeting underneath one. I didn’t see anyone I thought could be Angus, but I hoped whoever it was would listen to Chima’s reason. Dev, Neil, and I had the infinitely harder job. We had to do the same thing Chima, Nim, and Declan were doing, but we had to make our way across the entire length of the battlefield to do it and we would be doing it without the aid of eddy winds. It was far too dangerous with all the arrows flying around.

I didn’t like the idea of those arrows rushing toward my vampire. It wouldn’t matter that they weren’t silver tipped. Each one was a little stake flying through the air. He would have to be careful.

“Stay close,” Dev yelled over the clatter. I followed his eyes as he spotted Daniel.

I caught my breath as Daniel ran onto the field and took a mighty leap. He jumped over the back lines of the battle and into the middle of the fray. It only took a second before the bodies started to fly and all attention was on the newcomer. The blood-soaked battlefield brought out Daniel’s beast, and he was on full display. I’d never seen his fangs so long or his claws so sharp. Just the smell of all that blood was enough to put Daniel on the edge of his control. He cut through the lines easily, raining confusion down all around him.

I felt Neil running beside me, his pure white fur a dramatic contrast to the violence around us. We stayed close to the edges of the battle but it encroached. A Seelie sidhe battled a large male goblin. It was apparent they had been fighting for a while, hacking little pieces off of one another, but the sidhe was tiring and the goblin’s strength held up. The goblin wielded a bloody cleaver and brought it down on the sidhe’s arm. I shrank back as the faery’s arm hit the ground.