Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(136)

“Don’t look.” Dev pulled me as far away as he could.

I tried to follow his command, but it was everywhere. Violence and bloodlust filled the world and it made me sick. I wanted to close my eyes and block the sights of people who should work together, cutting each other apart. In the middle of all of it I saw Lee and Zack, their magnificent wolf selves howling even as Daniel became a prime target.

Dev cursed and I found myself on the ground, his big body pressing me into the dirt. He held my head down and forced my torso under his as I heard a horrible sound. It sounded like water rushing violently toward us.

“Don’t move.” Dev whispered the words directly in my ear, and I could hear the worry in his voice. His body tensed as if in anticipation of some horrible pain.

All around me I heard the distinct thuds of arrows hitting the dirt. There were screams of agony as some of the arrows found warm bodies to lodge into. I felt Dev jerk against me and I heard him try to contain his groan of pain.

“Baby,” I said quietly. “Where are you hit?”

“I’m fine. It’s my right arm. Quickly, we don’t have long before they send over another volley.” He rolled off me carefully, protecting his left arm. “Zoey, pull it out or shove it through.”

I wanted to protest that he was crazy if he thought I would do that, but there wasn’t time and he was right. If I could get the arrow out, he would heal quickly and we would move much faster. Neil growled ahead of us, letting me know we had little time.

I studied Dev’s arm briefly. The arrow had lodged in the muscle of his upper arm. With the flat of my right hand, holding his arm with my left, I shoved the arrow until the thick gory head was through. Dev groaned but didn’t move as I managed to snap the shaft and pull both sides out.

Dev was on his feet before the arrow hit the ground. He flexed his hand and then handed me the Sig Sauer. “Sorry, sweetheart, that was my firing hand. Give me a few minutes and I should have the feeling back.”

I didn’t mind having the gun. It made me feel better and I was a damn good shot. Ahead, Neil was attempting to make a path through the warriors. The ones who wouldn’t move I shot. The cold iron bullets were persuasive.

I could see the Seelie back lines now. Miria was dressed in trousers and a practical shirt. She stood high on a platform with a small guard surrounding her. She looked different than the last time I had seen her. Her perceived loss was visible in every inch of her skin. It was as though all the hope and joy had been drained from the Seelie queen and what had been left was a need for vengeance. She would never stop, never call off the battle because she believed her sons were dead and gone and she had nothing left. I had to get to her, had to let her know all was not lost.

Even as I ran toward her, I heard a mighty yell go up in the thick of battle.

Daniel was busy with one of those mid-battle snacks I knew he looked forward to. It was the only time he would ever allow himself off his self-imposed leash. He would never feed from anyone but me or Dev when the feeding was an intimate act, but there was nothing intimate or gentle about this. This was a predator pulling his unwilling victim down and glorying in the kill. This was a lion taking down a gazelle, though I’m sure the goblin would be offended by the metaphor. Luckily, this gazelle was immortal and would live to be pissed off by the experience.

The shout that went up came from a large, white-haired sidhe. It was Padric, his heavy sword coated in blood as he turned toward his queen. His pale eyes were confused as he began to run back toward the encampment.

“I’m sure they were told you and Daniel were dead, too,” Dev yelled in explanation.

Miria saw Padric running toward her and hurried to the end of the platform. She ran down the stairs and met him at the back as he broke through the lines. As I ran toward them, I saw him whisper in her ear. She held on to Padric even as she then tried to get a good look at Daniel, as though she would not believe it until she saw it for herself. There was no question in my mind what she was asking him. She wanted to know about her sons. Padric shook his head.

They were so closely engaged that neither saw the men creeping up behind them. While Daniel was providing us with a distraction, it was also working for the bad guys. Much of the battle was now focused on the blood-soaked vampire who had been hit more times than any of them could count and still left a trail of bodies in his wake. The weapons makers of the faery world would be stocking up on silver in the near future. Cold iron didn’t mean a damn thing to Danny. I was sure he would tell me it tickled.

Three men worked their way toward the Seelie queen. Even Miria’s guard was distracted.

“Neil,” I screamed, pointing toward the trouble.

He barked and took off. He was far faster than Dev or I could hope to be. He swerved and curved his way through the combatants.

Dev and I had more trouble than Neil. We had to stay on the outskirts of battle, making our way around the bloody fights that seemed to go on everywhere. Dev grasped my hand as we tried to get to his mother.

The assassins held cold iron knives in their hands, and they were smart enough to divide their forces. Two were making their way toward Padric while one was lying in wait. I could see the way the plot would work. The third assassin would wait until Padric was detained with fighting and probably murdering the other two. Then the third could easily slit the queen’s throat and take her heart. It was likely a suicide mission, but the Duke of Ain had proven to have loyal followers.