“You truly believe, I would not help if you asked?” Thalion’s question dripped with challenge.

Cyn shrugged. “Why would you?”

Thalion held her eyes as he reached up and ran his fingers down her jaw to her neck. Cyn couldn’t hide her reaction to him as the speed of her breathing increased. Thalion chuckled as a smirk flashed across his face and then was gone. He dropped his hand and turned to face Lilly and Cypher.

To their surprise, Thalion found a stump to sit on. “Tell me.”

“We don’t have much time,” Cypher told him.

Thalion nodded. “I understand, but I need to know details before I lead my army into the human realm.”

Cyn gasped and Lilly’s head swung around to look at the Fae. It was the first major emotion she had seen from her.

“You’re going to help?” She whispered. “Why?”

Thalion’s sea green eyes met hers. He didn’t bother to hide the emotions swirling behind them.

“Because it’s you.” Cyn stared at Thalion. She didn’t have a reply to his candid answer and for once, she wished that she had Lilly’s quick wit and smart retorts.

She continued to watch him as she began the tale of all that had taken place in the human realm. She started with what had happened to the Romanian and Serbian packs.

Thalion sat silently, watching her intently as she spoke. As soon as she had finished, Cypher smoothly transitioned into his part in the story. Lilly had taken a spot on the ground in front of a tree. She leaned back against it, her legs stretched out in front of her, her head leaned back, and her eyes closed as she listened to the rumble of Cypher’s deep voice. The cadence of it seemed to match her breathing and she felt herself beginning to doze off, and when his voice suddenly stopped, her eyes popped open. She blinked a couple of times to clear her vision and then looked at Thalion. He sat with a furrowed brow staring at the ground as if the answers would suddenly be written in the dirt.

“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 the wolves 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.