The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

Carrick did not disagree with this, and he knew there was going to be a reckoning for Pyke one day. Tipping his head in curiosity, he asked, “I thought you were using the safety of Faere as a mere excuse to provoke your mother to help, but I hear it in your voice… you’re genuinely worried about this land and the Light Fae who live here.”

“It’s my home, Carrick,” she said in a mournful voice. “I might have moved away, but I assumed Faere would always be there for me. There are people here I care for deeply. I don’t want them at risk, and I can’t believe that dipshit brother of mine would betray us like that.”

“You know,” Carrick drawled, as if to posit a theory. “Pyke could be under Kymaris’ control.”

Deandra shook her head vehemently. “No. Finley said he loved her. Their relationship has been going on for decades.”

Carrick believed the same, but he was merely trying to offer something that might provide some peace to her right now and alleviate the fury bubbling because of her brother. Maybe it was good she held onto it, so she’d stay committed to their cause.

And speaking of causes, they still had more recruiting to do. Carrick asked Deandra, “Want to go to Brevala with me to see if they’ll join us? It would do well to have the Light Fae princess joining my request.”

Deandra’s eyebrows lifted high as she turned and started walking down the hallway again. “Brevala? The Meadowlanders and Bluff Dwellers are at war with each other. They certainly wouldn’t join forces to fight by our sides.”

“You’d be wrong about that,” Carrick said with a chuckle. “Geseph and Arnus ended their feud.”

“What?” Deandra exclaimed, giving him a quick glance. “That feud was an eternity long. How did it end?”

“Just a little love story between a Meadowlander named Eliana and a Bluff Dweller named Ronan,” Carrick replied, and Deandra snorted. She didn’t believe in love.

If she had, Carrick might have told her the full story, but, as it were, he merely reiterated his invitation. “Come to Brevala with me?”

“Yes, of course,” she replied without hesitation.

Because she knew what Carrick knew… that without Nimeyah’s help, along with the Light Fae, they were at a serious disadvantage if the veil were to open. The Brevalians were all winged, elite warriors. They could help bridge the gap, and maybe it wouldn’t be a total slaughter.

CHAPTER 24

Finley

It’s a cold, rainy day, and I’m holed up inside the condo with some of those who mean the most to me. My closest and forever friends, Rainey and Myles, who returned from their Fijian honeymoon five days ago; Zora, my identical twin sister, who I have spent nearly every waking moment with as we continue to learn about each other and tighten our bond; and Maddox, who I’ve decided is my forever brother-in-law since I’ve certainly come to love him like family.

Carrick is here in the condo, but he’s working in his office. He still has an empire to maintain, although that might be moot after the ritual.

Zaid and Boral are off on an errand together, which isn’t just unusual that the estranged father and son are hanging out together, but they’re off buying a cache of illegal semi-automatic weapons. Many of those recruited to fight on our side are daemons without any powers. While bullets won’t kill Dark Fae, it will slow them down. More importantly, bullets will shred any demons that come through the veil if it opens. It’s one of our more mainstream human ideas we have to help protect us from the swarm that might come through.

Carrick had the free-standing fireplace in the living area fixed a few weeks ago, which had been obliterated when he’d thrown Boral through it back in August. Maddox turned it on and while it doesn’t give off a lot of heat, it provides a cheery ambiance.

The five of us are lounging in the center grouping of furniture right in front of the fireplace. It’s something we’ve done a lot of the last few days—hanging out together, that is—and Zora seems to be acclimating more seamlessly into my life. Rainey has even forged a light friendship with her, and that’s all due to Rainey’s sparkling personality and refusal to let Zora shrink away from her.

Because he’s efficient that way, Zaid laid out a nice charcuterie board for us to snack on while he went off to buy guns on the black market. The girls are sipping on a robust red that I’d snagged from Carrick’s wine collection, and Myles and Maddox are drinking local craft beer.

We are taking the concept of chilling out very seriously, because there is actually nothing else we can do until the ritual. Carrick has recruited as many forces as he can. He has commitments from several Light Fae—although not as many as he’d like. This includes a contingent of Brevalian warriors, and I’m incredibly eager to meet these winged fae. Carrick has also pulled in a large number of daemons—both light and dark—who are committed to keeping the Earth realm exactly the way it is. Those are the ones who will be bearing firearms to help in the fight. There are even some Dark Fae who have chosen not to go to Kymaris’ side because—like Boral—they like living out from under Kymaris’ rule. Now, whether they’ll actually show up to fight is another matter.