105: Ada's POV

They’d had to leave immediately after coming to see me. I wasn’t happy about this, but I also hadn’t pushed back. Their people— *my* people— were what made this Kingdom what it was. They had given a vow to protect the people of this kingdom, and it was wonderfully honorable of them to try and steer this conflict away from the majority of their subjects. Still, I worried.

Nik and Darius had seemed like their usual selves: slightly brooding, annoyed, and overtly charismatic. Phoenix had been off. It was clear he didn’t want to do this. I’d thought that I’d felt that hesitation radiating down our bond a few minutes prior, but I’d brushed it off as I hadn’t heard any updates yet. After seeing his grim expression, I’d briefly considered asking if he could stay with me. His heart wasn’t in it. Phoenix was distracted, and I knew from my lessons with Darius just how deadly ‘distracted’ could be.

But I didn’t. I let him go with them. They’d all promised to keep me posted. Our goodbyes were simple and meaningless. Tears hadn’t fallen, promises of love and safety hadn’t been made. Kisses and worries hadn’t been shared. I stayed in my quarters with Gwynn, trying to distract myself as I waited for something to come through our links and bonds. Hours passed, and I hadn’t heard anything yet. I tried distracting myself with books and reports that the three of them wanted me to get caught up in, but I couldn’t stop myself from just staring off into space. Gwynn tried her best to be good company, but tensions were high for everyone. I knew her relationship with the princes was good for a Lady’s Maid, and that she was probably close to being as worried as I was.

I nearly leapt for joy when, after a few hours of silence, Darius’s voice flooded into my mind. *We made it to the military camp with our armies.*

*Keep me in the loop, I* responded and plopped back down on the couch that I had begun pacing in front of.

Before I’d even settled, Phoenix’s voice drifted into my head, *We will all do our best. There are more here than Cade had predicted. Nik is setting up wards. He should check in soon.*

As if Phoenix had summoned him, Nik’s voice flittered in — strained and raw. T*hey also have wards. Something isn’t right. Get your asses over to me now.*

I waited and rested my elbows on my knees. As the silence continued, I laced my fingers together and brought them up, resting my chin on them. It was the closest to a prayer stance that I’d been in for years. My heel tapped against the ground. Gwynn was sitting across from me, waiting with me. I shot her a weak smile and motioned toward the empty kettle on the coffee table. She gave a little nod and stood to refill the pot and brew some tea.

It was Phoenix who popped back in, nearly ten minutes later. *We are in battle. Don’t expect many updates.*

Gwynn was nearly knocked over when I leapt to my feet. Battle? Already? They’d been gone less than half a day. Darkness had crept in quickly after they left the castle. Had I been naive to assume this wouldn’t happen until daylight? I nearly slapped my own forehead. Of course, that was naive. Battles happened at all hours of all days. Why had I hoped for a different outcome when *clearly* my mates were heading out to meet an a*rmy*? It had just happened so fast, and I wanted them to have more time to prepare.

I was back to pacing. Gwynn was pouring a cup of tea, letting the bag of herbs steep. She sat on the couch, keeping an eye on me as I made my way around the room and back again. Her face was impassive, not letting any of the worry I was certain she was feeling show. I wished I could match her energy on that front, but my anxiety was wafting off of me so hard that I was sweating from the effort it took to keep it from shooting down my bonds to Nik, Darius, and Phoenix. They didn’t need that distraction. Instead, I kept the bonds free for anything they could send my way.

*We are outnumbered, but faring well.* Phoenix popped in out of nowhere, his voice making me jump a few inches in the air.

That wasn’t a surprise. My father had always valued the size of an army over the skill of its warriors. When met with the skill of the three Alpha Kings and their well-trained armies, they wouldn’t stand a chance. That thought had me relaxing slightly. The only other thing I was certain of was that my father wasn’t there. He wouldn’t lead his own armies into any battle that couldn’t be a guaranteed win. But the Alpha Kings? They were there. An army led by its leaders was always more unified.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. A low buzzing sound filled my ears. I spun, looking around the room. Gwynn was giving no sign that she could also hear the sound. The very bonds between Darius, Nik, Phoenix, and me felt like they were shaking within my mind. Vibrating. The buzzing tone escalated and got higher in pitch. Soon, I couldn’t hear anything happening around me aside from the buzzing.

There was a loud pop followed by utter silence. *Phoenix?* I tried. No response. *Darius?* Nothing but the still silence around me. *Nik?* I put a hand to my chest when he remained quiet. *Someone answer me! Now!*

*Ada, breathe!* Darius demanded, and I drew a sharp breath into my lungs.

Just as my body began to relax, a sharp pain ran down my left side. It was so similar to the pain that I’d felt when Phoenix had collapsed in the garden, but more intense. It knocked all of the air from my lungs and made my entire body lock up. My jaw was hanging open as yet another bolt of blinding pain erupted in my side. I felt the scream rise from my chest and billow out of my ears as my vision began to blur.

Gwynn was running towards me as I fell to my knees. Another jolt of pain, and I was sure of only one thing: I was definitely dying.