Chaos erupted. Mab’s voice rose alongside Oberon’s, calling for her warriors, gathering them for battle. Meghan nodded to Ash and Glitch, and the two fey strode off, probably to take control of the Iron Realm’s forces and prepare them for war. I drew my swords, staying close to Kenzie and Annwyl, as faeries swarmed around us, heading for the Summer side of the camp. Gripping my blades, I started to follow.
“Ethan!” Meghan turned, the mantle of the Iron Queen surrounding her, snapping with power. “Keep back from the front lines,” she ordered, her tone brooking no argument. “Stay here where it’s safer. I don’t want you in the thick of things.”
“Dammit, Meghan, I can fight—”
“I know you can,” the Iron Queen interrupted. “But you have something else to do, Ethan, you and Annwyl.” She glanced at the Summer faery, a flicker of anguish crossing her face, before turning to me again. “Your fight isn’t with the Forgotten. It’s with Keirran. If no one else can save him, I must depend on you. So, please.” She grabbed my shoulder. “Stay here. Protect Annwyl and Kenzie. Will you do that, for my peace of mind?”
I slumped, nodding. “Yeah,” I muttered. She was right; much as I wanted to stand with her and the rest of my family, I couldn’t go throwing myself into battle with the Forgotten. I still had to deal with Keirran.
Meghan squeezed my shoulder, her eyes intense. “Stay safe, little brother,” she whispered, a sister once more, and whirled away. I watched her stride after the other rulers, knights and other Iron fey falling in behind her, and made my own promise to see her again when this was all over.
I walked back to Kenzie and Annwyl, who were hovering close to Meghan’s tent as the rest of the army rushed past them. Razor perched on Kenzie’s shoulder, eyes wide as he pressed close, muttering nonsense.
“You okay, tough guy?” Kenzie asked, watching me with concern. She seemed nervous about the impending attack but not frightened. Behind her, Annwyl watched the fey prepare for battle with the same calm resignation she did everything now. I sheathed my swords, then reached for Kenzie and pulled her close, wrapping my arms around her. Razor was either so anxious or shell-shocked that he didn’t even grin at me.
“We should probably find somewhere safe to hole up,” I muttered, watching the last of the Iron fey scurry off after their queen. “From the looks of it, things are going to get pretty crazy.”
“Do you think Keirran will be with the Forgotten army?” Annwyl asked, her voice distant as she stared after the rulers. I frowned at her.
“Even if he is, you can’t go charging after him yourself, Annwyl,” I warned. “He’ll be surrounded by Forgotten, and there will be faeries fighting and tearing each other apart. It’s too dangerous to look for Keirran now.”
“I know,” she answered, much to my relief. “I understand what’s at stake, Ethan Chase. I won’t endanger that.”
“Smart girl,” said the Thin Man, turning into existence beside us. “Glad to see that we are all keeping our heads.” His gaze rose past us, following the direction where Meghan and the kings and queens of Faery had vanished into the dark. “Strange that the Forgotten would choose to attack now,” he mused, narrowing his eyes. “This seems most unlike them. Why march at us head-on when they can all slip through the...”
His eyes widened. “Oh, you clever boy!” he hissed, and strode forward. “Call them back!” We all stared at him, and he whirled around, vanishing from sight for a split second. “The army must fall back! The rulers must return at once! The Forgotten are about to ambush us from behind!”
“Ethan!” Kenzie gasped. “Look!”
I spun. Behind us, a crack appeared in the air, a tear in the fabric of reality. As I watched, horrified, it swiftly widened, showing the misty darkness of the Between beyond. And then a flood of shadows and glowing yellow eyes poured out of the breach like ants and swarmed to attack us.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE DESTROYER
“Run!”
I pushed Kenzie forward as Razor gave a screech of terror and bounced away. “Go!” I yelled. “We have to get to Meghan and the rest of the army. Go!”
They went, sprinting through the tent aisles, the Thin Man and myself close behind. I spared a glance over my shoulder and saw the massive horde of Forgotten still pouring from the gap, a flood of dark shadows. Some were normal-sized; some were larger and malformed, with huge heads and arms that dragged the ground when they walked. A few were enormous, towering over their smaller kin as they lumbered forward. I saw a dozen different types of Forgotten in one glance, but they were all blurred, indistinct shadows with wisps of darkness trailing behind. Featureless silhouettes except for their glowing yellow eyes.
And they were catching up. A pack of lean, doglike things raced toward us, making no noise as they leaped over tents and between aisles. One raced beside me, snapping pointed jaws at my ankles, and I cursed as I drew my sword. It leaped aside as I slashed at it, and the rest of the pack closed in. I felt one’s teeth snag my jeans and stumbled with a stab of fear, barely catching myself. If I fell, that would be it. The dogs would maul me to death, and I’d be swallowed whole by a black flood of Forgotten.
Snarling, I hacked at one dog and saw it erupt in a billow of shadow before it disappeared. At the same time, another pair of sharp fangs closed around my ankle, and I felt myself falling.
Just as I hit the ground, there was a blur of darkness, much bigger than the Forgotten hounds, as something huge bowled into the pack with a roar, knocking them aside like stick figures. The pack yelped and scattered, and I shoved myself upright as a massive furry creature bounded to my side, long fangs flashing in the darkness.