The Darkest Touch

Silence descended, amazement almost palpable.

Boom! The entire foundation of the fortress rocked. Dust fell from the rafters.

Boom! Boom!

He focused on Keeley. Temper issues? But she was paying him and his friends zero attention, just staring outside.

“What’s going on?” Ashlyn asked with a tremor. She secured her daughter on her hip and tugged her son to her side.

Keeley pressed her hand to the window and said, “I think...we’re under attack.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

SPARKS OF ANGER razed Keeley’s chest. Being the Red Queen came with only one disadvantage. Enemies. She made them everywhere she traveled, and often, as with the minions, they followed her.

Today’s challengers? The Unspoken Ones.

They thought to threaten her new life.

They had to die.

The rain stopped, and thunder boomed just as loudly as the bombs.

She sent wisps of her power to curl around the Unspoken Ones, ready to flash them away...and follow with a hacksaw...only to realize they’d scarred themselves with brimstone. The wisps withered into nothing.

Who had told them?

Not difficult to surmise. The three demon-possessed crazies.

They’ll get theirs. Later.

Time to mastermind a plan to pulverize the Unspoken Ones. She couldn’t destroy the beasts the way she so desperately wanted—make them explode. And not just because of the scars. There would be other casualties. Probably a lot of other casualties. All of Torin’s friends would explode, too, and the fortress would collapse.

Of course, she could flash everyone away before the big event, saving them all at once—except for Torin. But Lucien could take care of him. However, that still left her with a problem: the fortress.

Don’t destroy it, Torin had once said. He’d even added a please.

Now she understood why. If she brought the place crumbling down, his friends would never like her.

Want them to like me.

Boom!

The entire fortress shook, dust plumping the air. The Unspoken Ones had just destroyed the tall iron gate surrounding the fortress, and in turn removed some of the booby traps Galen had told her were set along its perimeter.

“Why don’t they just flash inside?” she asked. They’d lost the element of surprise.

“They aren’t my biggest fans,” the female named Sienna said. “I took measures against them.”

So, this was the new queen of the Titans. The one who’d usurped Cronus.

Not the hulking she-beast I expected.

“Are the Unspoken Ones strangers, Daddy?” Ever asked as sweet as candy.

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“So I can hurt them?”

“Yes,” the warrior said, his tone as hard as steel. “You can hurt them bad.”

“Oh, goody!” Ever grinned and hugged her brother.

Urban’s expression remained stoic even as he hugged her back.

“Actually, no,” Keeley announced. “She can’t.” She faced the warriors as one of the rafters in the center cracked.

“Sorry, your great and powerful majesty of whatever, but you don’t get a vote in this. The big boys are going to field this one,” the one named Strider said. “We’re going to do things our way. The right way.”

“There’s right, and there’s better.” She blinked, flashing the children, the females and Strider to a distant location.

The rest of the warriors slid straight into a panic.

“What did you do with them?” the father of the twins roared. “Where are they?”

“Sure,” Keeley said. “Blame the new girl. But okay, fine, your assumption happens to be true. And you should be rejoicing! They’re safe. I’ll return them after the battle.” She rubbed her hands together. “Now, then. Let’s get started, shall we?”

Boom!

“Torin,” one of the dark-haired males demanded.

“They aren’t being harmed,” Torin said. “You have my word. They’re safe, and they will be returned.”

He trusts me. More of those delicious rays of sunshine found her.

She checked a wristwatch she wasn’t wearing and said, “The Unspoken Ones will breach the walls soonish.” She flashed in the arsenal from a bunker her spies had once told her about. Guns. Rifles. Grenades. Flamethrowers. Swords. “Take your pick, boys, with my compliments.”

“I can flash you to your bedroom, Torin,” Lucien said. “We won’t let the creatures get to you.”

Excuse me? They expected the fierce and mighty Torin to ride pine? Thought to bench their best player? Did they want to lose?

“He’s not suffering with menstrual cramps, so stop treating him that way,” she announced. Then, to Torin, she commanded, “Don’t even think about tapping out. Pick a weapon.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” selected two swords and a rifle and pulled his hood over his face. “And no, I don’t think you’re wearing mom jeans. Any jeans you wear automatically become babe jeans.”

There goes a piece of my heart.

“Why can’t you flash the Unspoken Ones away?” Lucien asked her. “Like you did the women and children.”

Torin might... No, surely he wouldn’t.... But if he did tattle about the brimstone, it was going to hurt. Picking their safety over mine. But until then, she wouldn’t say a word. “I have my reasons.”