Page 288 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

Freya’s gaze snapped to me. I shook my head, hating the helplessness that followed. I glanced around—fire, lightning, visions, the archer, the siblings…

“Holy shit,” I breathed. “You’re the deadly six.”

“Seven,” the archer muttered absently, “but three are missing.”

“Eight,” Freya grumbled.

“It’d be eight if the eighth intended to stay,” the female cut in, stepping forward. “I’m Alvara. This is my mate, August—Freya’s brother—and the Carters.” She nodded toward the archer and the blonde. “Alec and Fae. You’ve met Ajax. Those are his brothers, Brody and Alastair.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yes, yes, fangirl later,” Freya said, patting my chest. “Someone fix the food, please.”

“I am forced to concur,” Reyna grumbled.

“Fix the food,” Alvara repeated slowly, her eyes snapping to August.

“Famine,” he said grimly.

“Oh, fuck,” Alec muttered. “The third? How’d we miss the first two?”

“No one said they’re not already here,” Alvara whispered, voice tight.

I looked around at all the stunned faces. “Sorry—did you just say…as in the third Horseman?”

“We’re currently hypothesizing as much,” Alvara said, striding along the ragged line of blight with steady, purposeful steps. Her brows pinched as her eyes slid shut, and when she turned back to Alec and Fae, apprehension was carved into every inch of her. She was beautiful in a way that felt more myth than mortal—unreachable, like the idea of light. Under her breath, barely audible, she murmured, “A tracker who is…a fertility Goddess will push against the third.”

“No,” Alec said flatly, slinging his bow across his chest with a snap of finality. “Ally, absolutely not.”

“I cannot see, Alec,” she said softly, shaking her head. “Whatever this is…it’s drilling through the whole plan.”

“No.” Firmer this time. No room left for debate. August stood behind him, arms folded, one open palm pressed to his mouth like it might muffle his instincts.

“Will one of you have the common decency to fill the rest of us in?!” Reyna demanded. Even I found myself agreeing with her—begrudgingly. I nodded, jaw clenched.

“Fae is one of the prophesied pieces Adrastos was trying to bring to life,” Alvara explained, still watching the curvy little blonde. “She was meant to counterbalance the Third Horseman.”

“She’s pregnant,” Alec snapped, his glare landing like a curse on Reyna. “She can’t afford to burn that bright.”

“Darling,” Fae murmured, laying a hand over his shoulder, “if we don’t stop this, there won’t be a world left to raise them in. Even if Aren gets us home, living trapped in the Middle is no life at all.”

Alec stepped in front of her like a shield, both hands planted on her shoulders. “No, baby.”

“She has a point,” August said reluctantly, his voice heavy.

“August,” Alec hissed, spine curling inward, pain etched in every line of his face, a flicker of betrayal in his eyes. “Don’t.”

Fae touched his jaw, her voice soft but resolute. “Babe, I’ve got this. No coincidences, remember?”

Alec looked like he might launch her over his shoulder and sprint for the hills. His arms folded, then dropped. He palmed his jaw, paced in place. Finally, he gave a single nod, his eyes only for her as the group collectively exhaled.

I stayed silent, but my gaze drifted toward Freya. She didn’t so much as glance at me. But imagining her in Fae’s position had my nerves scraping raw. Fae, however, was unbothered. She strolled forward, eyes sweeping over all of us.

“How many of you have innate earth magic?”

Reyna. Her dark-skinned partner. Ajax and his brothers. Alvara, Alec, and August all raised their hands. Freya started to lift hers but paused when Fae shook her head gently.

“Naturally occurring, sweetie,” Fae clarified. “No point draining one source to charge another.”