Mated To An Enemy

The tapestry was dry and cracked. The walls showed signs of aging.

Lian took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the distribution of power. Instead, she clenched her jaw and took in a sharp breath as the strain of ley lines pressed against her mind.

"Lian!"

Lian's eyes shot open. She was lying on the floor. Solana stood above her with a look of concern. She reached down and helped Lian to her feet.

"I'm all right," Lian said.

"Liar," Solana sighed. She turned, showing Lian the long grey streak in her hair. "Neither of us is all right."

"It was the destruction of Lily's Rest," Lian replied. "Losing it weakened our hold. But, without Talis, we were already on borrowed time. So now we are treading water... barely."

"How long can we do this?" Solana asked.

"I don't know," Lian replied honestly.

She felt the tug of power in ley lines, letting out a shuddering breath as the pain moved over her. Yet, beneath the pain, she felt something else, something familiar.

Lian furrowed her brows.

"What is it?" Solana asked.

"I can feel someone else in the ley lines," Lian whispered. "More than one."

"What? How?"

Lian waited, letting the power move around her as she felt it over her mind and body. Then, finally, she let out a soft gasp as she recognized it.

She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Ashleigh and Lily have made a very risky decision," she whispered. Then, opening her eyes, she looked at Solana. "We must hold for as long as possible."

Solana sighed with frustration.

"What have they done now?"

Lian smiled.

"They have opened the way gate between Summer and Winter," Lian said. "Lily is attempting to save all of your people."

Solana clenched her jaw, looking away.

"How? They can't pass through the gate; they'll be torn apart," she said.

"True," Lian replied. "That is why Lily is using her life force to shield them. One thousand years of spiritual energy holding against the chaotic and destructive power of the ley lines."

Solana closed her eyes.

"She is always making stupid choices."

Lian smiled.

"It is only the two of us here, Solana," she said softly. "You don't have to hide how much you are worried from me. I, too, miss her."

***

The howls and screeches that echoed from the valley below were driving Ashleigh crazy.

Standing by, watching as the civilians passed into the gate and doing nothing as she heard the sounds of battle was wearing on her.

'It won't be much longer,' Lily whispered. 'You are doing the right thing. If you were to go down there now, there is a chance that the civilians still waiting would be attacked, and those attackers would go through the portal themselves.'

Ashleigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

'I know,' she replied. Opening her eyes and watching as the civilians moved one by one into the portal. 'It's just difficult.'

'I understand.'

Ashleigh walked around the remaining wolves. They were down to less than one hundred wolves waiting to enter the portal.

'Fiona has made it through to Winter,' Lily whispered.

Ashleigh let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

'Good,' she said. 'I'm glad to hear it.'

Several howls rose through the trees. Ashleigh turned and stared with focused eyes at the only path that led to the way gate. She licked her lips and lowered herself into a defensive position as she summoned her karambit into her hand.

She could hear fighting in the trees. Ashleigh gritted her teeth; she wanted to run and fight. She wanted to find Caleb and the other Summer soldiers, the Crag wolves.

'How much longer?' Ashleigh asked.

Only a small group remained. Less than thirty wolves on this side of the portal.

'Ten minutes,' Lily said. 'Once the rest have entered, getting everyone to Winter will take ten minutes.'

Ashleigh swallowed. If she told Caleb now, would there be enough time to get everyone back and into the portal before the fae could follow them inside?

'I can force the portal closed the second you step through,' Lily whispered.

'What?' Ashleigh asked, 'I didn't–'

'I know what you think, Ashleigh,' Lily laughed.

Ashleigh let out a gentle scoff.

'But if I force it to close immediately, I won't be able to hold the bridge,' Lily said.

'What does that mean?' Ashleigh asked.

'That means I will have to catapult you and the others through the tunnel to keep them from being destroyed by the power of the ley lines.' Lily replied. 'Which also means the soldiers cannot enter until the civilians have made it to Winter. If you enter before the civilians have exited, the bridge will collapse beneath them.'

Ashleigh took a deep breath.

'So, ten minutes…' she whispered back. 'Ten minutes until the civilians have all reached Winter… All the soldiers need to be here and ready to enter the gate at exactly that time?'

'Yes,' Lily replied. 'I won't be able to hold much longer than that.'

Ashleigh chewed her bottom lip and nodded.

'Ok… we can do that…' she thought.

'And don't forget,' Lily said. 'You also have to set the charges to destroy this side of the gate.'

Ashleigh had forgotten.

She was so focused on the idea that they could save everyone by using the gate she had forgotten about the risk of the power that Lian and Solana had trapped flowing out of them and being used by the Dark Queen.

She took a deep breath.

"All right… get the civilians to Winter, set the charges, get the soldiers into the gate, blow it up as we leave… easy…" she sighed.

'Would you like to trade tasks?' Lily asked playfully.

Ashleigh grinned. They were both doing their best to ignore the fact that once Ashleigh crossed into the portal, they would likely never be able to speak again. Once Lily finished sending Ashleigh and the soldiers to Winter, she would be destroyed by the ley lines.

Ten minutes was all they had left.

Ashleigh fought down the pain that rose in her chest. She took a deep breath and focused on Caleb.

'Caleb, you and the other soldiers, Crag and Summer, need to make your way back to the portal. We only have ten minutes. You all need to be here by then so we can make our escape!'