A Crown Of Fire And Wrath (The Shadow Walkers Saga #5) - Sloane Murphy Page 0,2

I said, he loves her.” The words are like razors on my tongue. Admitting that he loves her, that he’s probably better for her right now, it shreds every part of me, but I refuse to focus on that. My only focus is making sure everyone here is okay, and then getting my girl back.

With that thought, I look over to Colt who has moved back near the horsemen, and staring at what’s left of his brother. His death wasn’t pretty, but he didn’t deserve anything less. I acted without thought, and while I’m sure Remy will have something to say about it later, I did what needed to be done. I won’t ever be sorry for that. Even if she hates me for it, I’ll know I did it for her.

More than being upset about Bauer, she’ll likely be pissed that Colt is essentially alone now. Especially if Hunters aren’t cycling. Again, wasn’t exactly at the forefront of my mind, but I can’t say the world isn’t a better place without Bauer. Though, knowing Michael and his meddling, Bauer is likely in a line in the Shadow Realm right now rather than being given the option to cycle, if it’s even still possible. I can only hope a few others landed down there too.

I’m sure Caleb and the guys will treat them right if they do.

“Shall we head back inside?” I offer, clasping Colt’s shoulder, pulling his attention from his brother. Muttering ensues, but everyone eventually heads back into the house while I try to put a plan together in my mind about how the hell I’m going to tear Avalon’s defenses apart to get my girl back, because if that’s what it takes, I have no issues tearing apart the entire world.

Everyone else has gone to their designated rooms for the night, resigned to the fact that there’s nothing they can do right now, and that tearing my head off isn’t going to achieve anything. Hell, there’s not much I can do right now, and if that doesn’t piss me off beyond belief…

Fucking Michael. Of course, he was watching, just waiting for that moment to quite fucking literally swoop in and take her from me. I clench my fists again, only the memory of how much Everly loved this fucking kitchen, hell the whole fucking house, stops me from tearing shit apart. Instead I take a deep breath and look to the ceiling, counting back from a hundred trying to calm myself, and failing.

“Good to see you’re not as calm as you seemed earlier.” Morgan’s drawl brings my head up and my focus back to the here and now, rather than picturing how many ways I can fuck up all the people who ever thought it was a good idea to mess with my angel.

“A good general never shows his true emotion, you rally the troops and feel later,” I tell her, my voice stilted as I try to push the rage back down.

“Maybe so, but you’re not just a good general. You’ve always been more than that. It was why she loved you in the first place. Even back then, when neither of you could get your shit together enough to admit it fully. She loved that you trusted her to be just as good of a soldier as you were, that you believed in her. That you believed in all of them. I knew more about you back then than I ever could have dreamt of knowing.” She winks at me before she perches on one of the stools at the island and eyes me. “So, what’s the plan, General?”

I snort at my old title, but answer her, nonetheless. “What makes you think I have a plan?”

“You’re a general first and foremost, even before you’re her lover. You always have a plan, it’s practically a part of your DNA.” She rolls her eyes, like my question was preposterous. I mean, she’s not entirely wrong, but fucking still.

“Beyond hitting Avalon’s weak spots that I know they have and tearing their defenses to the ground until Michael relents? Plus, I trained the Death Dealers well. Even with Serafina at the helm, they’re not going to just roll over. Though, I mean they might, it’s me.” I ponder it for a minute then shrug. It’s not the worst idea anyway. “Other than that, not much just yet. Well, except trying to work out who the fuck is pulling the strings on all of this so we can actually just