The artwork above is not mine.

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    The King of the Night Faeries rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, eyeing the map that had been spread across the table before him. Numerous red pins were stuck in specific locations. Locations that had recently been attacked by the Human purger group known as Ironblades.

    Arius had hoped that support for their agenda would diminish as rapidly as it had grown, but that didn't seem to be the case. More and more people were joining their cause. If their strength and numbers continued to grow, it could mean the extinction of all Faeriekind.

    The Ironblades were dedicated to the eradication of Faeries and anyone born of their blood. Scindoes and Witches were just as targeted as pureblooded Faeries. The Ironblades didn't care how diluted their bloodlines might be. If a person possessed magic, or even a drop of Faerie blood, they soon met their death. Most commonly, at the end of an iron sword.

    That was how the group had earned their name. Iron was deadly to pureblooded Faeries, and harmful to anyone descended from them. The Ironblades knew this and used that weakness to their advantage. They wore iron armor. They carried iron weapons. Even the poisons they crafted were iron infused. Faeries rarely walked away from an encounter with an Ironblade, and if they did, it wasn't in one piece.

    "Arius?" A gentle hand, inked with black and gold tattoos, touched his shoulder.

    Arius blinked his thoughts away and faced his wife. "We have to do something."

    "I don't see what we can do," a white haired female said. She stood on the other side of the table, on hand planted firmly on her hip. Her large membranous wings, reminiscent of a bat's, were tucked close to her back. "We've already spoken to Brandr and Aurora, and the Human Governors won't do anything."

    "The Human Governors are cowards," Arius' sister-in-law spat. Asena flipped a long auburn braid over her shoulder and braced her hands on the table. "I thought you already knew that, Esen."

    Esen rolled her ice blue eyes. "I did. I just underestimated the strength of their cowardice."

    "Can we blame them?" Arius' wife spoke again. Iyan massaged her forehead with a weary sigh. "What can they hope to do against the Ironblades if we can't even stop them?"

    "Pass a few laws or hold some public executions," Arius huffed. "Worked well enough in the past." The silver swirls on his dark wings flashed as magic surged through his veins. He didn't unleash it, but let it settle after a few moments. "It doesn't matter anymore. We can't rely on the Governors or the Day Faeries for help. We'll have to take matters into our own hands."

    "As always," Esen huffed. Arius tipped his head to his cousin.

    "Well, it's obvious they're planning something big," Asena said. "Their methods are increasing in brutality. There have been higher casualties. Their forces draw closer to our lands with every attack. Something is going on. We need to find out what."

    The second male in the room stepped closer to the table, a thoughtful look in his amethyst eyes. Asena was silent as she waited for her husband to speak, and Esen watched her twin curiously. A few locks of charcoal hair dusted Gabriel's brow when he lifted his head.

    "We need someone on the inside," he said simply. "We aren't going to learn anything just by watching the Ironblades slaughter our people."

    "No Human will agree to work with us right now," Iyan pointed out. "They're all too afraid and Witches can't glamour themselves to blend in."

    "We can't send Scindoes or Faeries either," Esen added. "Night or Day. It won't matter. It's too dangerous. No Faerie will take that risk."

    "Our time and options are limited," Arius sighed. "With spring setting in and the snow melting, the Ironblades won't have as much trouble moving across the country. They could launch a large-scale attack without hindrance. Gabriel is right. We need someone on the inside. If we can't find someone else willing to do it, then I will."

    His family were already shaking their heads. "You're too recognizable, even if you glamour yourself," Esen said.

    "And what about our people?" Asena fixed a shrewd brown gaze on him. "Who will lead us if you're killed?"

    "Iyan will," Arius answered without hesitation.

    "Our lives are bound. Have you forgotten that?" Iyan asked softly. "What about Rhosyn? Do you think she could bear losing us? Do you think she could lead our people at only six years old? Do you think Rho deserves to lose her parents the way you lost your mother?"

    Arius froze, his memories surfacing unbidden. "Someone has to go," he bit out.

    "I might know someone who would be willing," Gabriel said, knitting his brows as he thought. "He worked as a spy for your father for years, and I believe he's an assassin now. He's exceptionally skilled at glamouring and knows Ironblade tactics and protocol."

    "Who?" Arius prompted.

    "The Shadow of Death."

    Arius tilted his raven head. "Kalian Deirdre. I remember him being a skilled warrior and spy, but an assassin?"

    Esen nodded. "And how does he know so much about Ironblades?"

    Gabriel hesitated, as though contemplating how much to share. At last, he spoke. "Kalian has been hunting Ironblades for the past two years. He's learned about them from experience."

    "Why is he hunting them?" Esen asked, arching a brow.

    "That, I can't say." Gabriel's gaze slid to Arius'. "But he is skilled, and if you remember how he fought, then you remember how devoted he is to our people. If anyone can do it, he can."

    "The question isn't if he can," Iyan murmured. "It's if he will."

    "I guess we'll find out." Arius straightened, folding his arms over his chest. "Summon him. We don't have much time to waste."