//Warning, this contains all book spoilers.
~ TRIGGER WARNINGS: This series contains slightly NSFW content, kidnapping, torturing, child endangerment. This series a pretty intense, so if I miss any, please let me know! ~ (PSA: These next few parts get pretty intense, stay safe)
“Get your hands off my fucking wife.” The High King of Elfhame stood in the doorway, almost scaring Locke away, but he refused to let go until Jude was dead.
Speaking of Jude, she was currently fighting for her life, eyelids drooping as she tried to stay awake. Taryn noticed and looked to Cardan with a begging look, but she of all people knew Cardan was frozen in fear of what would happen next.
“Wife? Is this some cruel joke? Cardan Greenbriar, marrying a pathetic moral to be the High Queen of Elfhame?” The man scoffed with a small laugh, his grip somehow getting tighter on Jude. “Tell me you’re joking, Cardan.”
The Ghost managed to slip past the King and run over to Taryn, ripping off her restraints. The girl was quick to grab the Ghost’s face and stare, “Larkin, listen to nothing Locke says.” It was only then that the Ghost realized the dangers of him coming here, and he could only hope that Taryn’s control worked stronger than Locke’s.
“Put her down, Locke.” Cardan began to walk toward his ex-best friend, but he stopped shortly as he watched Locke grab Jude’s sword and hold it to her. “You kill her and I will rip you apart,” Cardan’s voice only got lower, “alive.”
“Tell me it’s a joke. Did you really marry her?”
“That girl is Jude Greenbriar, the rightful High Queen of Elfhame.” The Roach stared at Locke with a terrifying look. Jude was only getting worse by the second, and Taryn worried she wasn’t going to make it. The Roach’s words somehow shocked Locke to the point he dropped both Jude and the sword, the girl fell to the ground now unconscious.
“What has gotten in your head, Cardan? First you stand against Valerian, now you marry the girl we vowed to ruin her life?” Locke stepped closer to the man, giving Taryn the room to run to her sister and check her health. “Where’s my best friend?” Locke tilted his head, almost as if he was manipulating Cardan into thinking he was in the wrong.
“He died with my father, brothers and sisters. And don’t you dare think you aren’t next.”
“You’re not gonna kill me,” Locke chuckled nervously, backing up a little until he felt something sharp behind him, making him stop.
“You’re right.” Cardan takes Nightfell from the Ghost’s hand, playing with it for a second as the other members surround him. “We’re gonna kill you.”
“Jude?” Taryn’s soft voice ran throughout the Queen’s ears, bringing her back to her conscious state. “Oh thank god you’re alive!” Taryn’s arms wrapped around her twin's body, Jude hugging her back with a ghost of a smile on her face. Locke was quick to run, swiping Cardan off his feet and making a run for it. The Court of Shadows didn’t need a command to know to go after him, but then the minions came out to play.
“Shit, girls go to the corner,” Jude looked up as her brain got less fuzzy as she got more oxygen inside her lungs and brain. The twins looked at the threat, Jude swallowing hard as she made eye contact with Dreanum, the man who did most of her beatings while she was in this imprisonment.
“Hell no.” Jude stood up, catching her balance as she took Cardan’s sword from his belt. Cardan began to argue when Jude simply told him to shut up. A few minions came in, then a few more, then a few more…then a few more. “Well fuck me.” Jude whispered under her breath as her and Cardan’s backs were against one another, swords up.
“If you insist, my lady.”
“Cardan we are surrounded by people who have broken my ribs twice. Really wanna make sex jokes?” Cardan wasn’t able to answer as they both threw their sword at a faerie in front of them. Thankfully, they were both used to swordfighting, especially without swords. Jude found it exhilarating, as she always did. Cardan couldn’t help but watch the girl in amazement occasionally as she smiled when she pierced a faerie in the chest.
They got rid of the smaller, weaker ones first. Somehow, that was the majority of the group. It was the five bigger guys the King and Queen knew would be the most difficult. “How are you holding up?” Their backs to each other again as they circled, the enemies getting ready to demolish the two.
“I’m okay, Cardan.” Jude reassured her husband, about to say something as they attacked. The battle was full of patterns: slice, slash, duck, slide, slice, duck. The enemies caught on as one of them tripped Jude over right into Cardan, aware of the effect the impact would have on her still fragile body.
Cardan turned and helped Jude up, lifting her on purpose so she could kick up and knock the enemy to the ground, giving her the higher power to jam her boot into his chest as he gave up. Soon there were two standing, Cardan easily able to ruin one until they stopped to face the last one. Jude could feel Cardan ready to give in, exhausted and needing motivation.
“Cardan,” Jude said softly to her husband as she stared at Dreanum dead in the eyes. Lifting her shirt, Jude revealed a hoard of bruises on her ribs.
“Why don’t you lift the shirt up a bit more, hm?” Dreanum grinned as he laughed at his own disgusting joke. Cardan got the message as he handed Jude Nightfell, giving Dreanum a deadly look.
“I don’t take kindly to men who touch my wife.” Cardan waltzed over to the man, no sword in his hand.
“I could snap you in half like a twi-” the threat didn’t get out fast enough as Cardan threw a punch to Dreanum. Jude called Taryn over carefully, leaving Cardan’s sword in case he felt he needed it. But with how angry he seemed, Dreanum would be beaten alive.
Jude got Taryn out, letting her rush over to a nearby tree to hide. Jude was about to go back inside or look for the others when she felt a wind hit her from behind, and she felt a piercing stab go through her stomach.
“Guy’s I found hi- no!” The Bomb ran over to Jude, grabbing Locke by the throat and throwing him to the ground, taking his dagger out of his hand. “Van!” She yelled to the Roach to get his attention, hearing him get closer.
“So that’s the other ones name,” Locke smirked and gave the Bomb a look that even unsettled her of all people. She soon worried about the Roach’s safety, freaking out more and more as her feelings got in the way of the mission. The next thing she knew, Locke kicked her off screaming in pain as the Bomb held his tongue and dagger in her hands.
The Roach stood by her with a small smile, “go you.”
“Doesn’t matter. Jude was stabbed,” the Bomb turned to the girl somehow on her legs still. “Don’t move.” She instructed Locke as he tried to run away.
“Jude what the hell?” The Roach rushed over to her and slid himself under her arm. “Come on, let's start getting you home.” He started helping Jude walk away from the destroyed looking shed. Jude was almost too tired to care about her going home, that question hit her head again of where home exactly was. She was about to answer for herself when it clicked. “Wait, what about Locke?”
“The Bomb will hold him and let Cardan decide his fate.”
“Cardan’s in there fighting alone and I-” Jude winced as she felt her body jolt at the pain. The Roach let her lay on the ground, now noticing how much she was bleeding. The girl thought for a moment, trying to find a way to make this better so she wasn’t in so much pain, but she figured suffering through it was better than wasting time trying to think.
“Jude just stay here, I need to find the Ghost.” With that, the Roach left.
Jude took her deep breaths, getting prepared to go bad inside the shed after Taryn just recently came out. Jude stood up quickly, “Taryn what the hell were you doing in there?” Jude stopped her lecture as she saw the toddler in her twin’s arms. “Oh my god I completely forgot,” she admitted, Taryn just smiling down at her son. Lysander looked honestly identical to his father, but the look in his eyes gave it all away that he was nothing like he seemed.
The girl was about to say something else, that is, until her smile and stomach dropped hearing the blood curdling yell of her husband inside.
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