“I’m the closest,” I spat out, lifting my hips to throw him, but he wouldn’t budge.

His grip in my hair tightened, and fire spread across my skull. I was going to be bald if he kept it up. “He’s going to think you escaped, but in truth, you’re going to be dead.”

I started to point out that my escaping on his watch was probably not going to over well, but I didn’t get the chance. His other hand came down, landing on my throat, squeezing and cutting off my air before I realized I’d taken my last breath.

That was it.

My eyes widened as I grabbed his wrist, scratching and tearing at his skin, but it did nothing to alleviate the pressure. Where in the hell did Faye go? He was choking the life out of me! A deep, unholy burn bloomed in my chest and rapidly crawled up my throat. I went for his gouged-out eye, but he leaned away, keeping just out of reach. Panic exploded, raw and all-consuming as the corners of my vision darkened.

Valor was really going to kill me.

This was it.

I was going to die in the bayou like I was some poor victim in an episode of an investigative Discovery Channel show.

My strength was waning and I could no longer keep swinging at him. My hand slipped down his arm, and all I could think—

Valor suddenly jerked and his grip on my throat loosened. Air rushed into my lungs as he looked down at his chest where a stake had burst through. And not an iron one, either.

His body trembled but no sound came out of his gaping mouth as I scrambled out from underneath him. The ancient was a goner. Dead. Oxygen burned my raw throat and my eyes watered as I rolled sideways. My brain kept telling me to get up and start running again, but all my limbs were tingling and they felt sort of detached.

A gentle, warm hand touched my shoulder. “Ivy.”

I stilled. Slowly, I lifted my head, and with a shaky hand, pushed my hair back from my face. My voice was hoarse and weak as I said, “Ren.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Shocked and utterly speechless, I stared up at Ren, and a part of me wondered if I was hallucinating, because I couldn’t understand why he was here.

Ren slowly knelt beside me. Moonlight highlighted his cheekbones and full mouth. “Ivy, are you okay?”

I had no voice as I stared at him. His hair fell in waves over his forehead. In the darkness, his green eyes were nearly black. He looked a little pale, almost shaken. It looked like Ren and he’d killed Valor, but I . . . I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

My heart, which never really slowed down, kicked into high gear, pounding so fast I felt like it would give out any second.

I’d been fooled before. I’d let my own wants and desires to be reunited with Ren clog all my sense of judgment. If I had been paying attention, had been less emotional, I would’ve noticed right off the bat that something was wrong with Ren, that it wasn’t him.

He reached out, as if to touch me.

Unable to trust my own judgment, I scuttled back across the ground. He froze and I threw out my hand, warding him off. He didn’t move toward me. That was a good sign, I thought, as I unsteadily got to my feet. He did the same, and I noticed then that he held the thorn stake in his hand. It had to be him, right? Drake wouldn’t have one of those. He’d thrown aside the one I had while we’d been in Ren’s apartment, but he could’ve went back and got it. He could’ve had anyone go back. This could be a trap. I had no idea where my dagger was, not that it would do much good if this was Drake. Slowly, I stood.

Feeling sick, I took a small step back as I glanced at the mushy ground. It was too dark to see my weapon.

“Ivy,” Ren spoke, causing my gaze to snap to his. “It’s okay. Everything is okay.”

I wet my lips. Everything might not be okay. When I spoke, my voice cracked. “Is . . . is it really you?”

His brows knitted together as stark pain flickered across his face. “Yes, it’s me.” His voice was hoarse. “It’s really me, sweetness.”

Sweetness. Ren called me that. Drake as Ren never had.

My hands started to tremble. Could it really be him? He came back after . . . after everything? The tremble traveled down my legs. No. There was no reason.

“Ivy.” A voice intruded on my thoughts. Faye. She was still alive and standing behind Ren. And she wasn’t alone. Two more fae were with her. I tensed. “We have to go. We’re out of time,” she said.

“You . . .” I swallowed, feeling out of it. My gaze shot back to Ren. I was frozen in place, my mind and body snagged. “I don’t know if it’s you,” I said. “I don’t know why there are more fae here.”

“It’s me.” Ren’s voice was gruff. “I’ll explain everything later, but we have to go, and I know it’s a lot to ask, babe, but I need you to trust me right now. To trust us. If we don’t go, we will lose this window. We—” He cut himself off, then reached into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. “We have a couple more seconds,” he said, hitting a button on his phone.

He was calling someone, and I couldn’t think of who he would be calling right now.

Faye shook her head and came forward. The other two male fae stayed back, scanning the area. “We don’t have time. More will be coming.”

“Hey,” Ren said, ignoring her. “I need you here. Yeah, I know I told you to stay in the car, but you need to get here. Right now. We’re about a mile from where you are.” There was a pause as Ren stared at me. “She’s here, but I need you to be—” He paused abruptly, and frustration deepened his tone. “Dammit. Just get here. Now.”