Page 108 of Feathers and Thorns

“Come on, boy; almost there,” Soren coaxed as the ground grew close.

Obsidian tried to land gently, but his legs crumpled below him as he skidded to a stop, his wings disappearing into his sides.

Soren jumped off, wincing as her leg twinged. “No, no, no!” she cried when she pressed her hands to the horse’s black coat only for them to come back covered in red. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around the horse’s neck.

The creature let out a soft whinny, straining to hug her back.

When Soren pulled away, she swore she could see tears in his eyes.

“I’ll come back for you,” she whispered.

His ears twitched, and he huffed in response as Soren wiped her eyes and ran toward the Oculus.

She pulled Vane from its sheath and wrapped her fist around the blade, slicing her hand in one swift movement. She then stopped as she reached Rook and Enara, who had met her halfway, and resisted the urge to look past them at Baztien’s body.

Rook thrust the Oculus into Soren’s hand, and she let her lifeblood flow into it.

“We have to imagine exactly what we want for it to work properly,” Rook reiterated.

Soren had studied the lore of the Oculus in Rook’s library but was happy for the refresher.

“Destroy all enemies?” she asked as they placed their fingers on the metal edges.

“Too vague,” Rook responded.

“Let’s start with your father then,” Soren suggested.

Rook grimaced at the title but responded with a sharp, “Fine. Then close your eyes, little bird.”

Soren pressed her eyes together tightly, putting the thought at the forefront of her mind. Unmake Adriel. But before the thought was fully formed, she felt a sharp impact and found her body flying sideways onto the burned ground. She struggled to regain her breath as her ribs smarted from the blow.

She turned to see what had struck them and was horrified to find Adriel standing over Enara. He held a plain blade in his hand, obviously stolen from a fallen soldier, and arced the blade down toward her friend.

Coraxis struggled against the strength of his blows, but Enara had rested for a few moments and swung back with renewed vigor. Finally, she was face-to-face with Baztien’s killer.

She would show no mercy.

* * *

Jai ran toward Adriel, hoping to catch him off guard again. He raised his sword out to his side like a bird’s wing and swiped toward the god’s legs. Before his blade could hit its mark, however, Adriel turned to block the blow, his weaponless hand coming up and catching Jai hard in the face. He could feel bones crunch, and the sick metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

He willed himself to push up from the ground, trying to clear the stars from his eyes. The edges of his vision were inky black, and he could barely see the fuzzy figure of Enara’s bladed staff clanging against Adriel’s sword.

He could just make out Rook’s white hair, his arms dragging his body toward something in the dirt.

Jai pushed himself off the ground, spitting crimson from his mouth, and made his way toward where Adriel and Enara were still fighting.

Another Celestial had his eyes set on them, and Jai made to cut him off until he realized they had the same target. Hope creeped into his veins as he watched Adriel’s brother join Enara in battle.

Adriel’s chest was all but bare, strips of fabric from his tunic dangling from his shoulders. He was covered head to toe in dried blood, the flakes lifting off of his body to be carried away in the autumn breeze. Sweat slicked his skin, and his blue eyes were as sharp as the icicles that hung off the eaves of Thorncrest Manor. The red scar on his face seemed to pulse as his anger grew.

“Traitor!” Adriel roared as Abraxos’s sword sliced deep into his bicep. “How dare you attack your leader?”

“You are no leader of mine,” Abraxos ground out, continuing his assault.

Enara grunted and swung along with him, hacking and slicing until Adriel’s chest was coated in a fresh layer of red.

“Insolent girl!” Adriel yelled as Enara sliced down his pretty face. She did so with a smile, her teeth flashing.

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