Page 54 of Fading Sun

“You cannot defy the traditions of this portal,” the Abbot responds, equally as firm. “The gods will not allow it.”

“Then let the gods witness our devotion to our cause.” Damien flicks his hand that’s not holding the crystal, and wind whips through the chamber, fierce and controlled, coming straight from him.

Morgan, Blaze, and I are protected in the eye of Damien’s storm.

The monks stagger back, their red robes billowing wildly as they struggle to maintain their balance. But the wind keeps coming at them until their backs are against the wall, anger making its way onto their previously serene faces.

My light glows around me.

The air around Morgan and Blaze crackles with fiery sparks.

“Stop this!” the Abbot cries out, holding his hand in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the wind. “This is not the way.”

The wind blows stronger.

Then, Damien lowers his hand, and it dies down.

“Correct,” Damien says to him. “The ‘way’ is for you to retrieve the remaining crystals, so Amber can continue trying to open the portal.”

“That’s not the way, either.” The Abbot smiles wickedly, then reaches into his robe, bringing out a dagger that thickens on the end, which is curved slightly forward. “Because this is the way.”

Amber

A second after the Abbot brings out his weapon, the other monks do so, too.

I grab my dagger from my weapons belt in a second, ready to strike.

Even though my focus remains on the Abbot, I see from the corner of my eye that the others are ready with their weapons, too.

Four supernaturals against nine monks.

Unless they have magic—which is possible—then we have the upper hand here.

“Just give us the crystals.” My blade glows with magic, ready to fry anything in its path. But I don’t move to attack. After all, these are monks—not shadow souls.

Then again, they brought out their weapons first.

And I don’t care who or what someone is. If they bring out a weapon and threaten to attack me with it, I will fight back.

“You’re going to leave our temple, one way or another.” The Abbot prowls forward with his blade, the others moving in on us as well. “And I can promise you it won’t be through that portal.”

“I thought monks would be men of their word.” I study him over the tip of my dagger, sizing him up. “But I also didn’t think they carried weapons. Looks like I was wrong on both counts.”

I exchange a nod with the others, and we launch our attack.

The monks are skilled, moving with a grace that makes it almost seem like they have air magic, avoiding our blades as we dodge theirs.

One of them launches himself at me, and sparks fly as metal meets metal, the sound echoing off the stone walls. I block his blows, using my free hand to aim a beam of sun magic at another monk coming at me from the side, seconds before his blade has a chance to slice through my arm.

Damien, using bursts of wind, disarms one of the monks, sending his blade skittering across the floor. He blasts another across the chamber, the monk’s back hitting the wall with a deafening crack.

Morgan’s fire burns brightly as it surrounds another monk like a helix.

His scream sends chills through my body as her flames eat away his flesh.

Blaze is off to the side, fighting three monks at once. His enspelled blade is a blur as it slices through skin and stops their weapons from getting anywhere close to touching him.

The others have themselves handled.

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