Page 50 of Wicked Heirs

But as the threat became apparent, I was caught off guard again, and as surprised as hell when gold sparks shot through the clouds.

It couldn’t be.

The sparks gathered, then sped up and collided, until they took the form of several bolts of lightning.

And then they locked onto Talon like heat-seeking missiles, four of them striking him.

He cried out as they stunned him and electrocuted him.

Electrocution to him should impact him no more than the feel of a slight buzzing, but we were talking angel magic here.

They blew him out of the sky.

I reacted, swirling my power and shaping it into a funnel likened to a tornado, in order to catch him, then return him to the ground safely.

But then the gold lightning reformed into a sphere, surrounding him and carrying him back down to the grass.

The moment it dissipated, gold smoke erupted a hundred feet ahead of me right near Talon’s downed position and Alena materialized.

She swung her head toward me, looking mighty pleased with herself. “Little prince,” she greeted, before turning her attention to Talon, who she released from the sphere.

He shook out his wings, then hid them away.

As he got his bearings and saw her standing there just steps from him, and put two and two together, rage twisted his features and he called his phoenix claws forth. “Are you fucking kidding me? Fucking with me like that? You won’t survive that, cunt.”

He moved so fast, it was little more than a blur as he ran at her.

Just before he made contact, she twisted to the side, and I saw a glint of metal a moment before he stumbled past her having missed his target.

She used his disorientation to her advantage and plunged her weapon into his side.

Expecting me to simply shake it off because a simple knife wound would heal in seconds for him, I was shocked when he choked, then slumped to his knees.

“Talon!” I cried, rushing over.

Alena kicked him in the face, forcing him onto his back.

Then she grabbed the handle of the blade and wrenched it out, making Talon shriek and writhe on the grass.

“Burn… burning!” he cried, looking out at me in terror.

“Iron,” I gasped, taking in the blade. “You used an iron weapon against a phoenix?” I demanded of Alena.

“Sure did,” she responded nonchalantly spinning the blade in her hand. “I can also heal him instantly. Just as soon as he agrees to stand down and walk away from this ill-fated vendetta against me.”

A show of force.

That was what she was doing.

I skidded to my knees beside Talon, stroking his hair soothingly. “I came out here to order you to stand down on targeting her anyway. Tell her as much.”

He gritted his teeth. “Ore… she doesn’t deserve mercy.”

“She’s nother,she’s not Abigail.She’s her own person. If you’d allowed yourself to see beyond your rage and vindictiveness even for a moment like Xavier and I have, you’d have recognized that. Now, let it go, brother.”

He growled, then looked out at Alena. “It’s over. No more attacks.”

She nodded, then crouched down the other side of him opposite me, then hovered her hand over the wound.

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