Page 117 of Cursed Heirs

I didn’t think, I just spun right in the middle of battle toward the sound.

There he was flailing beneath the iron net the acolytes had just draped over him, while Xavier and my soldiers tore into those responsible.

I saw X giving commands, gesturing for three of them to create a distraction, while the others fanned out around them. They were working together well andhewas doing well leading them.

But without his magic…fuck,I didn’t want to think it, let alone say it, but it was a major loss in battle.

Sure enough, I watched him take a magical blast from one of the acolytes.

It blew him back and he lost his footing on the rooftop.

He managed to get a hold on one of the tiles with his talons, digging them in to stabilize himself.

But then the blasts kept on coming until he was grimacing, then crying out, while his team was busy battling the others and trying to get that fucking net off Talon.

The ferocity of his phoenix fire started to fade as the damage of the iron on his body started to take a toll.

“Orpheus!” one of my soldiers on the ground called out.

I spun toward the sound of the voice, right into a lunging attack from one of the wolfed-out acolytes.

They slammed into me, the massive animal driving me onto my back, making me choke, and winding the fuck out of me.

They gnashed their teeth and moved in for the bite. I thrust my palms out, my purple fire bursting forth and blowing them off me.

But the moment I sprung back to my feet, three advanced on me, stalking and growling, fucking feral with it.

Before I could react, a blinding white light ripped through the area.

I heard pained wolf cries a moment later, and then I found myself looking at Abigail Rose standing in front of me, barring the wolves’ way to me.

She smashed her palms together, creating an insane shockwave that tore right through the battlefield, ripping all the acolytes off their feet.

With them all down for the moment, she turned to me, her face ashen. “I’ve been trying to reach you, Orpheus.”

“That was you using the IC Watch communication channel between my father and me?”

“Yes.” She grimaced. “He’s taken a turn.”

“What? What exactly does that mean?”

“He’s fading. Rapidly.”

“No, he has more time.”

“The black magic infection has increased three-fold.”

“Constantine. He’s poisoning Alena further.”

“It ends this night.”

“You cracked Taelorn?”

“I did and I have the location.” She gestured at the chaos all around—the acolytes, Talon having lost control. “Unfortunately, it cannot be I who leads the rescue. I must restore the ward immediately and protect us from exposure. A phoenix raging, as he will be any moment as your soldiers free him from that net, cannot be left unchecked. The damage would be catastrophic.I’ve sent Elliot Sabre in my stead along with anExemplarteam. Leave now and you can head them off and join with them.”

“You’re really allowing this?”

“Yes, no need for any illusions for once,” she said, pointedly.

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