Page 128 of Cry of the Firebird

Maybe he was right. She had kept people at arm's length for so long because everyone she loved always died. Except him. She looked up into his hazel eyes, and warmth sparked inside of her.

"If you and that priest saved the day, why do the Illumination think you killed the kids?" he asked.

"They saw me enter the building, and when they finally got the balls to follow, everyone was dead, and I was gone."

"You know the truth, so why give a shit what they think? I can't make you stay, but it's going to be a good fight, and I'd feel better having you fighting at my side," Hamish said, and when she raised a brow, he corrected. "Okay, I might tie you up to make you stay, but I'll feel bad about it."

Isabelle laughed softly, knowing he would do it too. "The Illumination won't let Anya go, you know. They'll pretend theyare on her side, but when the dust settles, she will be taken down."

"Anya trusts this Aramis guy, and that's enough for me. If they betray us, we'll deal with them," Hamis said and pulled her closer. "Stay for the fight, stay for Anya, or just stay for me. Please, Belle."

"It's not going to be a fight. It's going to be a fucking bloodbath," Isabelle pointed out, her hands going to his warm chest.

He grinned devilishly. "Then I will buy you a rubber ducky."

"God, I hate you," she replied with a shake of her head.

"Liar," Hamish said and kissed her.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

As soon as Anya's feet touched Russian soil, a tremble of power rolled up through her feet and made her bones shake. They were a long drive from the farm, but even then, it was like her magic could feel how close they were. She had never felt a sensation like it before. It was like the ground was trying to pull her magic down through her feet. Aramis appeared beside her in the dark as the others helped unload the vehicles.

"Anya, what is it?" Aramis asked and took her hand.

Instantly her magic stopped trying to escape and latched onto his.

Anya clutched her head. "I don't know. It was like a shudder through my bones and my magic."

"Come with me," he instructed, and Anya followed him as they went towards a group of trees.

"Anya?" Trajan called, but she waved him off. Both Trajan and Yvan were looking at them suspiciously.

When they reached the trees, Aramis crouched down beside her and pushed his hand into the dirt. He shut his eyes and concentrated. Anya watched in fascination as his silvery magicshimmered out of him and into the earth. Aramis gasped and pulled his hand out so quickly that dirt sprayed everywhere.

Anya touched his shoulder. "Aramis? Are you okay?"

"The earth is screaming. Take off your shoes. I need to show you something," Aramis said urgently. He started taking off his shoes, and Anya slipped off her boots and pulled off her socks.

Aramis ran a finger up her pale foot, and the cold evaporated from them. He stood up and took her hand. Ribbons of magic fastened to her where she touched him, and the heady taste of his power flowed through the rest of her body. It was like drinking silver light and springtime, and Anya sighed as it coiled around her own magic and calmed it down.How did he do that?

"I want you to close your eyes and bury your feet in the earth. Then I want you to reach out like you do when searching for a magical aura like the Twins taught you. Reach into it. Feel the energy all around you," he said softly. "Concentrate. Feel it roll up through your feet and into your body. Feel it in every part of you."

Anya closed her eyes and reached out to try and find what Aramis was describing. Her heartbeat slowed, and then she felt magic pouring up into her.

A high-pitched signal of pain and panic tore its way through her brain, making her crumple to her knees. Images flashed through her mind—the burned farm, a scarlet aurora, blood rising from the soil, and a chanting chorus of voices.

"I hear it," she gasped.

Tears fell from her eyes as Aramis knelt beside her. He let her hand go so she could run it through the loose earth. The sound moved through her again, calling out to her for help. "Oh God, what is it, Aramis?"

"It's the gates weakening. You can hear it and feel it because you are tied to them through blood and magic. They are sending it out as a warning."

"How come you can hear it too?"

"The Álfr have a connection to all living things. Earth magic is a part of it, and it's in distress. The closer you get to the gate, the more you will feel it."

Anya's legs wobbled as he helped her stand. "I can't say I'm looking forward to it."

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