Page 22 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Fire sparked before him, twisting around another creature, and Talon shifted his attention westward, toward the female he’d been trying not to focus on. Raevina fought on the other side of the wall, alongside her comrades, wielding flames and shadows. He wished he could see her, just to reassure himself she was all right. But there wasn’t time.

Another crack splintered the air. Fae were hurled from the wall as another section blasted apart. The dark creatures flooded through.

Talon rooted himself, letting mist billow up around his body, effectively drawing the attention of the Dark Fae nearest to him. A droplet of rain landed beside his feet, Avalon’s storm ever-growing.

One of the lizard-like beasts snapped their jaws at him and rushed forward, their legs rapidly carrying them across the ground. A spike of ice shot up, piercing the creature through its torso, leaving it hanging to writhe midair. Others turned to him next.

On his left stood two fire-breathing Dark Fae, their bodies large and corded with muscle. To his right were the flying beasts with long, bloody claws. Their wings had already been shredded.

Talon didn’t wait for them to move, he struck first, sending a line of water flying at them so fast that it sliced right through their bodies.

Another of the lizard creatures jumped at him from behind and Talon burst a quick cyclone of water and sharpened ice from around his body, effectively ripping the Dark Fae to shreds.

A shout and Talon’s head whipped around to find a swarm of beasts converging on Saoirse. His eyes scanned the area, trying to find—the blood. Of course. They were transferring all the injured below ground, it was basically an invitation. A lure.

Talon summoned glistening tendrils of icy water and whipped them out to slice through everything surrounding him in one quick movement, then sprinted toward the Ambassador of Brónach. A beast lunged for him in passing, but Talon shot ice below the creature, then dropped to his knees, sliding beneath its hulking frame. Another tried to grab his arm, but Talongrabbed the creature’s snout, then ripped the water from its body, leaving it as nothing more than a papery husk.

He stopped just outside Saoirse’s line and the warriors surrounding her, dropping Dark Fae after Dark Fae. Steam rose from Talon’s body as he joined the fray, sword swinging, slicing open flesh. Boiling water blinded those who drew too close. Ice spread in a semi-circle around Saoirse’s group of warriors and the Dark Fae slipped, falling to the ground before vines and branches crawled over and through their bodies.

More swooped in from above, and Talon shot the steam upward. Flesh peeled away from their bodies and they came crashing down, tangling around their comrades before they tore one another apart.

More Fae were screaming from the reforming wall and Talon watched another section crack. He plunged his blade through yet another winged creature then prayed that Rion could regain control of the outside line before it was too late.

Chapter Seven

Rion

Beautifulwas too small a word to describe his mate in this moment. He’d seen her magic take control, causing her to forget herself and those she desired to protect. But the bond told him she was in control now—that the magic radiating from her was of her own free will.

And it was intoxicating.

Electrifying.

Addictive.

Rion smiled for the first time tonight, confident they just might pull out of this mess. There were too many poorly trained warriors. Too many who had never seen a battle of this magnitude. Even those with experience had nearly balked at the sight of the Dark Fae.

Thankfully, they’d stood their ground and it had made all the difference. They were succeeding, even if the body counts were rising more than he’d like.

Arianna exploded, her magic a majestic symphony that knew friend from foe with little effort. As if it were a sentient being.

She ducked, thrusting her sword up through a creature’s jaw before twisting away. Rion grabbed her by the waist, spinning them both out of range of flying flames. His magic rose to dance with hers—testing, teasing—before colliding with another enemy.

Their magics knew one another as if they were old friends who’d been reunited.

They were one.

His chest swelled with pride. Their eyes met, hers exhilarated from the fight, before she dove back into the fray, and Rion followed.

It was a dance of water and sand and ice and steel. Teeth snapped at them but were stopped in their tracks. Claws reached out to rake down their flesh only to be cut off at the bone.

And his mate didn’t balk once.

He’d seen her like this before. The day she’d protected him when she’d been sorely outnumbered. The day she’d stood at Talon’s side, ready to fall defending Levea. The day she’d come for him, liberating him from being a captive once again. And the day Ruádhan had fallen.

Arianna’s sword was out, her fangs bared, her body a living weapon.

A queen.

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