Page 91 of Of Flames and Crows

A black and crimson firestorm engulfed the arena, so fierce it melted metal. The spell spared everyone but Oscar, his lynx, and Barquiel. The sorcerer and the demon screamed as it consumed their powers, Drabek screeching so loudly Nikolai’s ears throbbed.

He stiffened when a familiar, sinister magic washed across him.

Mae’s shield bloomed above them a heartbeat before a dark sphere exploded within Hell Flare where it filled the sky above the arena. The orb expanded into a doorway that pulled Oscar, Drabek, and Barquiel through to the void beyond.

Nikolai clenched his jaw.Vedran!

Mae scowled as the black-magic portal vanished.

Nikolai ended Hell Flare seconds later.

A heavy silence descended around them, the hush broken by the crackles of the fresh fires that had engulfed the remains of the mansion in the wake of the Dark Council’s attack.

Brimstone limped toward Mae as she glided to the ground. “My witch!”

He shrank into his small form and jumped into her waiting arms.

“Brim!” She hugged him tightly to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, her voice trembling. “Are you hurt bad?!”

The fox huffed and licked her face, magic sparking across his body. His wounds were already healing.

They regrouped in the middle of the training ground.

“That spell was amazing,” Mae told Nikolai, her eyes glittering with admiration.

His belly tightened at her praise. He smiled.

Mae blinked. Her cheeks reddened.

“Hey, stop making puppy eyes at her,” Vlad snapped.

Nikolai lowered his brows at the incubus.

“Still,” Mae mumbled. “I wassoclose to smashing Barquiel’s nose.”

Violet squinted at her downcast expression. “I seriously hope you weren’t thinking of asking him to hold back on that spell so you could break a demon’s face?”

Mae looked faintly guilty at their suspicious stares.

“It would only have been for a couple of seconds,” she said defensively.

Groans rose across the arena. Nikolai sighed. So did Vlad. Even Cortes looked at Mae like she had a screw loose.

A crash came from behind them. They whirled around.

The mansion was collapsing.

Marlena sagged as she gazed upon the ruins of her headquarters.

“I think you need to relocate,” Ludmila told the witch.

CHAPTER38

Sunlight flickeredacross Mae’s eyelids. She pulled the covers over her head and snuggled deeper into the bed.

I sense trouble, my witch.

Mae blinked her eyes open and almost swallowed her tongue.

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