Page 65 of Midwinter Night's Prince

Part of her considered if her best option was leaving—going on the run. Maybe she could get a head start, while Aveka and her goons were distracted.

No.

All her friends were fighting, and this was where she belonged.

The pain in her legs soon faded, either because of her accelerated healing rate or thanks to adrenaline. The short dagger she'd stolen wasn't much, but she made use of it, along with fire spells and punches when she could manage one.

"We can't let Aveka escape!" Seth screamed over the mayhem. A glance toward the dais revealed the bitch was already retreating, not liking the odds, though there must have been a hundred of her followers against a dozen of them.

Coward.

Chloe was doing her best to fight through the melee to get to her, but there were just too many of them in a small space.

An idea came to mind. "Where's Greer?" Blair asked Seth over her shoulder.

She was guarding his back to the best of her abilities.

"Skyhall,” he shot back.

"We need her. She can build walls around this place so Aveka can't run."

Magic of that scale wasn't something Blair was capable of. She might have a habit of underrating herself in general, but she was also realistic. She couldn't do it. She didn't even know how to seal a space.

"Hang on!" Seth pushed back the three men and the woman charging at him, and turned on his heels, grabbing her by the waist.

The next moment, they were hit by thunder. Blair closed her eyes out of habit. When she opened them, they stood in front of Skyhall.

"Greer!" she called, running in.

The witch appeared moments later, rushing to them. "You're all right!

Blair nodded, and wasted no time explaining,"We have Aveka. She's trying to run away. Can you close off the space, trap her in?"

Frowning, Greer bobbed her head. "I mean, I think so—it's not much different than the walls around Oldcrest—except it's about keeping people in, not out. But I'm taking care of Ruby. She's napping now."

"I'll stay," Blair offered.

Greer only took the time to squeeze Blair's hand before stepping outside to join Seth. In another rumble of thunder, they were gone.

34

FAREWELL

Seth purposely landed a few steps away from the ruins.

"She's still there," he said, glancing through a partially fallen wall. "What do you need?"

"Time. As much as you can give me."

Nodding, he disappeared in another flash, materializing at the other end of the ruin, to close off Aveka's escape route.

"You can't hurt me," Aveka reminded him with a sneer.

"Who said anything about hurting you?" Seth smirked as a wall of lightning formed behind him, blocking the exits.

Anika Beaufort was fighting—and close to losing—against Chloe, on the dais.

With Chloe in front of Aveka and him behind, he wasn't leaving her much choice. She'd have to fight. There was a reason why she'd done her best to avoid it. She wasn't nearly as strong as she liked to think she was.

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