Page 193 of Lady for Embers

Had he really just asked him if he was ready to take a life?

Before Callan could answer, the Earth Prince was rushing the seraph, vines winding up from the ground and snaking around the seraph, effectively distracting him while one wing was cut from his body.

“Solgard!” Azrael demanded. “Now!”

The Earth Prince took a punch to the face, knocking him back a few steps before Azrael got vines wrapped tightly enough around the seraph’s wrists. Callan rushed forward, tightening his grip on his sword. He didn’t let himself think about it when he brought his blade up and shoved it straight through the seraph’s throat. He twisted the blade at the same moment that Azrael managed to sever his other wing. Blood sprayed, and Callan choked down on the bile that rose in his throat as the warm liquid splashed across his face.

“Eliza! Fire!” Azrael yelled, and the Fire General turned, tossing ?re at the body of the seraph on the ground, before spinning back to the seraph she was ?ghting single-handedly. Fluid and smooth. She fought and pivoted with a skill that left no question as to why she led the forces of a Fae Court.

“Good work,” Azrael said, taking a minute to wipe his blade along his pants. “We go again.” He pointed his sword at a seraph that had just landed. Callan nodded, moving forward with the Earth Prince.

Again and again they worked to take down seraphs. They seemed to be never-ending. Every time they took one down, he could swear three more dropped in from above. Azrael did most of the work, but Callan’s sword went through throats and stomachs, more blood and gore splattering as they worked. And Callan realized he was actually doing this. He was part of the ?ght, not sidelined or forced to hide. Azrael could do this himself, but with Callan helping him, he was able to conserve his magic. They could take them down faster.

“Callan!”

Scarlett’s voice carried over the melee, and he turned to see her still atop the stone table.

“Get over here!”

He nodded, indicating that he’d heard her, before turning back to tell Azrael they needed to make their way to the center. But his gaze caught on Juliette’s mother sneaking up behind Eliza. She was close. Too close.

“Eliza!” Callan bellowed.

She spun, eyes widening at the sight of a dagger raised overhead. She blocked, but not fast enough. The dagger went into her chest. The Fire General was in black, but Callan could see the blood instantly soaking through her tunic. He was running, faster than he’d ever run before. A seraph stepped into his path, and he prepared to veer left, but before he’d made it a step, vines were yanking the seraph out of the way at the same moment an arrow of white ?ames went through the seraph’s chest.

Eliza had managed to shove Juliette’s mother back, but the female was still a Witch. She had been trained like one. Eliza was still ?ghting though. Sybil had tugged the dagger out, blood continuing to gush from the wound as ?re ?ared down Eliza’s sword, arcing through the air at the Witch. Sybil de?ected, and Eliza dropped the sword as Sybil threw something onto the ground between them, smoke billowing up. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear Eliza coughing.

He staggered through the haze ?nding the general on her knees, her hand pressed to her chest atop the wound, trying to staunch the bleeding. Up close, Callan could see the wound was off to the right, below her shoulder. Still severe but away from the heart and lungs. At least he hoped that was the case.

“Eliza,” he rasped, dropping to his knees beside her.

“Saw you... gut some seraphs,” she gasped out, her breaths harsh and full of pain. “Nice work.”

“I have an excellent trainer,” he replied, reaching over and pressing down on her hand to add more pressure to the wound.

“The potion... suppressed my magic,” she hissed. “We did not... anticipate a Witch.”

That had to be why Azrael wasn’t beside them yet. He knew what the smoke still billowing around him would do if he inhaled it.

“The mighty Fire General,” Sybil crooned with a sneer, steppingthrough the wisps. She was tall and thin, red-brown hair braided down her back. She had two long knives in her hands. Violet eyes slid to him. “And the dethroned Crown Prince. I will be rewarded for taking your lives.”

Eliza’s hand came up, clasping around his wrist. He’d dropped his sword somewhere in the smoke, but Eliza’s sword was lying behind him. She dug her nails into his ?esh, and when he met her grey eyes, he knew exactly what she was telling him to do. He slowly reached behind him feeling the blade beneath his ?ngers. He curled his ?ngers around it, blood welling as it sliced into his palm and ?ngers.

Sybil slowly prowled forward. “He should have taken care of you years ago, when the Wraiths were visiting you daily,” she continued. “Well, I guess only one really. How easy it would have been for Scarlett to slit that pretty throat while sharing your bed. Instead, they started sticking their noses where they didn’t belong.”

“By caring about children?” Callan asked, dragging the sword forward. The chaos around them, outside of the smoke they were hidden within, covered the sound of the metal scraping over the stone.

“They were trained to do what they were told,” she retorted. “But Eliné could never let that happen. She always encouraged them to ‘think for themselves’ and ‘follow their instincts’ when something didn’t feel right.”

He was caught off guard at the mention of Eliné, his movements stilling for a moment. “You knew the Fae Queen?”

Sybil rolled her eyes. “Yes, I knew her. I was the one who told Alaric of her plans to take the girls and leave Windonelle. In a way, I suppose you could say I am responsible for her death.” She smiled, something sinister and cruel. “It was shortly after that Dracon was hired to kill her. Did you know I worked under her at the Healer’s Compound? Can you believe that? A Witch working under a godsdamn Fae in a healing capacity? The sister goddesses would never stand for it.”

Callan had resumed sliding the sword forward, ?nally feeling his ?ngertips brush the hilt. He had no idea what Sybil was talking about.

Sister goddesses? There was no such thing, but the longer she spoke, the longer she remained distracted. Perhaps she hadn’t beentrained as extensively as the other Witches after all. He couldn’t imagine the ruthless females talked so much before killing. They seemed more like the “kill now, ask questions later” type, but he wasn’t about to question the gods’ favor now.

He could hear Scarlett calling for him, her voice riddled with panic. What they needed was wind magic to blow the smoke from this chamber, but that was the one element they didn’t have at their disposal right now. Even having magic freed in this kingdom, the Fae were as powerless as the mortals when it came to this potion.

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