Page 14 of Flight of Fate

“Step away from that crow if you value your life.” Not a threat but a promise. I will happily tear them to ribbons if they dare get in my way.

Two of the three males look near-identical, their ruddy brown hair not shiny enough to be all fairy, and the third one, the one who kicked Ayna over like she’s a rock in his path, is summoning a semblance of fire to his fingers while he believes I’m focused on the bird in front of them.

Flames, then. Fire Fairy bastards—or half-breeds. Not that I care. Their heartbeats were numbered the moment they decided to tie up my mate and put her in afucking bag.

“Give me a reason, and we might,” the dark-skinned Flame says with more composure than I expected. A smirk spreads on his full mouth, and I only realize what he’s doing as he sets his toes right upon Ayna’s rapidly lifting and falling chest.

“Don’t you dare.” I don’t mean to say it, but I’m already shaking under the strain of containing the all-consuming power threatening to burst out of me.

The same power that destroyed Jeseida’s estate when Erina pushed a scorching torch into Ayna’s flesh.

One slow breath in, one breath out. I need to find my own composure before I accidentally kill Silas and Ayna. Even when my power didn’t hurt the ones I care for in the battle against the Flames, I don’t dare risk it now. Not when I’m half out of my mind at the sight of my mate under the boot of this male. He could crush her in a heartbeat.

“What, Crow? No threats?” one of the twins taunts, his grin broader than I like to see. He noticed my hesitation, realizing I’m afraid of that power ready to consume me.

“I don’t need to make threats.” Because they won’t save Ayna. My magic won’t save Ayna. Not if I don’t manage to leash it. The coiling smoke in my palms isn’t half as precise as the silver power I usually summon. This is something different.

“You know we were on our way to the Fairy Palace, but now that we’ve come across you…” He turns left and right to the twins now flanking him. “Ephegos will be delighted to hear at least one of his friends is still alive.”

The sharp breath I inhale tells him enough about the fact that he’s hit home with this piece of information.

Ephegos sent them. And they have Ayna.

I’m trembling now, each heartbeat a battle of its own.

Ayna under his boot… The muscles in his thigh are tight enough to prove he’s holding the weight of his leg instead ofbracing it on my mate’s fragile bird body, but that can change within a blink.

“Let her go,” I hiss … and only realize the mistake I made when recognition flashes across the Flames’ faces.

“Your Crow Queen? This is your Queen?” The tip of his boot presses into her neck, and I can hear the grating breath she’s drawing, claws wiggling weakly as the male readies to destroy her.

Shaelak help me?—

The darkness grows denser in my vision at the thought of the god who made my species.

A part of me picks up the flutter of Silas’s wings a few feet away. He’s circling behind the three males, ready to attack at the smallest sign.

“What a pathetic creature.” The one who seems to be their leader laughs. “But she’s stubborn not to shift. Not even now. I have to give her that.”

Thank the gods he’s unaware that Ayna is incapable of returning to her human form.

“Nobody asked what you think,” I growl, and the smoke drips from my fingers like thick, black ink.

The Flame lifts a brow as if wondering if this is a new parlor trick.

“And I’d advise you to take your stinking boot off her face. She doesn’t particularly enjoy the stench of sweaty feet.”

I shouldn’t be taunting him, not when my mate’s life is at stake, but something tells me that pushing is better than waiting for him to take control of the conversation.

The Flame laughs without humor, but his foot doesn’t move.

At least, it doesn’t move down, is what I should be thinking, but I’m done being grateful for minor mercies.

“All right, you don’t want to play by my rules? Then you don’t play at all.” My power shoots from me like night-black spears,twins to Silas’s silver ones curving from the thicket at the seam of the forest, embedding into the Fire Fairy’s ankle and pinning it to the ground beside Ayna’s head. The yelp of anguish as the Flame struggles to free his leg doesn’t come without satisfaction, and as he hurls a lash of steaming heat at me, Silas’s silver spears have already impaled the creature on the ground by his shoulders.

“Who’s pathetic now?” I don’t bother drawing my sword as the twins charge in unison, silver weapons lifted above their heads. I merely will the smoke to become a blade, meeting the first twin’s sword in a thundering blow.

He stumbles aside with a grunt, and I’m raising my weapon to strike at the other twin—but he has stopped next to his writhing and cursing companion, not to aid the Fire Fairy, I realize too late, but to pick up Ayna from the ground and set the tip of his sword to her neck.

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