Page 4 of Fated In Forever
‘I’ve got a few bullets left. And two knives,” Nash pattedhis almost-empty weapons belt. “But like Lady Fiona, I have to get closer to use them.”
I straightened my aching shoulders, every over worked muscle pulling, my magic running dangerously low. We had to play this smart, and we couldn’t afford any mistakes. “I need viable options.Right the fuck now.”
Because Malachi turning into a monster and the world getting sucked into a black hole had not been on my bucket list for today, and we were the only ones who could stop this disaster from becoming deadly.
Fiona looked thoughtfully between the rift and the leaking magic, “I could—theoretically—put a block on that leaking ley line, which should stabilize the rift. But I need a distraction. If you’re done whining, brother, give me some cover so I can get closer.”
“I told you, I’m out of magic, I used it all saving these two dickheads,” a definitely whiny-sounding Eldric explained, “Couldn’t let his majesty die on my watch, could I?”
“I’ll give you the distraction you need, Lady Fiona,” Nash checked his gun.
“What are you waiting for,” Ravok screamed, spreading his arms wide, magic bending the air around him, “Come and fight, you worthless pieces of shit.”
I grit my teeth until they ached. God, I was eager to finish this, to have my boot on this fucker’s throat andstomp.
But revenge wouldn’t stop that rift from opening, and what good was a dead Ravok if we all died alongside him? No, I was a fuckingking. Everyone here was my responsibility, and while Ravok was perfectly willing to sacrifice his followers to his cause, I meant to bring every single one of my friends home safely. But…
A wicked, evil grin curved my lips. No reason wecouldn’t satisfy our bloodlustandbuy Fiona the time she needed to get this situation under control.
“You heard him, Blake.” With a burst of adrenaline, I spun a wreath of fire around my hands before letting the red tinted flames cover my entire body. “Let’s make this fucker eat his words. Fiona, how much time will you need?”
“Is that a trick question? Because it sounded like a trick question,” Eldric muttered.
“Five minutes to get a reading on the source of the leak, another ten to cast a dampening barrier around the area, then hopefully cast a containment spell over the ley line until the rupture can be repaired.”
We could find Fiona her fifteen minutes.
Wehadto give her that time, because killing Ravok meant nothing if that rift widened, and all that darkness spilled out into our realm. I didn’t know what realm that tear led to, but I knew we wouldn’t survive it.
“Any ideas, Blake?”
“You take the high ground,” Blake squinted across the ravine, returning Romulus’s vulgar hand gesture with one of his own. “I’ll land to their left behind that pile of rubble, we’ll cast at the same time and pin them down between us, hopefully catching them by surprise. Eldric, you and Nash are back up. The goal is to give Fiona time to close down that leak. Got it?”
“I’ve got your back,” Nash ran his hand over his shorn hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Eldric rolled his eyes. “I already told you…”
“You get your sister out if this goes sideways.” I ordered, measuring the distance between us and those ruins. “Nash, if Malachi went to find Brendan Thorne, then he and Evie are in Ireland. If something happens to me and Blake, get everyone there and regroup. Tell Brendan everything, havehim send in his guards and lock this fucking place down tight.”
“Yes sire.” Nash dipped his head. “Brendan’s a good male, he’ll know…”
The air shifted around us, temperature dropping by about ten degrees, my sluggish instincts bursting to life as two strangers materialized on the stone outcropping, their backs to the ravine as they faced us.
The one with dark hair cocked his head, his bloodthirsty grin growing, power rolling off them in waves.
Fucking great.
My battered body rallied, magic surging, a fresh rush of adrenaline giving me strength I welcomed with open arms. Fire crawled over my prickling skin, the chemical taste of ozone coating my mouth as we sized each other up.
“Fuck,”Blake muttered.We didn’t need more enemies. We already have our hands full.
All around them, the scent of fresh-struck lightning hung in the air, their superior power flooding my veins with wave after wave of force, and goddamnit if my softening knees didn’t start to bend, right along with my will.Motherfuckers.
These two were Ancients. Maybe even Elders.
Obviously Ravok’s allies, some form of reinforcements, called in to help eradicate his little problem—us.
As one, we readied ourselves, weapons sliding out of holsters, magic clogging the air in a haze of fire and shadow, thick enough to choke.
