Page 61 of Magic Hunted
Just for myself.
No magic. No bond. No soul-lights.
Just. Me.
“Please,” I said, my voice a ragged plea.
Ashir released a shaky breath. “Are you sure?” His voice was filled with the same desperation flooding my system. Now I understood what was between us. This visceral need that would not abate no matter how hard I fought it, and now? This very second? I didn’t want to fight any more because I wanted them.
I threaded my fingers into Ashir’s hair with one hand, keeping the other arm around Dias’ shoulders and brought Ashir to me. I groaned into the kiss and his tongue lashed into my mouth, urgency and hunger replacing the hesitation and gentleness of the past days. The same gnawing need made me slick my tongue against his and arch my chest when Savvas cupped my breast and pinched my distended nipple.
It took a moment for the desperate yelling and pain-filled screams to cut through the desire fogging my brain. Ashir broke our kiss, his body tense. A wall of searing flames flickered past the trees that waved wildly in a current of blazing air.
Footfalls crashed through the vegetation, approaching us. I withdrew the sword strapped to my hips, gripping it tight as my mates caged me within the confines of their huge bodies.
Taredd broke from beneath the shadows made by the tall trees, followed by a phalanx of guards. “We have to leave. Quickly.”
More elves poured from the shadows, crashing through the grasses. They weren’t trying to be quiet, nor were the heavy footsteps pounding behind them. A muffled shout sounded from the depths of the trees, as a bolt of blue magic lit up to silhouette a line of Titan’s soldiers. The type of blue magic I knew well and twisted my stomach with thorned vines.
“Titan found us,” I gasped. How? This cavern was an underground fortress surrounded by a mess of tunnels. They’d been undiscovered for millennia. So how had Titan found them? Found us?
Us.
Me.
The thorns dug into my soft tissue, bleeding me. Our arrival followed by this attack wasn’t coincidental. Titan had to know I was here. Somehow, someway, he’d found out and he’d sent his soldiers to collect us. There was only one reason. He knew I had the grimoire and would hound me until he had it.
A boom resounded around me, the shockwave beating against my body. Bodies flew from the force of the magical explosion. Trees snapped and sand rained down on us.
Taredd’s eyes flashed with brilliant blue. “They’ve infiltrated the south and east of our village. We have an escape route this way.”
Ashir’s fingers grazed my arm and he collected my hand in his as we followed Taredd. The sounds of battle, screaming, yelling, the clank of swords and the boom of explosions rang through the surrounding air. Silhouettes fought in the shadows and the static burst of magic flared in pockets around us. Titan’s soldiers were everywhere, armed with Titan’s power and no doubt motivated by threats to the safety of their families.
Flames licked high, nearly reaching the moss covering the ceiling. Black smoke billowed. The stringent scent coated my throat and stung my eyes. A boom echoed through the cave as something large was blown apart in the middle of the village. It could only be one thing. The eating hall.
I peered over my shoulder as a fireball ballooned into the moss lining the ceiling. It incinerated in showers of flashes as the magic burst apart, setting the ceiling aflame.
Ashir caught me when my foot dragged in the sand, almost tripping me. “Quickly, Haera.”
We bolted toward a back section of the enormous cavern. We burst through a copse of the tall slender trees where elves had corralled a group of harnessed warbugs. The reds and yellows of the flames reflected off their gleaming navy blue exoskeletons. They stood on their hind legs, their pincers snapping in agitation and were hypnotically beautiful in their ferociousness.
Taredd and the guards ran to the warbugs, stroking their carapace in soothing strokes. The General leapt atop a warbug, wrestling the antennae and settling the creature when it skittered in agitation. He held his hand out to me. “Come, Haera. There aren’t enough for everyone, so we’ll need to double up.”
A blast behind me made the ground tremble. I swung around to see a flash of white lighting the trees so bright it limned the silhouette of elves and humans in battle. Shanyirra stalked through the trees, throwing out bolts of her magic, incinerating the human army charging toward her. Foolish, desperate humans. They didn’t stand a chance against Shanyirra.
I had guessed she was strong, but seeing her power in action was awesome.
And they thought I was as powerful? Even more so?
“General. Get them out of here!” Shanyirra called, out of breath when she reached our sides.
Taredd gestured to three elves cutting through the herd sitting on top of their warbugs. “My captains will take your mates.”
A series of explosions rocked through the forest and the heavy sound of pounding footfalls broke from the line of trees as elves and humans bolted toward us.
“Quickly, Haera.” Taredd leaned down. His silver hair fell around his shoulders like strands of silk.
“We’ll be right behind you.” Ashir kissed me, brief and urgent, before putting my hand in Taredd’s. Taredd hauled me behind him so fast I was seated before my mind caught up. I spun to see my mates scrambling onto the backs of other warbugs.
