Page 284 of The Lands Defying
The gates of the courtyard are blown open, and the guards and witches who were once there, stumble back from the blast of power following it.
A female stands there, bloody and bruised, a blade in her hand by her side as her other hand is still hanging in the air, magic swirling around it. Her markings are upon her face, looking like the warrior she is as her hair floats around her.
I feel her dominance, feel her power hit me and I inhale sharply.
The change is instant.
Paws turn to hands, and I’m walking towards her, no— running, pushing anyone and anything out of my way with my power as I assess her for injuries.
She looks around the courtyard through barely-seeing eyes that are puffy, red around the edges.
Has she been crying?
“Are you okay? Who the fuck made you cry, Vihnarn?”I ask down the link, as I continue to make my way toward her. Her eyes flick to mine, and they shimmer. It makes me want to rage upon everyone here even more, but I need to get to her, hold herand make sure she is okay.“Tell me you are okay?”I demand, picking up the pace. “Rhea!”
She isn’t moving to me. It is almost like she can’t, like she’s frozen in place.
I grab a rogure by the back of its neck and stab it through its head. I shove another guard out the way, punch one to the left and wrap my power around one to the right.
“I’m coming, Vihnarn.”Fuck, is she hurt?
I sense a new power entering the space that causes my senses to go on high alert. Even the guards around her turn toward it.
It’s powerful.
It’s…
A flash comes from behind Rhea where she stands, and she tilts her head, like she can also feel it. I’m running in the next second when it becomes stronger, sending my power out as a form appears behind her.
“Rhea, move!”
I see Josh, Anna and Taylor coming up behind her from the castle walls, I hear my brothers at my back as we all go to Rhea. Drax is out and he heads for her, running as fast as he can.
But a hand lands on her shoulder, and as her eyes widen, she turns to maneuver out of the hold that is on her, a smirk befalls the form’s face and then they are both gone.
The rage is instant and I black out.
Eighty
Rhea
Gods my head hurts.
I groan, blinking my heavy eyes, trying to keep them open. A taste so vile fills my mouth, and I want to throw the contents of my stomach up, heaving as I try and keep it down.
Breathing heavily through my nose, I try to come around from the heavy feeling that’s washing over me. It feels like a cloud in my mind, like I’m floating.
What happened?
Blood, Seb, magic, the gates…
“Darius? Josh?”I mumble down the link, but I can’t feel it.
Runa?
Silence.
I’m suddenly aware of my shoulders feeling like they are about to be ripped off, about to be torn from my body and I whimper, trying to move them. It feels more heavy than usual, and the piercing pain at my wrist startles me so much that my eyes spring open to see what is causing it.
