Page 44 of Tempting the Fae Lord
“He owes me a life debt,” says Sonja. “Which he’s paying right now.”
I don’t like that sound of that. “Paying…how?”
“He owes me his life, and so he must serve for his life,” she says as if this is a reasonable conclusion to draw. “I’ve tasked him to capture your master for me. If he does well, I might consider his early release.”
I cast my gaze toward Ezra, who fights like a wild boar only to inch forward, slow as a snail, then toward the bone caller, who’s giving every ounce of his strength, then to Sonja, whose fierce stare would surely launch daggers at Ezra if it could.
This is crazy. I take her shoulders and squeeze until I have her full attention. “You must stop this. You’re killing your servant, not the Gatekeeper. End this, and I promise I won’t let him hurt you.”
She trails her petite pointer finger over my cheek. “So young. So confident.” She slaps me. “So wrong.”
I flinch back, my hand on my cheek.
“Gale, run!” Ezra drives his blades into creature after creature. This is what’s been keeping him here. Night after night, fighting death itself, all to protect that stupid gate. And from what? An angry lost fae who only wants to find her family?
I turn to Sonja. “We need to talk.”
“Talking solves nothing.”
“Have you even tried?”
“He’s not exactly a good listener.”
The snap of Ezra’s wings catches my attention. As he takes to the air, so too does the throng of animated carcasses.
My jaw hangs open.
Forget Sonja. I’ll stop the bone caller myself. I don’t want to hurt him, but maybe he can’t command what he can’t see. It’s worth a try.
I duck, grab two fistfuls of dirty snowpack, and lunge for his eyes.
Sonja’s magic explodes at the nape of my neck, but she’s too late. The dirty snow hits its mark. The bone caller stumbles backward, even as I collapse to the ground.
He reaches to catch himself. Instinct. His spell breaks.
Bodies plummet to the earth with one sickening thud after another. Sonja’s panicked scream pierces my ears as her magic sears through my limbs, a painful spasm taking hold of my body.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh, the sound of Ezra flying fast. “Hold on, Gale. I’m coming!”
The magic seeps out of me, the pain residing with it. I blink open my eyes. Sonja is aiming at Ezra now. “Don’t! You’re no match for him.”
I’m not sure how I know that, but I feel it down to the core of my being. There might not be any magic running in my veins, but I’ve felt hers, and I’ve felt his. He’ll kill her if given the chance.
“Ezra. Help!” I stay down, though I’m free of her spell. If I distract him, maybe we can get out of this with everyone alive.
Well, except for the massive amount of already dead people, erm, may they rest in peace.
“Bone caller! Do something,” Sonja orders.
The faltering mage struggles to his feet. Ezra swoops in. Sonja aims.
The night sky snaps and sizzles with their combined sorcery.
My eyes sting. I’m blinded. In the darkness, terror blooms bright. “Ezra?”
“I’m here.” Strong arms grasp me and lift. His scent hits my nostrils.
I clutch his chest. “Don’t hurt her.”
