Page 63 of Tempting the Fae Lord
Rage burnsa fiery coil through my gut, scalding my throat and making ash of my tongue. I will not tolerate the desecration of my cemetery nor the defiling of those interned within.
Calling on my power is natural here, where my roots are strongest. I fling a surge of magic in a wide arc, using it to dampen her hold on my people.
Gale waivers and leans hard against the stone wall.
Sonja snarls, struggling in my grip. A shock of her power rattles up my arm like a lightning bolt.
I shoot a hard look at Eulayla. “Take everyone to safety. Go.”
Eulayla shakes off Sonja’s hold long enough to scuttle backward, grabbing Amaris on her way. As much as I’d like to order Gale to go with her, I know it’s useless. He’ll never go.
It would be easier to deal with the threat if I didn’t have to worry about him, but when has life ever treated me gently?
“Call the bones,” the harpy shrieks.
Petru’s face screws with reluctance, but crimson magic swirls around his hands as he slowly lifts them.
My attention splits. Protect Gale. Keep Sonja restrained. Attack Petru, prevent him from using his cursed powers at all costs. How do I manage all of it?
Eulayla calls for Gale to come, but he shakes his head.
“Barricade the door.” He flings himself on Petru’s back.
They collapse to the ground in a heap.
With my free hand, I reach for the knife at my thigh but only meet skin. The knife’s on the floor next to my bed, where I’d stripped off my battle armor before passing out.Flesh Flies. I’ll have to do without.
Magic swarms the halls. Petru’s. Sonja’s. Mine. The air crackles with the overload. The space heats between us.
The scrape and thud of furniture sounds from behind the closed door of the game room.
Gale wrestles to keep Petru on the ground, but the dark glow of his unearthly power isn’t snuffed out. It spreads from his hands like a puddle, seeping ever wider even as they tussle.
A burst of pain spikes bright at my wrist.
I fling Sonja aside, gaping at where she’s bitten me.
Red coats her smirk as her back hits the wall.
She licks her lips. “No wonder he likes it.”
Her magic slams me sideways. I stumble, catch myself, and counter her spell with one of my own.
Someone moans.
I whip my head around, fear for Gale like a vise around my heart, but it’s Petru making the noise. Gale has a knee on his chest and both of Petru’s arms pinned over his head.
In the time it took to check on Gale, Sonja has wrested the upper hand. Her eyes glow a wicked silver, not like a fae but like a demon, and she shrieks.
My body takes the impact of her power full force. My muscles cramp and lock. I try to move, but it’s as though I’m encased in ice.
I growl, struggling. But ice is mine to call.
Not hers.
Going lax, I ease into the stillness and take command of the ice.
When she cautiously starts forward, probably thinking me defeated, I lash out. Icicles as sharp as knives fly at her and shatter against some invisible shield.
