Page 69 of The Eternal Sea (The Shifting Fae 3)

Twenty-Three

Havana

We ran back toward the docks, Leon keeping a slower pace for me. My stomach knotted. I tried to convince myself I was this powerful being made of sunlight, and I could destroy it all. I visualized myself slaying monsters, just like Azalea, and I ignored the fear pounding against my chest.

Every thought that told me I wasn’t strong enough, I wasn’t capable. I threw it away. I would not allow myself to be afraid. Being scared is what had the swarm shove me on my back and almost kill me. I wasn’t alone here. I had Leon by my side.

We could do this. I told myself over and over again, driving the hesitation and doubt away.

The wind coming in from the sea whipped the smell of death in our direction. I took it all in, every dark hideous fear and I squashed it inside my mind.

I will not be afraid.

I am powerful.

I am not alone.

We will not be defeated.

Over and over, I repeated the mantra, knowing I had to convince myself, otherwise the fear would overwhelm me then the swarm.

By the time we breached the woods that led us to the docks, I believed every single word I had told myself.

I wasn’t sure if the swarm looked bigger or more spread out, but it seemed the entire sky darted with these winged creatures, shadows trailing them as they dove on to anybody nearby. Azalea’s sword of light slashed and arced through the night sky. She would kill a few and then more would just fly around. When we reached them, the three fae were covered in sweat, blood, and black ichor.

“We need to get to the water,” Leon said. “I can create a barrier to protect you guys from them getting through. It’ll be too thick for them to fly past.”

“Sounds good,” Azalea said. She looked at me. “Glad to have you back.”

She didn’t tell me to run away like the others. She gave me a warm smile.

Leon took my hand, afraid to leave my side. “We do this together.”

“Yes, together,” I repeated.

The five of us ran and Azalea created a barrier of light around us, a shield the darkthings flew away from, a shell of pure sunlight. She had her arms raised, and the powerful light streaming from her palms mesmerized me. I had seen my father use his magic, but this was levels above him. It surprised me I had never heard of her. Surely someone as powerful as her would be in stories and psalms.

When we got close to the harbor, Azalea waved me over, keeping the dome above us. My father’s men still fought creatures, and I could see various fae and humans fighting and shooting arrows into the sky. I couldn’t see my father and I was worried about why he wasn’t on the docks fighting like the rest of us. It wasn’t like him to stay out of a fight. Even if his guard tried to protect him.

Leon lifted my hand to his mouth. “Stay safe and stay behind me.”

I nodded and then went to go stand beside Azalea. Acaden and Lark flanked our sides. Lark next to me and Acaden next to Azalea, swords drawn.

“When I release this shield,” Azalea said to me, “you’re going to combine your light with mine. Focus it until we have a single beam. One hand together, one hand apart. That way we can keep them from flanking off, okay? Every time I swipe in the middle, they separate. We need to stop that. Got it?”

“Got it,” I said. “Right hand together, left hand out.”

“Good. Lark and Acaden will protect us. They’ll make sure nothing flanks us. Leon, you make that wall as high as you can, but our light has to go above it.”

“You’ve got it.” Leon lifted his arms and the sea rose.

Using his hands, he forced the water out of the sea and a giant wall began forming. It went past his head and then higher and higher, curving around us. Not a dome like Azalea had created but covering the sides as if the wall enclosed us.

“I’m ready,” Leon said.

Azalea looked at me. “Go!”

She dropped the shield and immediately I shot my right hand forward with her and my left hand out. The swarm that broke off to our flanks screeched as they met our beams of light. They flew higher and anytime they tried to swoop in Leon’s water was there pushing them back. We did the same pattern over and over, and though many dropped, we still had too many to go through.

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