Page 158 of Halfblood Deceived

Sebastian blasted a weak flare of fire, distracting them, but it wouldn’t last.

Goddess, please, Zeydan begged.

“Noooo!” Aylana screamed, emerald magic wrapping all around her as she jumped. Time seemed to stretch as the halfblood’s power flared harder and her form vibrated, seeming to blur as she grew larger, much larger.

Aylana landed on the ground in her wolf form. Her size dwarfed that of a timber wolf. Her gray fur spiked down her spine and tail, still wrapped in a thin layer of emerald magic. She growled, flashing impressive canines, and impossibly surpassed Zeydan’s flight speed. Roaring, she launched herself at both gargoyles holding down her mate like a bullet.

The gargoyles paused in their attempt to cut Sebastian into pieces to blast their rotten magic at Aylana. She dodged one blast, feinting and snarling, but the other blast…

Zeydan blocked it with his telekinesis, mere milliseconds before it hit Aylana.

The wolf launched herself on one of the gargoyles—the one Zeydan had stabbed—and ripped the bastard’s arm clear off his body with her powerful jaws.

The other released Sebastian to fight Zeydan.

Zeydan kept most of his focus on his opponent, but he could see Aylana ripping to pieces the screeching gargoyle with ruthless ire.

Zeydan’s opponent grew desperate as he heard his buddy scream and saw the pieces of gray flesh and bone being ripped off by Aylana. His anguish made him sloppy and Zeydan sliced off his head easily, foul blood splattering his face. He turned just in time to see Aylana, panting through her blood-drenched muzzle, savoring the fear in the red eyes of the gargoyle under her before she ripped his screaming head off.

The werewolf-fey hybrid spat out a piece of gore and neared Sebastian, who was panting, blood falling down his nose. He smiled even as he tried to straighten his broken wing. “I owe you my life again, my beautiful warrior.”

Aylana closed her eyes as Sebastian cupped her face with a bloody hand.

A familiar howl reached Zeydan’s ears and his blood turned to ice in his veins.

He was moving before the thought was fully formed, flying back toward the fight. He half registered three gargoyles remained, and that Kamilla, Diana, and Kerian were fighting against them.

He glimpsed Aylana and Sebastian right behind him from the corner of his eye. The former launched herself into the remaining fight, sinking those mighty jaws into the shoulder of Diana’s opponent.

In the center of Zeydan’s visual field were Lex, still in his white wolf form, and Mari—who was kneeling by Evan and Andreas.

He landed next to Andreas. His heart twisted as he saw the massive wound in his friend’s chest. A gargoyle had almost impaled him. Blood poured out of the cut in alarming amounts. It was by far not as poisoned as the wounds Aella had sustained, but Andreas wasn’t healing fast enough.

Evan was twisting on the ground, his front paws uselessly scratching at the gravel. His eyes were wide open and his fur so drenched in blood that Zeydan couldn’t tell where he was wounded.

Goddess, no.

Mari rocked back and forth, gripping her hair and shaking her head. “I can’t help them both. I don’t have enough magic left. I can’t choose. I can’t. I can’t choose.”

Lex whimpered.

Zeydan shook his aching head and blinked to get rid of the prickling in his eyes. He cupped Mari’s face carefully in clawed hands. Coaxing eye contact. His gut twisted at the naked fear in Mari’s tearful eyes. “I can’t heal Evan, so you take care of him. I’ll do everything I can for Andreas, alright?”

Mari nodded. Zeydan released her, and she placed her hands on Evan’s chest. “Don’t you dare die on me, you annoying idiot.” She chanted under her breath and her magic flared, pouring into Evan.

Zeydan lifted Andreas from the ground, pressing the male’s torso half against his chest. He yanked off his vambrace, rolled up the flexible but almost unbreachable material of his armor’s sleeve, and bit his forearm savagely. Adjusting his grip, he poured his blood into Andreas’ wound. “Luce needs you, you grumpy arse. You are fighting for her, you hear me?”

Andreas coughed out a mouthful of blood, blinking tears.

Zeydan’s sinuses burned. His chest ached so much he couldn’t take a full breath. “You are doing great,” he said to Andreas, voice wavering. “Stay awake. Stay with us.”

Andreas struggled to breathe, coughing up more blood. But he kept his brown eyes firmly locked with Zeydan’s.

Zeydan bit his forearm again, pouring more blood into Andreas’ wound, and kept talking. He had no idea what he was saying. There was a beeping in his ears and a muscle in his heart seemed to want to rip itself apart.

Zeydan barely noticed Aylana, Sebastian, Diana, Kamilla, and Kerian approach. He cradled Andreas closer and bit his forearm yet again, pressing the open vein to Andreas’ mouth. His friend tried to drink, but he was choking, the blood wasn’t getting past his tongue, his eyelids were falling closed, and if he couldn’t drink it, he wouldn’t heal.

Please, goddess, Zeydan prayed, something he rarely did. His faith in the goddesses had never been the strongest one. Please, don’t let Luce lose both of her parents.

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