If we’re going to stay here and keep the upper hand, we need to be inside. Whoever is watching needs to think we’re resting and dropping our guard. The ward I chose should muffle even our heartbeats. The idea is we take vantage points, get these Sabers to walk right up to the building, then we pick them off. One by one. Every last prisoner on our tails. The cottage would seem like an easy target, and that’s because it is. And every second we’re out here we’re easy targets.
Killian gives up on diplomacy, and, with a frustrated grunt, he descends the stairs toward her. Which is a relief, since he’ll throw her over his shoulder and get her inside, and I won’t have to be the bad guy – again.
The air shifts, and adrenaline pulses through my body. The slip of a powerful Concealer Potion moves like hot water spilling across the land. A warning, one beat before the first arrow is fired.
“Duck,” I shout, grabbing Seth’s arm and dragging him down with me. “Concealer Potion.”
Aeons, they could have been in the trees under that potion for days – weeks even. Just waiting. If they stayed in the same spot and didn’t try to move outside the potion’s parameters, we wouldn’t have noticed. But Concealing Potions can’t move. The person in them can’t get in or out, or fire a weapon, without breaking it. If anyone else is hiding – they need to reveal themselves before they can attack.
But where are they? Up a tree, not on the ground. We searched the ground a million times.
We didn’t search up the trees.
The arrow embeds itself into the hindquarters of Kitten’s horse, the gelding crying out.
“Cover her,” Pax growls, but we’ve already moved into positions.
He launches himself over the railing, letting Thane have control, and as soon as they’re on all fours, he turns and vanishes underneath the cottage.
Killian pushes Kitten into his shadow as I slow time, allowing my brothers to destroy the arrows midair. I even get enough of a gap to turn and yank the arrow from the poor gelding’s flesh.
The arrows stop, and I let go of time, followed by an enemy’s scream of agony. I can’t see Thane in the trees, but I know it’s him who’s snuck around and begun to eliminate our attackers.
“There’s more,” Killian growls. He grabs Kitten up by one arm and storms towards the stairs.
I meet her gaze, just long enough to gauge that she’s uninjured, walking fine, no blood, no sign of pain. Killian’s fine. Seth’s fine.
That sorted, I turn back to our surroundings. Focusing enough to slow and start time every few beats.
“Fight or retreat?” Seth asks, adding, “I’ll put up a shield.”
He waves his hand towards the stream, and two trees on the edge of the forest beyond it burst into flames that swirl and coil like a tornado.
“Oh, that’s pretty,” he comments.
“Can you control that?” I demand.
“They weren’t supposed to set on fire!”
“Then what was your plan?”
“A wall of water,” he calls, the flames beginning to roar, but the smoke is being sucked high into the sky.
I’ve seen him draw water up in a sheet before. It doesn’t stop the arrows, but it sure stops them from aiming at us.
“Put them out then,” I shout.
“There’s two of them! I mean, I’m good, but that’s pushing it. Let them burn, it could be helpful.”
“Or it could surround us and burn us to death,” Kitten says, eyes wide and glued on the growing devastation.
There may just be two flaming tornadoes, but the trees around them are catching and combusting too.
We both look at Kitten. Her attention flickers to other trees, searching, stopping, searching again. Like she’s locking onto something – or someone.
“You can see them?” I demand.
She nods.
“Like threads?” Killian asks.
“They’re red – or violet, just colors in the trees.”
“Bloodlust and desire,” Killian says, turning sharply.
“She’s still using our powers?” Seth asks, clearly only partly concentrating on the issue with the fire. “I thought that was the bubble.”
“Can you use Chaos? Can you help put that to use?” I ask, pointing between Seth, Kitten, and the fire racing up tree trunks and into canopies. “Or put the thing out before we asphyxiate?”
“There’s no smoke,” she says, which gives me a little hit of unrelated excitement. I mean, the word asphyxiate isn’t terribly sophisticated, but the fact that it was so easily absorbed into her normal way of thinking makes her feel, somehow, mine.
Wrong moment, I order myself. This is life or death, not the time to be falling in love.
First problem, cover. Second problem, not being surrounded by fire. Third problem, fight or flight.
Fourth problem, manage to form my feelings for Kitten into words before it’s too late.
Preferably in that order.
More screams fill the air. From Sabers in the fire or falling to Thane, I don’t know. Figures begin to emerge, hot with the desire to destroy. Four, nine, twelve, twenty, too many.
“Fight or retreat?” Seth demands – exactly what I was thinking, just not at the top of my list.
We’ve already lost our advantage. If we give up on the fire, we’ll be trapped, burned alive in the cottage. We would heal, slowly and painfully, but I can’t listen to Kitten’s screams as her skin melts off her muscles and her body turns to ash. It’s just fire, the kind all forests experience at some point, and not the magical kind that would burn this kingdom to the ground. If we can’t put it out, it will run its course to a natural or magical barrier. But that would be too late for us.
The wind shifts, and the tornado of smoke that was building descends like a sudden blanket. Just like that, we have cover.
“You’re welcome,” Seth says.
“We’re still going to burn,” I point out.
“We have to run. We have to get Pax and run,” Shade declares, turning towards her injured horse.
Somewhere in the smoke a wolf yelps, growls, and kills something with a terrifying blood-curdling howl.
“Thane,” Kitten squeaks, trying to run after the sound.
Seth snags her waist just in time.
“Fight,” Killian roars, rushing to our Alpha’s aid. Weapons materialize around him in wisps of Shadows. Spears, one after the other, that he launches in quick succession.
“I’ll protect you both if you can deal with that fire,” I say, moving between Seth and the majority of the incoming Sabers, my sword drawn and my Allure bracing itself for the attack.
Seth pulls Kitten in close to him.
“Vexy, close your eyes. Concentrate and try to pay attention. If you can listen as well, that would be great,” he says.
I snort – Seth and serious was never going to last long.
He wraps himself around her, forming a shield at her back, the two of them behind the best cover we have – the horses.
Desires map themselves over the land, singing a warning as five armed Sabers rush from behind the cottage.
My sword is already in one hand, and I draw my dagger in my other, smiling. Finally, something I can kill.
The first man, his rough servant’s cotton hinting that he’s not lived a Saber lifestyle in a long time, slashes, and I slip past his heavy strike. My power slows the movement, allowing me to step in close to his ear. I want to use my sword, but my power wants to see him fall at my feet far quicker than the dance of weapons allows. They’re not allowed near Kitten, no matter how rarely I use magic in straight battle. If I don’t need information, I enjoy swinging my blade – but not today.
“Cease and fall,” I whisper, and he drops.
Fear hits me hard – was that too loud. Did Kitten hear?
But she’s still working with Seth, her eyes pinched shut and her hands raised. She didn’t hear me.
I didn’t hurt her.
Cold steel slices through my bi
cep, arcing with the spray of blood onto the ground. Because I was stupid enough to turn my back, to hesitate, to take my eyes off the attackers around me. Growling, I spin, sidestepping the swing of a short woman, and slash my blade up through her chest. She falls and a tall bald guy steps in her place.
His broadsword glances off my blade, letting me get in close and avoid the attacker at my back.
“Kill each other,” I whisper.
I move out of their way. The three nearest Sabers attack and eliminate each other. The last man, the tall bald guy, staggers as he realizes what he’s done.
“Cease and fall,” I say, turning and not waiting to see his body drop.
Getting back to Kitten is more important, and dealing with the Saber who snuck behind me. She doesn’t see me coming though, frozen mid-step so my blade can embed through her back. I relax time, and her body slides smoothly from the steel to fall in a heap on the ground.
“Fire’s out,” Seth calls, his arm hugging around Kitten, keeping her back to his chest.
She has a sheen of sweat across her forehead, and she’s rubbing her chest, which is completely at odds with the smile on her face.
At some point Seth lost his bow, but as he walks Kitten closer to me he hooks the toe of his boot under it and flicks it into the air, catching it with cocky ease.
Pax and Killian are moving cautiously in our direction, appearing out of the smoke blood splattered and alive with battle aggression. Seth keeps pulling Kitten toward the cottage, while I push my power as far as it will go. I can’t reach the trees in every direction, but where I can reach is empty of the kind of desires attackers would possess.
With all of those things in place, our current and projected safety, I sheath my short sword and press a hand firmly on my wounded arm.
But my senses, and Killian’s, will fail to pick up more danger if Sabers are hiding under Concealing Potions.
“She’s not here,” Pax growls.
Naked Pax, because minutes ago Thane had control of the form.
The problem with fighting partly as a wolf and then as a man is that your weapons get left behind. What Pax is holding now is black steel, Shadow-born.
“Who isn’t here?” Kitten demands, looking at each of us in turn, then at my arm with wide-eyed fear.
“Your arm,” is all Kitten manages.
Ximena shimmers, a pulse of power knocking us all to our knees.
“The Cataclysm isn’t here – but I bet she’s over there,” Seth says, springing to his feet and pointing directly at the border.
The border booms again. Not being drained, not being siphoned. She’s too vicious for that. Eyv’s leaking Destruction into the powerful magic, forcing the border to fight back. She’s figured out how to use it against us.
And with each boom, it’s clear she’s teasing us. Stalking.
Hunting.
Concealers slip to the north and south.
“There’s too many. They’re playing us,” I say.
“Fuck!” Killian barks, Shadows leaking from the whites of his eyes.
“We can’t defend this position anymore, brother; we have to run.”
“Commander,” Killian snaps. “Command.”
“Split them up. Divide their forces, pick them off, retake the advantage – then regroup,” Pax orders.
No one needs to say anything in response – we all agree.
He turns sharply, face to face with me, teeth bared and barely any man left in his glowing eyes.
“Protect her,” he growls. “Run.”
Timing couldn’t have been better, though. Two hours ago and they’d have caught us with our pants down. But now – now we have a chance.
No Bubble
Thane is running, Killian right beside him swathed in Shadows and moving too fast to see details. They’re into the trees and out of sight before I can object.
Roarke turns to the treeline, blood seeping between his fingers as he scans our surroundings – his sword drawn again.
“Quick, Vexy,” Seth says, already running into the cottage.
Get the gear, get it on the horses – I get the picture.
I can’t tie shit onto horses; I have no chuckin’ idea how! So with my heart pounding and my head spinning, I carry, drag, and drop the bags at Seth’s feet. Roarke holds time, his skin growing pale as each second passes, and Seth ties the gear to the saddles. Within moments, they’re ready to go.
The scent of burning forest sits heavily in the air, tainted by blood. Blood has a smell, and apparently, I don’t need to be near the body for the scent to be up my nose anymore.
I dig through Killian’s bag and pull out a rumpled bandage. Used, then washed, then poorly packed away – but still a bandage.
“Let me,” I tell Roarke, brushing his fingers out of the way.
He doesn’t even flick his gaze in my direction, concentrating on our surroundings. I fumble with the wrapping, securing it slower than Killian, or any of them, but I’ve had much less practice. I’m always the practice.
“Is he rideable?” Roarke asks, talking to Seth and not me.
“Put her on Pax’s boy, it’s not worth the risk,” Seth calls back.
“Get on Pax’s horse,” Roarke orders.
“I’d worked that out,” I drone, moving to mount the big stallion.
I struggle, adding riding lessons to the very top of my list of must-learn skills. Bandaging, controlling fire, and horse riding.
“Stay between us,” Roarke says, clicking and kicking his horse forward.
Roarke, with Killian’s horse trailing, rides on my left, and Seth, with my horse trailing, stays close to my right.
But instantly, I see a problem.
“We’re going the wrong way,” I shout. Pax and Killian are behind us.
“They’ll catch up,” Seth shouts.
“Trust us,” Roarke says, his voice soft, but somehow I still hear it over the thunder of five horses.
Trusting them isn’t the problem, fear of losing them is, and I have to fight every instinct in me to just hold on and run away. Up the hill. Through the trees. Then parallel with the border.
Hard and fast, until the Spring and the domain are out of sight behind us, and we can slow to a walk.
“How will they find us?” I finally demand.
The heavy smoke drapes us in darkness. Night slips around us, settling in and muffling the world.
“I Allured our path, so no one else will track us,” Roarke says. “But Pax and Thane will always find their mate.”
“We haven’t gone very far, Vexy. We need to be ready. They would have divided them into smaller groups, drawing them away from each other to pick them off or cut them down. The rest they’ll lead to us. Regaining the advantage. We used a similar tactic on the Eastern Coast fighting the Bidiyan Pirates.” Seth slips from his horse, still offering me a jumbled explanation, and motions for me to do the same.
Roarke dismounts too, favoring his injured arm.
“Is it bad?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No, Kitten. Tie the horses over there, concealed in the trees.”
In my usual style I offer him a ‘yes, boss’ salute, fumble trying to take his horse’s reins, then wait for him to pull something from his saddlebags before leading the animals away. All five horses end up in a cluster between two of the larger trees. If they can be quiet, between the trees and the darkness, no one will spot them. They’re tied secure, as ordered, with Seth double checking everything before turning his attention to me.
“Vexy, straight up,” Seth says, pointing into the trees.
“Why?”
“So you’re safe when Killian and Pax come rushing in with arrows on their asses,” he says, cupping his hands and motioning for me to put my foot in them.
“What are you –” I begin, but get cut off by a sudden lift and thrust as my whole body moves straight up.
“Grab a hold of something,” he calls out.
My arms wrap around a limb,
and I force the rest of me to follow, kind of safe, hugging on for my dear-racing-heart life, and looking down at the horses and the ground. Way, way down on the ground. I’m up about as high as Eydis’ attic, and there’s no hope I’m getting down without help. Seth disappears up a tree to the left, and Roarke crouches low behind the tangle of a tree that fell so long ago that it’s overgrown with vines and bushes on the right. Both of them have arrows notched and ready to draw.
Then we wait.
And wait.
Until pounding feet and a howling wolf break the silence. Thane comes into view first, rushing straight at us, between Seth and Roarke, then past the horses. He leaves them whinnying and protesting the predator.
I hadn’t picked Killian for the running type, but he can move. He stops and stands his ground directly underneath me with the briefest glance up before his attention is on whatever is coming.
“Plan?” Seth calls down.
“Take them together,” Killian growls.
“If we can’t keep the advantage here, move the fight to the west, and Roarke will get Shade out of here. We’ll regroup and repeat for as long as we have to,” Pax orders.
Three women step out of the blades of moonlight right beside Killian. Just step out of it, like it’s a chuckin’ open door.
For a split second, they look like they’ve taken him by surprise, but he spins and cuts the nearest woman down before she can even lift her weapon. Blood stains his blade as he turns to face the other two.
Movement behind Killian snatches my attention. Darkness is blocking and attacking, attacking and blocking, all with his back to a new Saber approaching. The guy walks, without a hint of magic, directly towards the horses. I can’t see much of him, just the top of his head and his primitive leather armor.
He’s not rushing, like he has all the time in the world and is rather enjoying the show. Each step brings him closer to my Killian.
“Boo,” he says to the horses, making them skitter and whinny.
I slip a dart from my wrist, aim at the guy’s throat and give it a flick. Lightning quick, he doesn’t just catch it but traces its path. His gaze lands squarely on me – chuck.
Thane jumps over the backs of the animals, tackling the guy and ripping his throat out before moving on to someone else.
Shadows and Shade Box Set Page 118
