A few loitering townspeople scattered when they noticed the Guards, slamming their doors shut and some drawing curtains closed over their windows.
“On what charge?” she shouted back at him, grounding her stance, prepared to flare at the first sign of movement. Power thrummed just beneath her fingers, her fingernails glowing subtly.
“By order of King Maelrik, all Starborne are considered dangerous to the realm and are to be captured to stand trial andreceive just punishment for their treason!” he yelled, shifting on his feet.
“You mean to be put to death!” she roared, staring him down, challenging him.
“Youwillbe brought before the king,” the captain sneered, narrowing his eyes at her.
“Like hell she will,” Draven growled, unsheathing his broadsword faster than she could blink. He looked at her and nodded.
That was the only confirmation she needed.
Power exploded from her hands, blasting the air around them and catapulting the Guards into the air, throwing them backward against the temple steps. Several of the Guards did not get back up.
Fire and smoke erupted in front of her, forming a wall between them and the Guards. The fallen men clamored to their feet, shaking their heads from the impact of her flare.
The captain was fuming, bellowing orders at his men. “Get them!”
Draven grasped his sword with both hands then channeled fire into his blade, the metal sizzling with heat and sparks flying from the edges.
“Cover me!” he shouted at her.
She slung her bow off her back, ripping an arrow out of her quiver, and channeled her bond. White light erupted from her hands, traveling down the length of the arrow into the tip. With a breath, she let her senses heighten as Power flowed through her.
She took aim at one of the Guards armed with a crossbow and released. Light crackled around her as the arrow split the air, parting the fire wall with the force of its velocity.
Another beat, and the Guard was struck in the neck with the arrow, Power exploding on impact, spraying blood in all directions.
Astraia did not wait to see if he fell. She had already drawn another arrow, unleashing her fury on the attackers. Arrow after arrow, she pummeled them. Amplified by Power, her aim and force was unparalleled.
As she downed two more Guards, Draven appeared out of her periphery. He was Rage reincarnate. His blade sliced into the abdomen of Guard, fire flashing into the wound, boiling him from the inside.
The Guard screamed, falling to his knees, trying to hold in his intestines spilling over the wound.
Draven did not give him time to beg, spinning around and bringing the burning blade across his neck, severing his head.
Seconds passed, and half the Guards were destroyed, burning where they stood, either from her light or Draven’s flames. She did not stop, would not stop, until every Celestial Guard was delivered to Dominion.
She took aim again with her bow, nocking one of her last arrows. Holding onto her tether, she channeled Power once again, deepening her breath to steady her hands.
Then a coldness washed over her, draining all the color from the world.
Her anger evaporated along with her bonds as a deafeningclickpricked her ears.
She looked down at her hand holding her bow to find a manacle snapped around her wrist. A hand gloved in armor wrapped around her arm above the manacle and twisted.
A crack cleaved the air as her arm broke, bones displaced, and pain erupted up to her shoulder. She screamed, dropping her bow and arrow and grasping her shattered arm.
More pain exploded down her arm as gloved metal hands grabbed both her arms and pinned them behind her back. The heaviness of cool metal wrapped around her opposite wrist, securing the manacles in place.
Before she could scream again, armored boots hit the back of her legs, and she tumbled to the ground onto her knees.
A roar from across the wall of fire vibrated the windows of the shop beside her. She raised her head, peering through the flames as Draven fought his way to her. He cut down one man in front of him, kicking his body aside.
But another Guard took his place, colliding with Draven. Two other Guards came up from behind, a set of manacles dangling in one of their hands.
“Draven! Behind you!” she screamed, panic welling inside her.
