Nyssa gave an upwards nod to the east. “We have company.”
Dorian rubbed his long face, a low groan emitting from his throat when he shook his fluffy black hair. "Fucking mindless soldiers following idiots' orders," he grumbled. "Can’t get a bit of damn sleep— I’ll be glad when we’re in the Forest, and the only thing we have to worry about is Bala’s snoring,” he continued as he stood from the ground.
“If you think you’ll be walking into a pleasant welcoming from the Venari, you’re wrong,” Lex said as she helped Nyssa unclasp her bow from the horse.
“What? Everyone loves me,” Dorian replied.
Nyssa exchanged a glance with Lex, and the pair turned to Dorian, noticing the pure honesty in his features. A low whistle and raise of brows came from Lex, and she shook her head.
“Go in there with that attitude, and we will certainly be faced down with a canopy ambush,” Nyssa muttered, giving her brother’s shirtless self a perturbed once over. “Get your sword.”
A great yawn escaped him. He stretched his long arms overhead, pulling at his elbows. “Are you really going to let them that close?” he asked as Nyssa tugged at the string on her bow, awakening her own muscles.
“I won’t, but Corbin might. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s tired of you already.”
“Corbin will never get tired of me, will you, Bin?”
“I am here for my duty,” Corbin replied as he pulled his own arrow through the great longbow he sported. “That duty is—”
“Keeping the Prince safe,” Lex and Nyssa said at the same time.
“You keep saying that as if you wish it would change,” Nyssa muttered.
“If you two are done trying to sabotage the relationship I share with my Second, I believe we have guests,” Dorian interjected.
“No sabotage needed on our end,” Lex said, lining up beside Nyssa. “You’ll do that perfectly well on your own.”
Dorian stepped around Nyssa, and she could see the smirk on his lips as he hovered over her shoulder.
Nyssa pursed her lips at his inappropriate smile. "What?"
“Want to make things a bit more interesting?”
She could see his fingertips darkening, and she fought the shake of her head. “Any chance for you to show off,” she uttered.
“Says the one with three arrows pulled on her bow.”
She resisted the urge to smile. “Fine. Make yourself useful, but don’t catch my bow on fire this time.”
“I wouldnever.”
Dark blue flames pooled in his now black palm. Darker than Rhaif’s bright blue ones. Dorian’s looked almost of the night sky on fire, as though it were crushed navy velvet and royal blue embers on his flesh, dancing wickedly along the crevices of his long fingers.
“Ready?”
Nyssa inhaled a deep breath, straightened her arm, and stretched her every muscle as the string begged for its release. The arrows between her fingers were like daggers extending from her fingertips. She lifted her chin to line up the bolts with the men on horses coming towards them.
“Ready.”
His fire engulfed the ends, and Nyssa released.
Lex and Corbin’s arrows were released as well. The arrows thunked into the soldiers at the front. Two fell off their horses as the fire engulfed them. One slouched over on the horse, eventually falling off while the others shook their pain and rode towards them faster. Nyssa quickly pulled another arrow and sent it flying. The arrowhead chased into one man’s throat.
The others bounded around her for their swords as what was left of the fifteen-person company continued forward, but Nyssa continued to pull her arrows, determined to take down as many as she could.
“Keep firing,” Dorian said, grabbing his sword. “We’ll take any who make it to the hill.”
“No one is making the hill.”
