The wall of wind and fire he raised blocked the dark magic bolts arrowing toward their box.
“Help the people evacuate the building!” Evander barked at the others over his shoulder. “Richter, stay here and guard Herr Helnwein!”
“Your Grace—” Fairbridge began.
Evander scowled. “Go! That’s an order!”
A muscle jumped in the spy’s jawline. He turned and ran out of the box after Rufus, Solomon, Ginny, and Shaw.
“I’m not leaving you,” Viggo ground out.
Evander hesitated before nodding curtly, his pulse racing.
CHAPTER 36
Half the darkmages resumed their attack on them while the rest scattered through the opera house, the shadow creatures they brought forth causing even more havoc.
Evander gritted his teeth and maintained a solid elemental defence in the face of the corrupt magic battering their box. The walls and ground fairly shook beneath the onslaught and his own violent powers.
Richter gripped a small gun tightly where he crouched in front of Laurenz next to the wall, his face pale. His head snapped to the left as a dark mage burst in through the door.
Viggo’s fist connected with the man’s jaw before he could take another step.
Shadow creatures swarmed their box from the corridor. Richter swore as they shot toward him and Laurenz.
Viggo stepped into the path of the monsters, the brightening ring on his finger causing them to shriek and recoil even as he batted them away with his bare hands.
“Evander!”
Evander looked over his shoulder at Viggo’s panicked shout. A dark mage had emerged from a pool of darkness at the far side of the box. The man hurled a dagger at him.
Evander deflected the blade with his wind magic and sent it clattering to the floor.
The dark mage cursed as ice bloomed around his feet and quickly encased his legs. Viggo knocked him out where he stood. He slumped against the wall.
The assault stopped as abruptly as it had begun.
Evander’s ears rang as a sudden hush descended inside the auditorium.
He hesitated before carefully withdrawing the magic protecting them, tension tightening his spine. He scanned the space below.
The dark mages had disappeared.
His relief was short-lived. Footsteps were rapidly approaching the door.
Evander joined Viggo as the Brute prepared to attack whoever came through.
It was Fairbridge. Rufus and Solomon weren’t far behind.
“Are you hurt?” Fairbridge snapped, his gaze roaming Evander’s figure.
“No,” Evander replied, surprised at the intensity of his stare and the anger smouldering in the depths of his eyes.
Viggo noticed Fairbridge’s reaction but didn’t say anything.
“How are the guests?” Richter asked tensely, helping Laurenz to his feet.
“A few of them sustained minor injuries,” Fairbridge said in a clipped tone. “There are no fatalities as far as I could gather.”
