Lori nodded, but her face was pale and drawn. The faerie rushed to support Lephas as he sucked in a pained breath.
Raxx watched as Lori inspected Lephas’s wound with shaking fingers. The princess squeezed her eyes shut, growling beneath her breath with frustration. Lori was undoubtedly trying to access those mysterious abilities that had allowed her to heal the commander once before. As Lephas was not on the brink of death, the princess’s adrenaline would be unlikely to kick in to provide the short-term boost Tabitha had told them of.
“Here, let me,” Raxx muttered, pulling free from Faye for a moment. He lifted the commander’s arm, ignoring the man’s protesting, and placed his fingers around the wound. Majick flowed easily, more than primed from the battle, and Lori watched with wide eyes as Raxx’s spell began to knit Lephas’s flesh back together.
Moments later, the commander was healed. Raxx stepped away and Lephas stretched, adjusting to the tight, fresh skin at his side.
“Thanks,” Lephas sighed with relief.
Lori leapt at him, hugging him tightly as the commander kissed the top of her head.
Raxx turned his attention to Faye. “Great job with that shield. I’m impressed.”
The princess nodded, giving him a shaky smile. Raxx took her hands in his and pulled at her gloves.
“Take them off. Remember you’ll feel the charge better without them,” he instructed.
Faye still did not speak, but the shadow demon watched the faerie steel her nerves, bolstered perhaps by his presence. She tugged her gloves off and threw them down into the snow, flexing her bare hands against the cold.
Raxx snatched a glance out from behind the logs. The courtyard was splattered with crimson and demons and faeries still clashed against one another, though the numbers were beginning to dwindle. The shadow demon attempted a quick head count of assailants, but quickly gave up as the heavy snow storm made it an impossible task.
“We need to get the faeries somewhere safe,” Lephas muttered as he joined Raxx in sneaking a look out across the courtyard.
Raxx nodded. “Agreed, but how?”
The shadow demon cursed Tabitha silently. Why had the witch instructed him to bring the princesses here, into the fray? She had been adamant about it, but Raxx scolded himself for not listening to his better judgement.
A brutal yell caught both their attention and Raxx spotted Zelrus, fighting alongside two of his guards. The King’s Guard knights seemed to be swarming around the king, clamouring to be the one to strike him down. They were quickly becoming over-run.
“We need to help.” Raxx turned to Faye. “I need you to stay here with Lori. Keep yourselves hidden, but if you get into trouble--”
“Raxx, I can’t—” Faye spluttered, her eyes filling with tears.
“You must. Remember what you’ve learnt. Youcando this Faye – just feel it.”
They stared at one another for a long moment. The princess blinked and a tear spilt down her cheek. Though shaking violently, she sniffed and nodded.
Lori opened her mouth to protest, but Faye quieted her with a hand on her arm. The older princess glanced with wide, worried eyes between Faye and Lephas. Perhaps Lori’s concern for Lephas’s safety wasn’t wholly unjust.
“Here.” Raxx hurriedly began unbuttoning his tunic.
“Don’t be fucking stupid,” Lephas snapped as the shadow demon held out his armour.
“Raxx, you can’t—” Faye argued.
“I can fade away to nothing, commander. You can’t. Take the chest piece and let me worry about the rest,” Raxx growled.
Lephas hesitated a moment before sighing and snatching the leather tunic from Raxx’s hand. He shrugged it on and buttoned it up as best he was able, despite the tunic being a little too small for him.
Raxx watched enviously as Lephas grabbed Lori and pressed a blistering kiss against her mouth.
“I love you,” Lori sobbed, resting her forehead against Lephas’s.
“I love you too,” the commander replied. The princess clung to him for a moment until Lephas gently pushed her away.
“Ready?” The commander turned to Raxx, palming the hilt of his sword.
“Let’s go.” The shadow demon tensed to disembody.
