“Stop it! Please!” Orelia pleaded.
He released Vade’s collar, the fae’s face a swollen, bloody mess. Defeated black eyes found Orelia’s. Whatever advanced magic was in the arrow was draining the life out of him. She could see it in the wan tone of his skin, the blue of his lips, the lifelessness creeping into his eyes.
“Please, let me heal him. I’ll give you anything you want, just let me heal him!”
Marquin scoffed. “Thisis what I want. To watch him die. To watch him pay for what he did. And you . . .” The batalin made his way to her.
“Don’t!” Vade tried to stand, but his legs gave out.
She tried to summon Marquin’s staff he’d left lying on the ground so she could turn it on him, but her magic wouldn’t come. The seidr bindings negated her power.
Marquin stopped in front of her and raised the axe. “I could kill you and make him watch as punishment.”
Her heart rate spiked.
“But even in my anger, I am not that barbaric. Not like this savage.” He pointed the axe at Vade. “I needed a way to get close to you, and it was easy enough to convince Aradonis to meet with you, seeing as how we were already in Axelton.” He chuckled. “And now, you’re mine, you bastard.”
Vade hung his head like he’d already lost.
Marquin glanced her way. “I will not punish an innocent for the deeds of the wicked, but you will have to watch, witch. So, sit back, and enjoy.”
Panic set in as he headed for Vade. She had to do something. Suddenly, she remembered she still had Vade’s seidr dagger on her belt.
Only magic can fight magic.
Her arms burned as Orelia pushed against the bindings as hard as she could, stretching her fingers to try and reach the hilt.
The closer he got to Vade, the taller Marquin seemed to grow. He gripped the battle axe with both hands, laughing darkly.
Orelia grunted, pushing down so hard on the bindings that her skin felt like it was on fire. Her fingers finally reached the hilt, and she freed the dagger, beginning to saw away at her bindings.
When Marquin reared the axe back, Orelia screamed louder than she ever had.
The blade landed right in the middle of Vade’s chest with a sickening crunch of bone.
Vade collapsed.
Orelia sobbed, sawing faster.
Marquin picked up his bow and nocked an arrow.
She roared as she cut through and the bindings fell away. Orelia dropped to the ground on steady legs, dagger clutched tight. She didn’t think, she just acted.
She ran and flung herself at Marquin who wasn’t able to turn his arrow on her fast enough. Orelia struck hard and true, hitting himin the heart. He scrambled to push her off him, but she squeezed her thighs tight around him and pushed on the knife with both hands, sinking the blade as far into his chest as it would go.
Marquin gasped for breath before his body slumped. His open eyes stared at the sky as blood poured out of his chest, soaking her hands. She didn’t care about the warm liquid dousing her clothes or the reality of what she’d just done.
She only cared about Vade. Orelia rushed over to him.
Marquin was dead and could no longer work the seidr staff, so Vade’s bindings had disappeared. He had pulled the axe out of his chest, but the arrow was still lodged.
She grabbed Vade’s shoulders and rolled him onto his back.
Blood spurted out of his mouth, lips blue and beaten face sallow. She wasn’t sure how he was still alive.
“Oh, gods.” His wings had so many tears in them she couldn’t count, but her focus went to the arrow. “I’ve got to get this out.”
Vade squeezed his eyes shut. “Do it.”
