She wove through a thick cluster of trees, then fell to the ground, dropping the sword. Her heart felt like it was being sucked out of her chest.
Orelia screamed. The binding spell tugged on her muscles, threatening to rip her apart. She rolled over and made it to her knees, pushing up on her hands, knowing Vade was somewhere feeling the same pain.
She panted, trying to get air down. She had to get to him. Had to go back. Orelia managed to stand with one hand on her abdomen,the pressure doing nothing to stop the pain. She glanced over her shoulder to see Vade’s dark form stumbling toward her, axe in hand, wings dragging behind him.
He yelled something just as the eagle blindsided him and tackled the fae to the ground.
“Vade!” She summoned her power and tried to levitate the assailant, but the bird didn’t budge. Orelia grabbed the sword and ran for him instead.
Talons pierced his wings, pinning him to the ground. Vade screamed up at the sky, his axe stuck underneath him.
The eagle was so focused on attacking Vade that it didn’t see the witch running full speed or the sword that went clean through its neck.
With a shrieking caw, the eagle flopped on the ground before going completely still. Orelia tossed the sword aside and rolled Vade over.
He panted, face bunched in pain. “My . . .wings . . .”
The tears were so wide she could see the ground through them. “Here, let me help you sit up so I can heal you.”
He winced but let her get him to a sitting position.
Another squawk sounded from somewhere above.
“Ah, tredablo. . .more?” Vade said, exasperated.
Orelia helped him to stand, then grabbed the sword, handing him his axe. “Can you use your shadows?”
He grimaced. “Not when my wings are injured.”
She tugged on his arm and they broke into a run, the sound of beating wings close behind. Orelia looked over her shoulder to see the eagle weaving through the trees.
They ran through the forest, seidr weapons in hand, but there was nowhere to hide. No rocky overhang to slide under, no river to jump into. Just trees, trees, and more trees.
“We have to kill it,” Vade said in a pained voice from her side, struggling to keep her pace.
She was too winded to speak, so Orelia nodded instead.
“We can—”
A shrill sound that nearly burst her eardrums rang out, and they both stopped running. The eagle veered off, screeching and shaking its head like it was physically in pain. They both panted, watching the bird turn and head back the way they’d come, seemingly no longer interested in them.
When their eyes met, they both had the same confused look on their faces. Vade hit the ground on one knee, his wings looking like wilted plumrose petals.
She rushed to his side. “Sit here.” When he settled himself onto the ground, she took in the damage. There were many tears in his wings, but she could handle it. She placed her hands on the largest gash in his right wing, and he looked away, squeezing his eyes shut.
Orelia focused on visualizing the wound as she called on the Omnimagia.
“Only downside to being one fae is that we can’t heal fast like you witches can.” Vade’s voice strained. “Our wings are much too vulnerable for my liking.”
She gave him a small smile. “I guess the gods thought if they gave youallthe power that it wouldn’t be fair to the rest of us.”
Her comment earned her a laugh. “Perhaps you’re right.”
After she was done with the first wound, Orelia sidled up next to him and pressed down on two large cuts on the part of his wing above his shoulder. She could sense his eyes had stopped watching her glowing hands and were now watching her face. Orelia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. Vade’s gaze was fixed on her lips.
She feigned obliviousness, though she imagined her cheeks were bright red. Something as simple as a look from him could heat her skin, even after he’d just been a pain in the ass minutes before.
She worked her way down to the tip of his wing. The only sounds were their ragged breaths easing and the much cheerier chirps of non-violent forest birds.
