“They're not alive.” Xae glared down at the writhing mass. “It appears to make a difference. And we don't have another option.” He held his hand out, his face crinkling into lines of concentration.
Neither Rath nor I helped Xae. It was a good opportunity for him to practice his Fire Magic on moving targets, and we didn't want to interfere. Then fire filled the pit, and all four of us jerked back, Finn jumping into the air.
“Fuck,” Xae whispered as the immense heat turned the corpses to ash in seconds. “I need more training.”
“It's better to be too powerful than not enough.” I smacked his shoulder. “Come on, there's more to take care of.”
Rising into the air, I shot off for the next pit in case my Fire Magic was needed. Finn flew in another direction. I assumed Rath would bring Xae, but when I looked back, Xae was trying to rise on his own. Rath waited, instructing Xae when he failed.
Suddenly, a shout came, “Get down, Ember!”
I dropped to the ground, and flames sizzled over my head, right where I'd been flying.What the fuck?Scrambling to my feet, I looked in the direction the attack had come from.
“Fuck!” I growled and summoned the elements.
But the Corrupter wasn't about to give me a chance to use my magic. He barreled toward me, Air Magic giving him speed. The sun's fading light glinted off the sword in his hand. I met his stare and knew I was about to die. I didn't have time to flee, and my sword skills would be no match for his. This time, the Corrupter would make sure I didn't get up again. He was going to take my head.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rath flying for me and Xae running. But they wouldn't make it in time. I'd gone too far from them, broken my own rule. And I would pay for it with my life.
Even as I summoned Air, it was knocked out of me, thanks to a pair of strong arms that snatched me off my feet. Thudding filled my ears, and the world fell away while magic tingled in my hands, ready to be used. Wings. That's what made the primal sound. And when I looked over my shoulder, I saw that it wasn't Finn who held me.
“Jath,” I whispered.
“I've got you, Ember,” Jath said. “Now, let's get him.”
“I can fly.”
“Concentrate on the Corrupter. I'll focus on flying.”
Jath swung down, angling us back toward the Corrupter. As we targeted our enemy, I summoned Fire Magic. Just like Xae, I wouldn't hold back, though I would do it on purpose. Fuck turning him into a statue; I needed to incinerate this motherfucker before he hurt anyone else.
Flames erupted before me, encasing the Corrupter. But the form of his body didn't crumble to dust. It vanished.
“Fuck!” I snarled as Jath swooped back into the sky. “He fucking got away.”
“At least you're safe. We'll have another shot at him.”
I looked over my shoulder again. “Thank you for saving my life. I should have faded as soon as I saw him, but I wanted to end it. So I wasted time on summoning my magic. He would have killed me before I had a chance to use it.”
“Next time, fade.”
“Yeah, I got it.” I turned my face forward.
“And you're welcome.”
Warmth surged through me, leaving me tingling. It didn't matter what made me want Jath. I did, and that longing wasn't going away. I decided to accept it as I'd accepted my destiny. I liked him. He didn't like me. Hopefully, that would change someday, but for now, I had to respect his feelings.
“Hey, were you the one who shouted at me?” I glanced back again.
Jath frowned. “I was the one closest to you, but I didn't hear a shout.”
“It was me,” Death said.
Jath didn't react to the voice, but I flinched.
“What is it?” Jath asked as he brought us back to my anxious lovers.
“Nothing. I . . . must have been hearing things.”
