And then Adara struck.
Faster than a viper, silver power snapped from her hands, barreling directly toward Lenna–a kill shot.
“NO!” Merrick shoved Lenna out of the way with his wing, throwing himself into the full path of the blow. Lenna tumbled to the ground and rolled, hastily snatching up the Prism that flew out of her hands before scrambling back.
The breath left my lungs as Adara’s magic hit Merrick directly in the chest, ricocheting him into the base of an opal pillar near the throneroom’s doors. Merrick hit the marble tile with a sickeningthud. Blood trickled down his face, red rivulets flowing into his beard before pooling onto the floor. His grey wings crumpled around him at an unnatural angle as he slumped over.
And went still.
Sparrow screamed, launching herself at Merrick’s limp body, throwing herself atop him. She slammed her palm down on his unmoving chest. Bright green light flashed and dissipated. With a cry, she hit Merrick in the chest again, harder, green light flaring brighter, enveloping them both. I threw out my hand, Goldriel flaring bright as golden power wrapped them in a shield a split second before another sharp burst of silver streaked across the throne room.
It hit the shield and exploded against the pillar, raining chunks of opal down. Sparrow ducked, but my shield held, the rubble bouncing off and rolling onto the floor.
Laurent ran over to Lenna, scooping her up and pushing the Oracle through my protection magic with Sparrow and Merrick. Lenna immediately fell to Merrick’s side with panic etched into her features. Whirling around, black robe billowing, Laurent bolted towards me as bright blue and white flames curled around his fists.
Rage clouded my vision.
I only saw her.
Standing on the dais.
The disgust on her face as she watched Sparrow’s green light flash again.
Goldriel hummed with power in my hand. I slashed the staff across my body, magic shooting out, hitting an invisible shield around Adara. She didn’t even flinch. Her gaze landed back on me. But it was like she was lookingintomy soul. Not me.
In my mind, Keerian opened up our ring connection, roaring at Laurent and Sparrow to assure him that Merrick was alive. Neither answered. He thrashed against the invisible hold binding him in place, as if strength alone would break their nefarious grasp.
I whipped my staff again, hearing a satisfyingcrackas Adara’s shield weakened against my onslaught of rage-edged power. Laurent jumped skyward, raining fire down atop Adara’s barricade, resulting in a sheen of silver appearing around her. Her shield was weakening. He landed at the base of the stairs, readying himself to strike again.
“Laurent, stay there,”I shouted the words into his mind, Keerian still bellowing at Sparrow to tell him if Merrick, if his best friend, was alive.“If we rush her, Adara could wane Keerian out of here to complete the spell. We cannot lose them. My wards will not hold her here if she has a spell to break through them.”
I could feel Laurent’s anger palpating from him. The flames around his fists grew.
“Go. But, if this looks like it is going sideways, I am roasting her,”he growled back.
I pumped my wings, flying up the marble stairs at breakneck speed, hitting Adara’s shield head on. My horns absorbed the brunt of the impact, and Adara staggered as her shield flickered and died out. Blood ran down my nose, filling my mouth at the hit, and I spat it out as I landed–almost hitting the hem of herdress.
My twin. No more.
I took two steps up the stairs. Adara stood still, though dull blue eyes tracking my every move. Her silence made this all the more dangerous. She was acting like a wary, caged beast as I approached.How much of her soul had she given over to the spell book?
And that brought me to acrushing realization.
I couldn’t kill herat allif she was under the influence of that spell book. If she wasn’t in control of herself. If somehow, Adara had gotten entangled into this accidentally, if she had killed and murdered under the duress of the spells in the book… Her planned imprisonment and execution was potentially a rescue mission instead.
“Yield,” I snarled, pointing Goldriel directly in her face.
“Do youknowwhat I uncovered in my research?” Adara whispered, taking a step away from me as I moved up the remaining stairs. She completely ignored the deadly weapon aimed at her face.
“Enlighten me. When you yield.”
Adara smiled, her thin, colorless lips curling into a smirk. She waved a hand and the beings still behind Sparrow’s barricades began screaming in pain. Two fae females close to the dais began clawing at their eyes as blood poured forth–before slumping over, dead.
“Sparrow, drop the shields now!”I screamed down our mind connection. The shield she had created–effective against regular magic–was useless against Adara’s ancient spell magic. Something neither Sparrow nor I anticipated. We had inadvertently trapped the court, leaving them defenseless. My mind eddied out as panic threatened to overtake me. I whirled Goldriel away from Adara, aiming at and breaking the wards I put in place with a bolt of gold, allowing beings to wane once more.
Sparrow twisted her body towards the commotion, her face paling as she saw the two dead fae. Other beings, a female gargoyle closer to the doors, and a fae male began roaring in pain as invisible gashes appeared across their bodies, their blood now staining the white marble tiles. The fae looked down in shock, his hands unsuccessfully trying to hold his life blood inside, beforecollapsing.
The shields disappeared. Sparrow shouted to those assembled, pointing to the open throne room doors, her hands still faintly glowing green, “Get out now! Wane, take every being you can–run.”Fae began waning out of the room, grabbing as many beings they could possibly carry with them. Gargoyles and fae that could not wane, rushed towards safety, pulling their companions along. A few brave fae waned back in to carry more out.
