It dissipated as quickly as it went up, followed by several fireballs. We could hear the screams from here as several buildings crumbled. The sky filled with winged figures and ships hurrying toward Dianna, where she was currently barbequing soldiers.
A gust of wind whipped my hair across my face, and I swiped at it before looking up at the darkening sky. The bright day turned to twilight, and lightning split the air in the distance. I smirked, knowing that Samkiel was with her. Roiling clouds, thick and gray, smothered the ships and adrueth soldiers, the storm swallowing them whole.
Vincent’s eyes met mine as rain began to pelt down on us. “Distraction,” he said, reaching out and grasping my hand, pulling me toward the end of the alley. We left the safety of the canopy and ran toward the docks on the other side of the city.
The force of the wind increased, and people hurried to board up their homes before hunkering down inside. Even from this distance, I could feel the heat of the flames at our backs, lightning cracking as the city drowned in the sounds of war. I didn’t dare look back, too afraid we would be noticed within the fleeing crowd.
Our feet pounded on cold, wet stone as we wove through the city, following the curves and bends of the streets, but we skidded to a halt when massive wings hit the sky. We stared as the beast ripped ships from the clouds, tossing them carelessly toward the ground. Samkiel’s wind redirected the disabled crafts, ensuring they did not smash into homes or buildings full of civilians. It was only Dianna’s form ripping and shredding, but I knew if Kaden and Isaiah joined her in battle, Nismera’s armada would be nothing but broken metal and scattered feathers.
That would be true raw power. This was what Nismera feared with her whole dead heart. If the sons of Unir were truly united, nothing would stand in their way, no act of war or rebellion. Was this the future the fates had seen? Was this why she had punished them, holding them captive and beating them until they told her exactly how to change it?
My thoughts died, and a scream stuck in my throat as one of the ships, wind be damned, came hurtling toward us. Even within my panic and from miles below her, I saw Dianna’s sharp-horned head whip toward the ground. She tucked her wings tight against her body and dove, abandoning her targets in the air. Something had happened to Samkiel.
The whites of Vincent’s eyes shone as the ship hurled our way. People screamed and grabbed their loved ones, pushing past us as they ran for their lives. It would be too late. It was so massive it would crush us all. Vincent grasped my arm, and I knew he intended to pull me out of the way, but we both knew there was no escape. I planted my feet and shook off his hold, the shock of my repudiation of his touch making him release me. My hands snapped up, and sound disappeared as something ancient and powerful burned in my blood. My magic roused and rose in me like a massive wave, pouring from my palms to form a bright green wall in front of us.
The medallion in my pocket hummed and grew hot, vibrating as if my magic had awakened it. I clenched my teeth and ignored it, my only focus on the ship. If I failed, we all died, magic or not. The massive craft hit my shield and came to a stop. The momentum of it pressed down, and my feet slipped against the street. Vincent’s powerful body slammed against mine, his hands gripping my hips as I settled back against his chest. Grateful for the support, I braced against it with a groan, the pressure unlike any I had ever felt before. It settled against my body, making my skin itch and my blood boil. All around us, parents crouched over their children, and people huddled in groups, wailing as if they had already accepted their fate.
I did not.
I groaned, holding the massive behemoth above us all. It cast out all light, so close it had become my whole world. My reality narrowed to the pressure, the pain, the flow of magic, and the comforting wall of heat at my back. I screamed and flexed my elbows before pushing against the shield, but my magic did not shove it away as I intended. Instead of tossing the ship away from us, it started to burn. One moment, it was hovering above us, threatening to end everything, and the next, the metal turned to ash, its surface breaking into fluffy black flakes that floated to the ground.
The sudden cessation of pressure was nearly as painful as holding against it. My knees gave out, but Vincent held me, refusing to let me fall. I blinked and gulped in air, feeling as if my body had been turned inside out. Distantly, I realized that all the screaming had stopped, and everyone was now watching me with something that looked like awe.
Vincent gently turned me in his arms, his gaze flicking between me and the sky. “Wha—How?” he asked, his eyes wide and slightly freaked out.
I actually didn’t know. The only thing I knew was that my body was depleted, my head throbbed, and moisture ran from my nose. My legs were giving clear signals that they no longer wanted to hold me, and I gratefully leaned more of my weight against Vincent. From the safety of his arms, I watched the whispering crowd move closer.
“Witch.”
Everyone froze. Slowly, Vincent and I turned, and a soft whimper left me at the sight of the winged soldiers. Male and female, they stood in a line, blocking the street. They must have seen the ship hovering and known. The glow of my magic would have told them exactly who I was.
The ash was still falling like black snowflakes, coating us all. The tallest adrueth soldier stepped forward, the others falling into formation behind him. His breastplate was not like the others. A massive bird was etched into the metal, its wings spread wide, extending to his shoulders. It was a definite indication of rank. If I had to guess, it marked him as either their commander or general. A dark beard spilled past the bottom of his helmet, and he spun a spiked mace in his right hand.
“Hand over the medallion and come with us peacefully.”
I’d been right. They had come for us.
“Or?” Vincent asked, making sure I was steady on my feet before slowly stepping in front of me. I caught the glow of the ablaze weapon as he summoned it beneath his tattered half cloak.
“Or we take the medallion, and we force you to come not so peacefully,” the bearded adrueth said.
“I’m going to distract them,” Vincent said, just loud enough for me to hear. “You and that medallion need to get as far from here as possible.”
I took a step forward and wobbled, but righted myself at his side. Deep emerald magic flared around my hands. It hurt, but I didn’t care. “Not a fucking chance.”
His shoulders tensed, prepared to argue, but he wouldn’t in front of our enemies.
“Unconscious it is,” the adrueth said, his grin delighted.
He took a step forward, then stopped, a cough leaving his mouth. The advancing soldiers paused as his cough grew heavier. He looked down at his chest and then up at me, his eyes bulging. His hand covered his breastplate, his wings flaring wide. I raised my hand and slowly curled it into a fist. Blood spewed from his mouth with a sick, wet cough as she crumpled to the ground, dead.
“Take the witch,” another brute of a soldier said. I lifted both hands toward him, and chaos erupted as they all charged. Vincent remained in front of me, his ablaze weapon sparking off their armor. For every neck I twisted or heart I exploded, it seemed another two would take their place. Someone must have sent a distress beacon, or my giant display alerted them. Either way, we were outnumbered.
They charged in trained unison. I had never used magic in battle, never had the need for it. After the fall, we did not have to deal with war on Onuna. It had been a colossal mistake to think I did not need to know how to defend myself without magic. I’d denied the knowledge because I thought I was safe and nothing like this could ever happen to me. Now, it would cost me.
Swords and hammers came at us from every side. I ducked and rolled, using what magic I could muster in defense. Sure, crushing a ship and stopping a heart made me look powerful, but magic, like all things, had a limit, and I was well above mine.
Blades sang in the air, mixing with the groans of effort and the cries of pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Vincent disarming soldiers, annihilating all who came within his reach. He was a highly trained and skilled warrior, both because of his time with Samkiel and as Nismera’s second.
