The magic vanished.
Kaelric’s pack surged forward behind me, seven wolves in motion, shadows streaking through trees. They were silent, deadly.
Kaelric passed me in a blur of white fur and muscle, a growl rising deep in his throat. They leaptover the ridge and dropped into the camp like a wave of violence, tearing through the first unsuspecting sentinels before they could even scream.
Chaos erupted in the camp then.
Enemy wolfkin shouted out to raise the alarm, transforming from human to wolf mid-motion. I ran forward, and even in the darkness I saw claws slashing, snarls echoing off stone. The ones who had taken Elia were sloppy and unprepared.
Untilhestepped out.
The man was tall, clad in black Aerlyn leathers trimmed with silver. His eyes glowed violet as he raised a glowing hand. Magic bled off him in waves.
An Elite.
I couldn’t see if he had a house insignia from here. Or if he was just a regular Elite, not of royal blood.
He looked right at me, and I felt evil practically dripping off of him.
Behind him, I noticed one of Kaelric’s female wolves shift into human form right away and drag an unconscious Elia over her shoulders and to safety.
Relief rushed through me at the sight.
We got her.
Kaelric’s growl split the night then. It was a call to fully attack. We had Elia—now it was payback time. But the Elite moved faster. Out of nowhere, he sent a spear of blue light straight toward my chest.
Without thinking, I came up with Valkaryn in my hand and blocked the blow. She gave a battle cry in my grip, a sound so fierce in my head that I wondered if others heard it, because it made even the wolves pause for a second.
I felt her power surge through me, heat, fire, and pure rage. She wasn’t just angry. Valkaryn was furious.
This man had attempted to harm me, and she wasn’t having it.
The Elite conjured another blast, this one laced with fire. But instead of aiming for me, he pivoted and flung it toward Kaelric’s wolf. It shot from his hand faster than I could warn the alpha. The orange blast caught Kaelric’s wolf across the shoulder as he was mid-jump. Kaelric’s wolf spun and hit the ground hard, snarling in pain as fur burned away from flesh.
I screamed his name, and Valkaryn erupted then.
Power surged through my arms as she dragged me forward, faster than I could move on my own. She caught the Elite’s next blast and devoured it, swallowing the magic like it was air.
Her blade ignited with firelight, edges glowing white-hot. Then she attacked through me as if we were one being. I stood between Kaelric and the Elite. Val moved in a deadly arc downward, and the Elite’s smirk vanished the moment she struck.
He blocked, but barely.
Every time he tried to push magic, Valkaryn met him blow for blow. Faster. Wilder. She wasn’t just fighting, she was punishing him. I felt like a puppet, letting her use my body.
I barely had to think. She moved my body with precision, each swing fed by her fury.
Beside me, Kaelric popped up with fury in his eyes, blood staining the white fur of his shoulder. His pack tore through the remaining enemies around us. I could hear the crunch of bone and the yelp of a fallen wolfkin. But I couldn’t look.
Not while Valkaryn had the Elite pinned.
With a final roar that came from her but bled out through my lips, she arced up and slammed down, cutting straight through the Elite’s warding arm. Blood sprayed as he screamed, and his arm dropped to the ground with a sickening thud.
Valkaryn hissed in satisfaction, and then with one final strike across his throat, the Elite fell.
Dead.
I staggered back, my hand still wrapped around her hilt, chest heaving. The air smelled like ash and blood, like war.
