Page 130 of Her Ivory Flame

The masked man didn’t acknowledge her, but seemed to be walking closer to Oak who’s face went white.

“What a shame.” The masked man spoke, his voice muffled. “You really are a failure, couldn’t even keep her contained for more than a few minutes.”

Sudden movement caught her off guard and next thing she saw was Oak’s head rolling on the floor, body collapsing into a pile.

Before she could think, chaos erupted throughout the room.

Monstrous roars could be heard from outside the mansion, ones she knew to be Trencher’s and she felt the room spiral out of control.

The masked man darted off the dais, people screaming and running towards the main door only to be met with the nightmarish creatures already charging through.

Power flared in her, the fraction of it she had rushed to her finger tips and lashed out toward the doors. Her power incinerated the monsters, giving just enough time for the people to escape.

Xander and Kaden lunged towards the man in the mask, the rest of the group encasing her in a circle with Raine.

The man jumped out of the way, charging towards the doors when more creatures started to come in through the windows blocking Kaden and Xander.

“We have to go!” Kaden roared close by and all of them ran towards the main door with the rest of the crowd.

She grabbed her dagger from her hidden holster and had very little of her power left to use after incinerating the creatures at the entrance. The rest of the group had no weapons and she figured that wouldn’t last long.

People screamed as creatures poured in behind them, grabbing people in their wake. A guard was running with the people and Kaden snagged the guard’s sword off his hip.

The guard didn’t balk and continued running while they turned down a hall.

“We need to get to our stuff quickly.” Xander yelled, leading the group down the hall.

He must have memorized the way back, which wouldn’t surprise her, and before she knew it their rooms were in view.

“Grab your gear and jump out the window!” Kaden demanded and they charged into their room.

Instantly she grabbed onto her bag, thankful they had already packed them and slung it over her, sword and axe in hand.

“Are you going to fly us out?” she asked in a long breath.

“Just to the ground, we are close to the stables so if we can make it there, we will be good to go,” he said quickly, breaking the window open and reaching for her.

She could hear commotion coming down the hall and figured it was more Trenchers coming for them by the rumble that echoed.

Stepping closer, he wrapped his arm around her and as soon as he cleared the windowsill, large wings became visible from his shoulders, and they landed on the ground with a soft thud.

The others had joined them seconds later and they bolted for the stable a few yards away.

More screams sounded, a mix of people and creatures and she didn't turn to see how close they were.

None of them saddled the horses, all of them putting halters on and jumping on them bare back before darting out the door.

Zuri charged forward the fastest, all of them rushing for the closed gate and stayed close to one another. She saw Kaden lash his power out unexpectedly, obliterating the gate just before they ran through it and she saw a flash of silver in the distance.

She had hoped whoever that masked man was didn’t just see what Kaden had done.

They could take off into the sky, the men flying them back to Mydalsa but that would make it known in the evening light what they were if they hadn’t already been discovered. They had to get away on horseback first before being able to return in the darkness of night, if they survived.

Trenchers snarled behind them, her power all but used as she tried to throw a wall up between them and the pursuing enemy. She was able to hold a small wall for a few minutes, killing some and stopping the others to give them more distance ahead of them.

Dozens were behind them, the horses moving a dangerous pace for the terrain they were in but none of them balked.

Kaden and Xander had passed her up front, the rest of the men behind with Raine next to her. They had to get further away, at least to a larger area without trees surrounding them in order to fight the monsters chasing them.