Page 7

I stepped forward, and she curled her fingers together.

Roots from the earth sprang forward, wrapping around my ankles and chaining me to the ground. I groaned, straining to remain upright as they pulled harder, cutting into my flesh.

The witch smirked and turned to Nell, who was moving slightly.

Still alive.

But not for long. The witch lifted her hands to finish him off.

I had no other choice. As soon as the green glow illuminated her palms, I summoned my own magic.

It was forbidden in the fae lands. But in this situation—when our own lives were at stake—it was a line I had to cross.

My palms heated as energy coursed through me. A fierce wind billowed around me, gathering speed. It whipped at my clothes, stinging my face. The remaining fae male shouted something incomprehensible. The witch’s green jet of magic was swept away by the raging wind. Her eyes grew wide with fear, and she took a stumbling step back.

“Rise,” I commanded my magic.

Black shadows emerged from the ground, taking the shape of a dozen large wolves. The fae screamed, but the witch’s face contorted with rage.

“This is pure evil!” she screeched. “You are defiling a pure form of magic! I will destroy you for this!”

“Attack,” I commanded. Two shadow wolves leapt toward the witch. She slashed her hands in the air, repelling them with jets of green magic.

The rest of my shadow wolves followed, and it was too much for her. Panic struck her features as she struck again and again. But her green magic cut through the shadows like they were nothing more than air.

They could not be stopped.

With echoing growls that made the wind howl, the wolves tackled the witch to the ground. Their snarls and growls mingled with the whispers on the wind. The witch let out a shrill, haunting cry that rang out in the woods. A bubble of green magic formed around her in one final, desperate effort to protect herself.

But witch magic was powerless against my shadow wolves. They tore through her protection spell, claws ripping through fabric and flesh. The witch’s cries became strangled and incoherent. She choked on her own blood. And with one final, rattling gasp, she fell silent.

The wolves, knowing their task was complete, sank back into the earth. The roots released me, and I fell to my knees, drained from the usage of power. The wind slowly died, leaving a trail of floating leaves that gradually sank to the forest floor.

The two fae males were nowhere to be seen.

Panting, I crawled to Nell’s side. A large scorch mark marred his fur, but he was breathing. I gently nudged his paw, and he blinked slowly up at me.

“Are you all right?” I rasped.

Nell grunted, which I interpreted as yes.

I glanced around the forest. “Come on, we need to leave.”

Nell grumbled and turned his head to where the fae had been standing.

I shook my head. “No. Let them go.”

Nell let out a huff of frustration.

I could imagine Reid’s argument: They will only keep trying. If we let them go, they’ll just continue to attack our kind.

“We’re both injured,” I said. “And I just used magic. The fae authorities can track us now. We have to go.” Our magic was powerful, but as a result, it was easily tracked. The fae royals had enabled wards around the lands to alert them whenever we conjured.

They were likely already on their way.

Nell let out a low, grumbling growl but then lowered his head in assent. My chest loosened with relief. As much as I wanted to see those fae bastards dead, it wasn’t worth it. Even if we were able to hunt them down before the authorities found us, if anyone witnessed it, we would be painted as the villains. With the witch dead, no one would believe we were acting in self-defense.

I sighed, suddenly feeling weighed down by the burdens of our people. If we continued to fight, the fae and witches would only attack us more. But if we gave in, they would destroy us one by one.