Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
“Oh, you are a fool. Have you come to care for that beast?” She looks behind me and her brows draw. She inhales a sharp breath. “That’s your spirit reflection.”
The sound of Blaise’s groan draws my attention, but I don’t turn to face her. I have to stay focused on the witch before me. My people are never meant to play in dark magic. It taints our true spirit.
“I have always seen you as unworthy of your station. You look down on the other elders and the people. Everyone’s beneath you.
“Now that I know what you’ve been plotting and scheming”—I shake my head—“did you really think you could overthrow two kingdoms?”
“Are you not paying attention? I’ve already taken one. Yours is next.”
She tosses an orb at me, but I throw up a shield. Her magic bounces right off it. Lowering the shield, I prepare my next move.
I summon my blades. The weight of their carved metal handles in my palms brings bloodlust with them. Each double-edged blade glows with blue light as they charge with my power.
“You have played with the wrong one, Helenier. Now, you will die.”
I toss one of the blades and it sails through the air. It slices into her arm—as she tries to dodge it—spinning back toward me like a boomerang. I lift my palm as the blade returns and settles in my grasp.
Yanking my hand downward, I watch in satisfaction as Helenier’s body is thrown to the ground. One strike from my blade creates an invisible tether between my enemy and my blade. Helenier stumbles to her feet after rolling on the ground in pain.
She straightens and tosses a ball of energy at me. The force of it rips through the ground as it heads for me. Debris flies from the path it makes.
This time I release both of my blades. They make a singing sound as they tear through the air. They crisscross as they cut through the force heading for me. Crossing each other again, they slice the sides of Helenier’s torso before they return to my waiting hands.
I tighten my grips on the handles and pull, dragging Helenier toward me. She tries to dig her feet into the ground, but she’s no match for my power. However, the invisible tethers pop and she tumbles to the ground.
My gaze shifts and I find a trembling Coralo. Her face turns pale as I lock my eyes on her. Before I can send a blade for her, she flies back and lands a few feet from the spot she had stood.
“I told you to stay out of my way,” Helenier hisses at her own daughter.
Hooves click against the ground behind me, and I want to sag in relief. Blaise is alive, but I can feel that she’s weakened. I want to turn to her and wrap her in my arms.
Instead, I turn my attention back to Helenier as she floats into the air. Her lips are moving as she chants. Sparks of light start to surround her.
She makes her next attack. I throw up a shield and a force field of fire surrounds it. I give a grin. My little warrior is protecting me as she did that night in the forest.
We both lower our shields, but much to my annoyance, Blaise has to engage the warriors who have surrounded the castle. I stay focused on Helenier. I have every confidence in Blaise even if my spirit reflection weren’t there to help her.
“You’re in over your head,” I warn Helenier.
“I will not be defeated.”
Bringing my hands together, joining my blades as one, I release the weapon as it glows brighter and hotter. Helenier doesn’t move fast enough. Her right arm is severed from her body.
“Mother,” Coralo screams.
Everything from this very moment moves so fast, I don’t know what has happened until the smoke settles and everything blurs before me as my throat turns raw with the anguish that leaves my lips.
* * *
Blaise
I bring my sword across the body of my last enemy, panting with the exertion. I need to heal from that blow I took, but there’s no time.
The warrior I’ve just slashed falls to the ground as the magic fueling her leaves her body. This Helenier woman has been feeding these warriors with dark magic. It’s taking more energy than I’d like to spare to get through them.
Argon’s dragon moves from shielding me as I turn to help Argon. The dragon places his head to my back as if to lend me its strength. “Good boy,” I coo and reach behind me to pet his head. It’s then that I allow the truth to sink in.
Argon is fighting with me, for me. He didn’t betray me as I thought he did. My heart swells. We will finish this together and I will tell him how I feel.