Page 134 of Madness of Her Mages

I gasped as he weaved in and out of mages until we were beside the wall that divided Caldaria from Windhaven. From here I could see into Peloponese, Caldaria’s capital city, which was more magnificent than Ventus with rolling sandy dunes that shielded a city built behind another tall wall. There were soldiers everywhere, thousands of them racing for the dunes as the dragons flew circles above them, refusing to help.

“What is that?” Blaze nodded toward something in the sky. A strange web of white magic floated above the Caldarian wall.

I followed the threads of magic to a solitary, familiar witch standing below Caldaria’s seawall. “It’s my sister! She’s stopping the blast!” I swiped at tears that sprung from my eyes. “I knew she wouldn’t deliberately try to harm us.”

I trembled in Drae’s arms when the two walls of white magic collided, shaking the ground as waves washed over the seawall, spilling over the side like a waterfall. The magic web shook and crackled like embers in a fire. After losing sight of my sister, I desperately searched for her among the horde of retreating Caldarian soldiers racing up the dunes.

Then I heard a loud squawk and saw a witch and two big Fae men running toward a black wyvern. “My sister!” My heart stopped then took off at a race when I recognized a familiar fire mage and witch with them. “Our parents!”

My mother jumped into my father’s arms, and they took off into the sky.

My sister and the two Fae jumped onto the back of the wyvern and shot into the air as a wave crested over the wall and flooded the ground, sweeping up everything in its wake.

We flew high above the seawall, the roar of violent waves drowning out all other sounds as water continued to spill over the sides, flooding everything. Ravini fire mages flew all around us like headless chickens, waiting for a command from their queen. Many carried witches in their arms. The colliding walls of white magic started to fizzle out. The sky still shone, lit up by magic that fell like soft snow.

“Disable them now, Shirina,” Malvolia cackled as she flew past us, her eyes swirling with rage as she pointed at the Caldarian army below. “Drown them!”

No. I refused. There had to be a peaceful solution. It was clear Tari didn’t want to kill us, and I didn’t want to kill her, either. An idea came to me when I spotted the wyvern flying not far from the dividing wall. “Fly to the wall,” I begged Drae. “Hurry!”

Ignoring Malvolia calling us back, we landed on the border wall. I slipped out of Drae’s arms, scanning the skies for my sister. My heart pounded when her wyvern landed a dragon’s leap away from us and Tari and two hulking males quickly dismounted. My mother and father landed in between us. I gasped when my father bowed up to my mates, flame leaping off his hands.

Stand down,I begged them through thought.

They thankfully listened, their hard gazes trained on my father while they shielded the girls.

The two armies swarmed above us like vultures circling their kill. Fire from both directions arced over our heads.

“Finish them, Shirina!” Malvolia called from above.

Tari’s mates whimpered beside her like frightened dogs as Tari looked to me, a plea in her eyes.

Trust in your heart...Trust in your heart.

And so I did. I untied my white cape, Malvolia’s leash on my magic and freedom, letting it flutter in the wind like a discarded feather that was swept up in the flood below. My hair blew back from my face, my gown hugging my legs as I threw out my hands with a roar. “Caldarian army, hold your fire!” Magic spilled from me in torrents as my voice ricocheted across the walls like a clap of thunder. “Delfian army, hold your fire! Both armies, hold your positions!”

Both armies went eerily still, their flapping wings the only sounds while they hovered above us. A wave of fatigue washed over me as the breath expelled from my lungs. I’d used far too much magic holding back the armies. My body felt hollow inside, as if it had been drained of blood. Despite my desire to crawl back into Drae’s arms and surrender to sleep, I refused to show my fatigue. Not until I knew we were safe.

Tari heaved a sigh of relief, sagging against one of her mates as I approached, Drae close at my heels.

Stay there,I projected to Blaze and Nikkos.

They nodded their understanding, holding protectively on to the girls.

I stopped short of my parents, my eyes narrowing. “Hello, Mother, Father.”

“Shirina.” My mother stepped forward while clutching a bag to her chest. She looked over my shoulder. “Girls!”

The girls squirmed in my mates’ arms, and Tari’s mates growled, unsheathing their claws.

I turned to the children. “Girls, we must make sure it’s safe first.”

They frowned but nodded their agreement.

My mother’s jaw dropped. “Why wouldn’t they be safe with us?”

I nodded toward my father, whose hands were still alight in flames. “Ask him.”

“Father,” Tari pleaded. “Please put away your fire.”

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