Page 36 of Madness of Her Mages

I grunted, repressing the urge to vomit.

Then my world spun and shook and we landed inside our tent with a thud.

Nikkos swore, the girls tumbled off my lap, and bile projected into my throat.

Malvolia gasped and spun around, looking at us as if we were ghouls. “Elements! You gave me a fright!”

I didn’t have the strength to ask what she was doing in our tent.

“Demons attacked Mortimus,” Nikkos blurted.

She stumbled back, the color draining from her face. “What?”

Nikkos jumped to his feet, hoisting me in his arms. “My brothers are holding them off, but they need help.”

My stomach rumbled and shook, and my head spun. It took all my willpower not to vomit down Nikkos’s chest.

“Where?” she demanded. “He’s not answering my thoughts.”

“Downstream,” he answered, nodding toward my nieces who clung to his legs. “Aurora can take us there.”

I let out a groan as pressure built up in my throat.

Malvolia took another step back, her eyes narrowing on me. “What is wrong with Shirina?”

Set me down,I projected to him.

“She’s sick,” he answered as he set me on my feet. I stumbled then sank to my knees with a groan.

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Malvolia snapped, her tone turning darker.

Clutching my gut, I leaned over, thanking Ember when she handed me a small pot.

“Why would we trick you?” Nikkos barked back.

I swear the small space inside our tent shot up by twenty degrees. I leered up at Malvolia as smoke leached from her fingers.

“I don’t know.” She barred her teeth. “Whywouldyou?”

Before I could say anything in our defense, fire came racing up my throat and I heaved and heaved, water splashing into the pot and then aclank. I gasped as buzzing magic flooded my veins, filling the dark void of nothingness with warmth and power.

“It’s out!” I plucked a smooth, gray stone from the bowl and pocketed it in my cloak. No telling when I would need it. “Take us back,” I said to Aurora, while pulling the girls into my arms.

Nikkos grabbed us, just as dark magic swarmed Malvolia like a nest of angry hornets.

We landed hard on the dirt again. Drae and Blaze were on the defense, ducking and dodging torrential streams of fire from the demon mages. The air smelled acrid from burning tree limbs and thick, gray smoke burned my eyes.

I lurched forward, magic scorching my veins and racing up my throat as I threw out my arms. “Demons, hold your fire!” I bellowed, my siren voice echoing through the forest like a clap of thunder. “On your knees! Do not move!”

The demons fell to their knees like puppets with cut strings, their jaws slackened.

Blaze bent over, hands on his knees while he let out a groan of relief. He leered up at me through the smoke, flashing a sideways smile.Thank the elements for our siren mate,he projected through thought.

Thank the elements for my brave fire mages,I answered back, blowing him a kiss.

He caught it with a smile as he stood, ruffling his wings.

Drae rolled his shoulders and snapped open his wings while glaring at the demons.I want more than an air kiss,he said to me, his eyes darkening.

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