Page 105 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae

Revna flew higher, dodging the fireballs and slices of air that cut lashes into the ceiling. Mímir and Blár wrangled on the floor, kicking and punching and rolling. Kolfinna couldn’t keep track of them, Revna, and the runes.

“You traitor,” Blár snarled, lunging for Mímir’s throat.

Mímir jumped away.

“You’re nothing without your magic,” Mímir sneered. “Nothing but a spoiled, arrogant brat.”

Kolfinna bolted toward the runes, but the world spun and she met the floor in seconds. Her jaw cracked against the floor and black dotted her vision. Her face throbbed and a metallic, salty taste filled her mouth. The crashes, booms, and crackling of fire faded for a few seconds and she struggled to lift her head. She tried pulling her leg forward but was met with resistance. Heavy, rough stones held her feet in a vice grip.

She felt the scorch of fire before she heard the hiss and crackle of it. A rock skidded to her left, and then another to her right. Another boom sounded behind her. She inhaled, and heat filled her throat. She blinked back rapidly and her vision came back. Magni stood in front of her, protecting her with a barrier of fire, while Revna pelted rocks at them.

In a split second, Kolfinna broke the stones binding her feet and jumped up. Her vision swayed and she faltered on her feet.

Magni glanced back at her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Kolfinna rubbed her jaw and cringed.She hoped it wasn’t broken.

Another rock narrowly missed their heads.

“Why can’t Blár use his magic?” Magni asked, his fire barrier flickering away. Sweat and blood dampened his uniform collar.

“I couldn’t write his name.” Kolfinna erected a thin barrier in front of them while Revna threw more stones in their direction.

“None of my moves are reaching her,” he said. “And her sword is absorbing my attacks when I do manage to get her. Truda doesn’t have enough mana to fly, and even if she could, I don’t think she can beat her in the air.”

Their conversation was cut short when Revna created more stone spears from beneath their feet. Kolfinna jumped away, but the spear crashed into her chest, throwing her backward. Kolfinna slammed onto the floor, bits of broken rocks digging into her back. She bit back a scream and pushed herself to her knees, glaring up at Revna.

Revna was up high, moving her hands swiftly and maneuvering her attacks from her vantage point. They needed to bring her down to the floor so they could fight better. Most of their attacks weren’t landing, and they were at a disadvantage since she could see everything.

“Magni!” Kolfinna shouted, running back to him as another stone spear shot from the wall. She threw her hands up, creating her own spear to counter Revna’s. The two spears cracked against each other in the air and the pieces flew in different directions. “Make the air uninhabitable for her! Just stream fire into the sky and have Truda create large gusts so the fire keeps fanning across the room!”

“We can’t do that!” He rolled as a stone almost smashed his face. “She keeps attacking us.”

“Try it!” she said. “I’ll protect you both! We need to bring her down!”

“I’ll try.” He turned to Truda, who was dodging a myriad of stone balls Revna relentlessly shot at her. “Truda! Whirlwind! Now!”

Truda looked at him like he was crazy, but she must’ve seen something on his face because she gave a curt nod. Kolfinna readied her fast-depleting mana and widened her stance for any stray rocks that would inevitably be thrown her way. Truda raised her hands at the same time Magni did. A powerful gust of wind blew across the room, sending debris and bits of rocks swirling in the air. Magni’s fire joined the swirls of wind and the temperature increased instantaneously. Thick heat waves blew in every direction, singeing the hairs on Kolfinna’s arms.

Revna, predictably, ripped giant chunks of stone from the wall and threw it in Magni and Truda’s direction, but Kolfinna was ready. She intercepted the attacks with quick barricades. They broke and she created another.

Revna’s wings flapped in the powerful winds and she faltered in the air as fire fanned in front of her. A half-scream strangled her throat when the fire licked her feet and spread to her body. She dove to the floor, where she pulled the rocks toward her body to cloak herself. The fire roared and finally sputtered as she tamped the rocks closer to herself.

Kolfinna was in front of Revna in seconds; she pulled her fist back and punched Revna across the face. A satisfying jolt ran up her arm when her fist connected with Revna’s cheek. Revna skittered backward, swinging her sword in front of her to keep Kolfinna away. Kolfinna leapt away, but the sword nicked her chest. It couldn’t have been more than a scratch, but she instantly fell to her knees as her mana drew to the sword. She sucked in a breath. It was such an off-putting, disgusting feeling to have her mana pulled like that—as if someone was yanking her vein like it was a loose thread.

Revna grinned in response. “My sword,Magisk-æder, loves eating mana.” She lunged at her with the blade. “You’d know the history of this infamous sword if you grew up in my society, Kolfinna. Why side with these pathetic humans when they’ve done nothing but rip you away from your lineage and steal your history?”

A mixture of air and fire struck Revna’s face and she fell backward, her wings pushing the floor to pull her back on her feet.

“How are you able to fly?” Kolfinna asked, pushing the stones from the floor to launch at Revna, whose footsteps pitter-pattered away.

“Elven artifacts,” she said with a soft laugh. “Elves always envied our wings. I never thought I’d be using these, but what can I do after those traitorous bastards ripped my own off my back? Do you know how big of a disgrace it is to have your wings taken from you? The fae love to fly, and these humansforcedyou to cut your wings, your pride and history, off from you. Aren’t you angry? Don’t you want to take it back? Well, we can take that back, Kolfinna. If only you’d join us.”

Elves. There it was again, something she was supposed to know but had no clue even existed. But she didn’t linger on that—that was exactly what Revna wanted.

“Never,” Kolfinna spat. “You don’t want freedom for our people, you just want to be above everyone!”

“Pity. I had high hopes for you,” Revna said, dodging another blast of fire. She flipped her hand and tall walls domed around her, shielding her from the fire blasts. Circular pieces of rocks the size of Kolfinna’s palm suddenly carved out of the walls of Revna’s dome and shot out in every direction.

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