Page 88 of A Flame of the Phoenix

Kyleer nodded, and when they were quickly darting through the streets, Faythe could hardly contain her adrenaline. Herhands trembled. She unbelted the Ember Sword and passed it to Kyleer who caught it with ease.

“This way,” Kyleer said when it had stopped glowing in the direction they were headed.

It continued to change more times than Faythe had the patience for. She was growing dizzy with the erratically changing direction, until she stopped.

“He’s toying with us,” she said. A cold lick of realization trailed down her spine.

He’d found them first.

Kyleer braced to unsheathe the Ember Sword, and Faythe’s hand hovered over Lumarias.

“Looking for this?”

It was not the general who spoke.

They both whirled, and Faythe was overcome by a mirage of emotions to see the raven-haired dark fae beauty.

“Zaiana.” Kyleer said her name, armed and disbelieving.

She smiled, a hint of a demon within. The ruby amulet shone brightly, dangling off her two metal-clad fingers as she held it up.

“Where’s the general?” Faythe asked, pushing aside her fear of Zaiana that had never subsided.

“Will you ever learn to stop walking into the obvious traps set to capture you?”

“Every time she’s tried, I’ve escaped.”

Kyleer sneered, “Fitting for her to send her best killer and manipulator.”

“You flatter me, commander.”

“Yet I’m guessing they don’t know of your weakness in letting me live.”

The dark fae’s expression darkened on him, and her hand dropped. “A mistake on my part, I’ll admit. One I won’t make again.”

Faythe shivered at the promise in her monotone voice. She was about to brace against Zaiana when a new awareness crept across her nape.

She spun right as arms reached to grab her, but thrusting a hand to the chest in front of her was a mistake with the surge of power that emerged from that connection, clashing with the magick she summoned from her palm.

One second she was standing; the next she was flying. Then what stopped her projection was a solid, unforgiving force.

Faythe wheezed for breath, scrambling to collect herself while magick seized her entire body like currents of lightning. So much so the initial impact of the wall hadn’t hurt her, but now the power was subsiding, a throbbing ache spread across her head and her back, and warmth pooled at the base of her skull.

What in the Nether was that?

Now her consciousness was coming back, she picked apart the familiar dark essence.

She’d felt a touch of that power within the tent her target general had been in. Faythe forced her head up, needing to blink few times to gain focus, but there he was…the dark-haired general with deep blue eyes.

Faythe pushed through the pain threatening to shackle her down, peeling herself up just as he did. At least she wasn’t the only one to have suffered in that unexpected collision, but what had happened?

His chest…she’d only pushed a hand to his chest for that dark power to detonate.

“You don’t want to try that again,” he growled.

Faythe could hardly organize her thoughts and tame her wild heart. She didn’t have time to do either when he surged toward her, and Faythe pulled Lumarias free just in time to cross blades with him.

She’d known exactly how he’d do it. Exactly how he’d move. Staring into those blue irises, though filled with loathing, Faythe was certain, so sure in her soul…

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