Page 25 of A Fury Of Shadows

The demon barreled into her and took her to the ground.

Na Ri roared inside Mae, a sound of incandescent fury. Mae clenched her teeth as her first incarnation took over their cores.

The power of the Witch Queen hardened her flesh and bones a second before she struck the dirt with her back. Air locked in her throat at the impact.

Sparks exploded inches from her face.

Hellreaver had blocked the obsidian sword that would have skewered her left eye. Metal scraped and groaned as he fought the demon Archduke glowering down at them, his blades vibrating and his fangs holding on tightly to the dark sword so their enemy could not cut her.

Brimstone plowed into Barquiel with a roar of pure fury. The demon went flying off Mae with a grunt. He snapped his wings, darted beneath the fox’s swinging tails, and grabbed him by the throat.

Mae’s chest constricted painfully as he hurled her familiar across the warehouse with a mighty bellow.

“BRIM!”

Brimstone twisted and landed on his feet like a cat. He skidded backward, abandoned crates and boxes exploding around him as his claws raked deep grooves in the ground. A murderous sound left his throat when he came to a stop. His muscles bunched for another attack.

He sprang at the same time Hellreaver shot toward Barquiel.

Mae sat up shakily, her heart thundering so fast against her breast she felt dizzy. She ignored the pain and numbness shooting through her body and raised a trembling hand to the winter sky. Heat ignited her cores.

“ECLIP—!”

Something snapped around her throat and choked off the rest of the spell. Magic burned her skin. Mae cried out and clawed at her neck.

Her fingers found a metal collar. She tried to rip it off. It shifted into a liquid form that slipped through her grasp.

Violet sucked in air. “That’s—!”

The witch cursed and fended off an attack from a devil with her blade. Regina and Isabelle blocked a barrage of spell bombs with their magic.

Erik slammed his spear into the ground as the Dark Council resumed their assault, eyes aglow with a dazzling, viridescent light. His power made the air throb as a fresh barrier materialized around him.

It expanded to shield the others.

Mae gritted her teeth, still struggling to free herself from the ring around her windpipe. She could feel Nikolai’s Hellfire Magic in it.

An amused chuckle reached her. Metal clinked. She froze. A chain was attached to the collar. She followed it with her stunned gaze, her heart in her throat.

Oscar was holding the other end. The sorcerer smirked at her expression.

“That look fits you perfectly, Witch Queen.” He snapped the chain, causing her to jerk and fall awkwardly onto her forearms. “How about you come over here and lick my boots? I might just let your friends walk out of this place if you do.”

The sorcerers and witches around him laughed nastily.

Mae knew he was lying.

Na Ri’s voice sounded inside her skull, cold and deadly.He will never let them leave this warehouse alive.

Pain thrummed across Mae’s bond with her familiar and weapon, startling her.

“My—!” Brimstone grunted.

—witch!Hellreaver moaned.

Her head whipped around. Her eyes widened.

Collars similar to the one around her neck now bound Brimstone and Hellreaver. Barquiel held their chains, a smug look on his face.

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