Page 54 of Wings and Shadowthief

“We were in Rome, then Seth brought us here. I had no clue this was your place,” Alexius stated convincingly. “I like it. Gives Vegas a run for its money.”

“Where is she?” Aveka demanded, eyes bright red. “Where’s the Eirikrson?”

“Home, probably,” Seth guessed.

Aveka slapped his cheek, leaving a red bruise that faded as fast as it had come.

“You can’t fool me.Where is she!”

Jack tilted his head. “Time to move in.”

Tris nodded his agreement.

Before moving away from her, Jack held a steady gaze, and repeated, “Stay safe.”

He stepped back, but Gwen closed the distance again, wrapped her hands around his neck, and brought his lips to hers in one hard, white-hot kiss as desperate and hungry as it was fleeting, over far too soon.

“Youstay safe,” she demanded.

Trust

The funny thing about beginnings was that they often felt like endings, too.

That kiss was their first in too long, and perhaps their last. Hunter didn’t kid himself. He was strong, but so were his enemies, and his allies were ridiculously outnumbered. The knowledge that Gwen was secure within his cocooned shields was the only silver lining.

He’d been on countless missions with Jack over the years, and never had he walked in with less certainty, or more to lose.

He saw his six friends wince as his magic set their cuffs on fire, but none of them gave it away. They suffered in silence as metal melted. Then, as one, they all leapt, attacking Aveka from different directions. Hunter’s instinct was to take to the air, but he had no projectile weapon, so he remained close to his cousin, who handed him one of his knives.

Aveka’s guards were well trained, jumping in to protect her. The witch queen shielded herself with spells, displaying no concern for any of her followers—they were vampires and more durable than her, objectively, but Hunter read her utter disregard and indifference for their lives.

He focused his magic on her, surrounding her shields with heavenly flames, and destroying them one at a time.

Hunter saw an arrow shot right at him. Knowing it had likely been loosed by Vlad, one of the queen’s most deadly acolytes, didn’t distract him from his purpose. He trusted Tris to protect him, and his cousin did, intercepting the flight of the arrow with one of his well-practiced blades.

Spells spewed out of Aveka’s mouth, ancient words Hunter didn’t recognize. That couldn’t be good. He focused on his work, knowing that if they let her escape, none of this would have been worth it. His friends were fighting against some of the strongest opponents they’d ever faced, and while drunk, passed out, or otherwise distracted, this island was still full of seasoned enemies who could descend on them at any time. They had to hurt her now, and leave before it was too late.

Hunter winced as a blade found his flank, on the side Tris wasn’t protecting. He pulled it out and threw it back at its owner, planting it in his neck.

The shields continued to melt. “Now!” he screamed at his friends. Aveka would rebuild them any moment. His fire moved to attack her. A bolt of lightning parted the sky, arcing right down toward her. To Hunter’s annoyance—though not his surprise—he also saw a dozen spikes aimed at the witch’s heart.

And Aveka smiled. She was done with her spell, and she cast it on Seth just as his lightning struck her.

Aveka screamed, hit by the bolt, burned by the worst of the fires, and pierced by several black ice blades.

Still, she smiled.

Blood pouring out of her breast, trembling, her face scarred by the burn of the lightning, and flames still licking her skin, she fell forward.

An order crossed her lips. “Kneel.”

Seth’s silver eyes dulled to a stormy blue as he cursed. He turned to their friends, and said one word as he knelt. “Run.”

Blair.

Blair.

Blair, Blair, Blair, Blair…

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