Page 165 of Cursed Shadows 4

I shouldn’t hear the steady crunching of the snow beneath the advancing fae, the one who struck me, floored me, now advances on me with casual steps. A methodical pace.

This fae knows he has me.

His arrogance will be the death of him.

I have something left in my arsenal.

Lifting my chin from the snow, I suck in a deep, swelling breath—then release it in a rattling cry, “Heeeelllp!”

Ice and gold are fast to whirl around me.

Like a gust of air striking me, then swirling around in a clashing combination of warmth and cold, Ifeelthem join me. Surround me.

I flip onto my back.

And I see them.

Dare moves in a twist around me, and the golden flaked ateralum dagger cuts through the air. His blade takes the throat of the advancing litalf with it. I hear it slap to the snow a heartbeat before the body crumples.

I sit up… and see Samickshudderingthrough space, a movement like nothing I have ever seen. His movements arefast, they are disjointed, here one second, gone over there the next.

Mika is slower, but still hot on his heels, barrelling out of the smog.

My cry for help drew them in. Located me. And like good hounds, they came.

More follow.

Dark fae from all over bleed closer to me, boots sliding over snow, backstepping, until at least a half-dozen surround me. Protect me…

Protect me, protect the sacrifice, protect Daxeel.

All to bring victory to the darkness.

I use it to my advantage.

Slowly, the circle of protection grows in numbers, the circle of warriors that have their backs to me, staring down the advancing litalves.

Movements are slow around me now, methodical and cautious. Eyes swerve, sizing up their opponents.

But I look over at the Mother Stone.

So close.

But with all these warriors around me, it’s never seemed farther away.

I need the fights to break out, now.

I need them all distracted, light and dark, so I can make my move.

But before anything happens, anything at all, the lift of a sword, the shout of war, Daxeel finds me.

“Nari!” His voice booms through the snowfield—so loud and thunderous that it should strike the earth with a quake.

But then the whispers of the shout are echoes in my chest, a flurry… and I realise, Daxeel did not shout my name at all.

It came through the bond.

My breath falters.

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