Page 134 of Court of Lies and Deceit

Draven forces out a long breath and rakes his fingers through his hair. It’s still wet from the rainstorm, and he flicks the drops away from his hands when he lets them fall back down. “So how do we get through it, then?”

“I don’t know. The one who loves you will die? Everyone has at least one person who loves them.”

A jolt goes through Draven’s body, and he stands up straighter. “Isera.”

I frown, trying to figure out what he means. When I do, my frown deepens even more. “It would’ve been a good loophole, but I don’t think Orion actually loves her. Hewantsher, yes. But I don’t think he loves her.”

“No, I mean, Isera doesn’t have anyone who loves her.”

The words hit like a stab through my chest. And for a moment, all I can do is to stare at him, my mouth slightly open. But he’s right. Isera said it herself. She has been alone her entire life. She has no one. No parents. No partner. No friends. Sure, she has me and Alistair now, but neither of us actually knows her well enough to love her.

A pang hits my heart.

Goddess above, how sad is that?

“She will be able to step through the portal without anyone dying,” Draven continues. “And that will transport us all back too. We just need to hold the portal until she gets here and then?—”

Fire roars across the glen.

Draven throws out a blast of wind, barely managing to redirect the flames before they can hit. Fire crashes into the trees to our left instead, setting the purple hanging moss aflame.

Whipping around, I gasp as a squad in bronze breastplates charges out of the woods.

Panic rips at my chest. The group of natives who were hunting us from the ground before the winged serpent showed up! I had forgotten about them.

Next to me, Draven flares his wings wide.

And then sucks in a hiss.

Oh, fuck. His wings.

Making a snap decision, I spin to face him and grab him by the collar. “My magic. Take it. Take enough to heal your wings.”

He jerks back, horror flashing across his face at the suggestion, and then has to throw another massive gust of wind at our enemies to stop the blast of water that their leader directed at us.

“Don’t argue!” I snarl. “Just take it. We need to hold the portal!”

Hesitation flickers in his eyes for a second. Then he grabs me by the throat and crushes his lips against mine. I gasp as he inhales sharply, pulling my magic with it.

Strength leaves my body in a rush as the magic is sucked out of my body.

Draven’s wings immediately begin to heal at an incredible pace while he breaks away from me.

“Go!” I yell, shoving him towards the charging squad.

Thankfully, he sprints towards them straight away and doesn’t see the way I stagger sideways from the sudden exhaustion. I had already used up a lot of energy when I lost my mind and created all those emotions in Blondie’s chest, and then again when I made the winged serpent flee, and now there isn’t much left.

Steel sings into the air as Draven draws his sword while summoning a lightning storm. His wings are now completely healed.

I yank out my dagger as well while calling up what remains of my magic. Creating emotions from nothing takes much more energy than simply manipulating ones that are already there, so I focus on that instead since it will make my magic last longer.

Dread curls around my spine as I watch Draven charge straight towards those nine people. Just like the squad who rode the winged serpent, only the leader seems to be able touse magic. But the other eight carry bows. How the hell are we supposed to?—

The Red Faction bursts through the trees.

Shock pulses across their faces as they take in the scene before them. The strange beings in bronze armor halt their attacks on Draven and turn to stare as well. For a single second, that moment seems suspended in time.

Then Draven slams a massive storm wind into the bronze-clad squad.

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