Page 16 of Harbinger

“Acceleration means intent,” Morgan said grimly.

Heat blossomed in his belly.

“And intent means someone is actively controlling this plague,” Victor concurred in a hard voice.

The fresh scent of an ancient forest enveloped Morgan as he drew upon the divine energy that dwelled within his soul core, the force that flooded his veins and soaked into his bones now as familiar as breathing. Black wind and emerald light exploded around his winged form, his Stark Steel armor shimmering into view at the same time an oak crown sank into his hair. The Sword of Wind whooshed into life in his right hand, the blade of inky currents swarming with Dryad magic and green shoots.

Fire bloomed around Victor as he unleashed his broadsword and manifested his battle suit. He spread his wings, flames, feathers, and armor turning the color of night as the power bequeathed him by their Goddess mother Nyx and his demigod father Nimexis pulsed violently from his body.

Awe filled the faces of the Dryad soldiers in the palace gardens.

Victor raised his head and sniffed the air. “Can you smell that?”

Morgan lowered his brows. “Ozone.”

A muscle twitched in Victor’s jawline. “There is a God present in this realm.”

Hildur and Roald exchanged a shocked look.

Dread underscored Leiv’s words. “Do you mean Elios?”

“No,” Morgan said in a deadly voice. “This isn’t Elios.”

He extended his wings and rose above the palace grounds, Victor at his side.

“It looks like this fight will be upon us sooner than we expected.” Victor’s mouth tilted in a wry half-smile as he looked over at Morgan. “Try not to die, will you? Cassius will have my hide if you do.”

Morgan met his gaze steadily. “I’m counting on you to watch my back.”

Surprise widened Victor’s eyes. They darkened with emotion in the next instant. He dipped his head solemnly.

The knowledge that the demigod beside him would do his utmost to protect him in the battle to come was all the encouragement Morgan needed. He took a deep breath and focused on the land beneath him, seeking Atlanteia’s magic.

8

Elation filledMorgan when his soul connected with the power he had been born to wield. His pulse spiked, his senses registering the life force of every living creature and plant in Ivory Peaks as his heartbeat synchronized effortlessly with that of the kingdom he ruled by virtue of his birth. He blinked, a little stunned.

This is…easier than the first time around!

Brightness flared around them. Victor sucked in air. It was the demon’s first time seeing the phenomenon that was unfolding.

A sparkling viridescence was spreading through the air, the living manifestation of the magic of the land responding to Morgan’s presence. A thought came to him, unbidden.

Could this form a protective barrier, like Theo did in London? Is that even possible?

The kingdom sighed beneath him, the answer it breathed reaching him on a whisper. He clenched his fists.

“What’s wrong?” Victor asked tensely.

“I’m…going to attempt something.”

Morgan took a deep breath and closed his eyes.Please work!

He willed his racing pulse to slow and centered his soul. A deep sense of peace gradually filled his mind, superseding the dread that sought to overwhelm it. Words danced through his subconscious as Atlanteia’s magic soaked into his flesh, a susurration that soon formed a command.

Morgan opened his eyes and barked out the decree, knowing in the very essence of his being that it carried a will that could not be defied. “By the powers vested in me by my father, Isdar, and my ancestor, the Goddess Atlanteia, I command thee to shield this realm and every living thing upon it!”

An ungodly blaze scorched his insides as the final word left his lips. His voice boomed across the palace grounds, the echoes defying physics as they multiplied and spread far beyond the city and the valley below.

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