Page 109 of A House of Fangs & Deceit

An outraged roar shook me to my core, and suddenly Caliwas there. She reached into the darkness behind me and yanked one of the wraiths out into the daylight.

Its screams were like nothing I’d ever heard as the sun slowly began to burn its existence away. Without another wraith to alternate grabbing me, Alaric was able to pull me free as soon as the wraith still in the shadows lost its grip on its corporeal form.

I crashed into Alaric and we both tumbled, with me landing on top of him and letting out a hiss of pain at jostling my shoulder.

We both turned our heads to where the wraith was still writhing and screaming in agony as it was burned. Every time it tried to run towards the safety of the temple, Cali would coat her hand with her own shadow magic and pull it back.

After one final shriek, the shadow dissolved into nothing.

Cali let out a pained grunt, exhausted. I immediately rushed over to her, shoving aside Vail, who was also going to check on the Furie.

“Are you okay?” I asked frantically, using my one good arm to check her for injuries.

“Fine,” she said through clenched teeth. “It’s hard to use my shadow magic against the wraiths, and whatever magic they’re using on themselves to become Fae again makes it worse.”

“Where is the prince and the other Fae?” Alaric asked, scanning the area around us as if he expected them to appear at any moment.

Which, given our shitty luck lately, seemed like a distinct possibility.

“That Fae prick threw up some kind of barrier when they reached the rangers that the prince brought with them,” Cali said with a grimace. “I couldn’t get through it, so I came back here to see if you needed help.”

Vail sighed. “We need to deal with the remaining wraith.Even if he didn’t catch our names, he’ll be able to describe us, and the prince will figure it out.”

Fear washed over me. Both at the idea of walking back into that temple and at the prince learning that we knew about whatever deal he had going on with the wraiths. Cali patted my knee before rising to her feet, a soothing gesture.

“I’ll go with you,” Cali told Vail. “You two stay here and watch over Nyx.”

I wanted to protest as I watched the two of them walk back into the shadowed temple, but Vail was right. We couldn’t let the prince learn that we were aware of his betrayal, and with Cali by his side, they should be able to take on the remaining wraith.

Unable to stop myself, I let out a hoarse giggle. Sharp pain barked from my shoulder at the movement and I hissed, clutching my arm tighter. I half stumbled over to a pillar, its top half broken off and lying in large chunks around us. A wheezing sound somewhere between a pained gasp and laugh bubbled out of me, each one hurt but I couldn’t seem to make myself stop.

Ugh. This was going to hurt. I should have asked Cali to help me before she flew off. After lining up as best I could, I slammed my shoulder against the hard stone, popping it back into place.

The fiery agony was rapidly replaced by blessed cool relief. I leaned against the broken pillar and let myself slide to the floor as more hysterical laughter erupted out of me

“Samara?” Alaric shot me a concerned look. “Exactly how hard did you hit your head while struggling to get free?”

It took a few attempts, but finally I got out, “Vail saved my life again. He’s going to be so pissed when he has time to think about it later.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Samara

Alaric groanedas he sat down at the table we’d claimed at the tavern of the outpost we’d been holed up in for the last few days.

Hybell was one of the older outposts that was close to both the Furie and Velesian borders. There were closer outposts to where we’d been in the Furie realm, but we all agreed that we wanted to put as much distance between us and the temple as possible.

Hybell wasn’t on any of the trade routes, so the locals were used to keeping to themselves. Our arrival three nights ago had surprised them, but it was when Cali landed behind us, wreathed in shadows, that they’d all screamed and ran to hide in their homes while the few rangers in town called out the alarm. Not that any of us could really blame them.

I’d shot Cali a look, but she’d merely shrugged and let the shadows dissipate.

I didn’t know if she’d simply forgotten to pull her shadows away before landing or if she was still shaken up from the fight with the wraiths. Knowing Cali, it could go either way, and she’d never admit to which one.

I didn’t like the way Vail was looking at her these days, like he was trying to find weak spots to use when Cali inevitably lost her way.

Every time I caught him studying her, I stepped in between them. I’d cut out his fucking heart before I let him go after my friend.

“How are you still sore?” Nyx eyed Alaric in disbelief.

---