Page 95 of Faerie Fate
“They know what they’re doing. You don’t,” Poppy snapped, marching over to physically drag Bronwen away. “You’re sitting ducks.” She reminded me so much of Barbara right then.
Another blast of magic caught us unawares and a sinkhole opened up close enough to send Mike staggering back. His free arm windmilled and I tightened my grip on the other, hauling him upright before he dragged us both down.
“Move!” Poppy barked out the order.
Okay, no more hesitating.
Several pink blurs streaked past us. The rest of Elfhame’s children? My heart broke.Please let them not be caught in the fighting. Please let them make it out.
Useless, I forced my deadened legs to carry me further from the melee. This wasn’t natural. This wasn’t me. I’d– always found myself dead center in a fight. And now I was running?
Pounding footsteps grew louder behind us. Several of the fae soldiers were giving chase. Their armor didn’t slow them down. They were nimble, graceful, jumping past obstacles and clearing them easily.
I sucked in a breath and ran for my life. Noren kept a steady breakneck pace ahead of us. Bronwen grunted and stumbled, and then Poppy was there, kneeling next to her, helping her rise. Just in time, too, as a fae soldier swiped his weapon at the air they’d just vacated.
Poppy waved a hand and one of the downed tree limbs lifted on its own and slammed into the soldier. He landed on his ass with a grunt.
Noren turned back to us, curving his body around the group of children riding between his shoulders to protect them. A twig cracked and more soldiers popped out of the gloom. Two of them broke off, heading for Noren, and rage obliterated everything. Almost.
“You leave them alone!”
“Tavi, don’t!” Mike yelled.
Too late.
I launched myself at the soldier, using my weight to shove him back. He kicked me to free himself and fumbled to drag something from his chest plate. I grabbed a fallen branch while he was distracted.
But his buddy stepped up and thrust his sword at me. The metal sliced clean through the branch I held.
“Take care of the beast!” the man called. “I’ve got this one.”
“Beast?Beast?” My own wolf rose to the surface at the thought of anything happening to Noren. “You’re going to regret that.”
I shifted my claws and attacked before the fae realized exactly who—or what—he was up against.
Everyone moved at the same time. Mike grabbed Bronwen before she threw herself into the fray, Poppy struggling to maneuver them both out of the way.
My heart thundered but I met the fae parry for parry. He struggled in vain to avoid the cut of my slicing claws.
Pixies screamed around us. A great rumble forced the nearest trees to draw their roots out of the ground, animated by a blue glow. I barely gave the glow a passing thought. The fae soldier divided his attention between me and Noren, trying to decide which one of us hereallywanted to go after.
I stepped between us and purposely blocked out the children’s sobs.
A low scraping growl reverberated in my throat. “Leave. Them. Alone.”
Before I had a chance to do more than posture, Bronwen came out of nowhere in crow form, having freed herself from Mike. She pecked at the soldier’s helmet while he swatted, trying to dislodge her, and knocked it from his head.
I ducked low and slashed my claws at his Achilles tendons, severing the left, then the right. Bronwen dove at the same time and pecked at the man’s eyes.
“Go, go!” I shooed Noren and the kids into the forest. His yellow eyes narrowed on me, his dark tongue sweeping over his bared teeth but he drew in a great breath and took off. I followed, Mike close behind me, and Bronwen flying past us all.
Poppy caught up and leaned in close. When she spoke, her voice held an edge. “You are determined to kill yourself, aren’t you?”
My claws sank back into my skin as I let go of the magic. “It’s not my fondest ambition, no.”
“Then maybe you need to stop being so fucking concerned with what’s going on and start looking out for yourself.”
She was right. But what was the point in having magic if you couldn’t use it to help the people who needed you?
