Page 40 of Fae Divided
Samuel made good use of Sarah’s diversion, retrieving a double-edged dagger from the outside of his boot. The Alpha flipped it to grip the coal-black blade between gloved fingers and then threw it—hard. It flew as fast as a witch’s lightning across the yard, finding its target and embedding to the bone-colored hilt in Daimhín’s thigh. The elf staggered and cried out in pain. His face turned ashen as he reached down and pulled the dagger from his leg.
Another shielding spell shimmered to life, surrounding the pureblood. He stumbled toward the wall of flames and stepped through.
They were too late to prevent his escape, the inferno ensuring all but a similarly warded witch from following. He’d be gone by the time they raced around.
James held his arm in front of his face against the intense heat of the unnatural blaze, feeling helpless and enraged. Sarah’s suffering these past months had all been for nothing. The Fae was gone.
He caught a glimpse of Adam running directly toward the fiery barricade, his intent to chase after Daimhín clear.
“No,” James yelled, lunging for the shifter whose eyes were glowing more burnt orange than yellow. He missed, his reflexes slowed by fractured bones and stunned surprise.
The outcast leaped through the flames, never hesitating.
“Adam!” There was no way the male could survive the magical fire. Even shifters couldn’t heal fast enough to counteract the severe, organ-deep burns he would suffer the second the magic-fueled flames touched his skin.
“James,” Sarah called, hurtling the last five feet to collide into his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. “Are you hurt?”
He accepted the painful hug joyously, paying zero attention to the half-knit bones that screamed in protest. “I’m fine.”
“Why did he do it?” she asked, staring at the flames still burning strong, gaze glittering. “Is there a chance he could have made it to the other side?”
“Not without a protective spell of some kind,” Jenkins said, voice weak with magical exhaustion. He leaned over and placed his hands on his knees, puffing as though he just climbed a steep hill instead of journeying a flat expanse of ninety feet.
“I didn’t sense any witch magic on him before he jumped through,” James said, shaking his head, heart heavy. He had liked the outcast, and no matter how misguided, Adam had been a good male. And now he was gone.Such a waste.
“Why did the Ferwyn follow that bastard to his death?” the prince asked, eyes glaring at the fiery wall the Fae had used to evade them. His frustration was palpable.
“His name is Lord Daimhín.” James swept his hand over Sarah’s messy ponytail, inhaling the scent of dark chocolate and wild honey. “It’s possible Adam was compelled by the brand all the outcasts share on the back of their necks. One I now carry.”
“The elf marked you with his House’s crest.” Samuel tore his fingers through his hair, pacing in front of the wall of fire liked a caged animal. “I’ll fuckin’ kill him.”
Sarah pressed her face into James’ chest, arms tightening around his middle as if afraid he might follow in Adam’s fatal footsteps. He kissed the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere, baby.”
“No, you are not.” Samuel placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “You’re one of mine. Pack.” His determined gaze met his. “Family.”
James worked past the solid mass in his throat. “Always.”
His Alpha gave him a reassuring pat. “We will figure it out.”
“Where’s Jeremiah?” Tucker’s voice sounded as close to panic as James had ever heard it. The beta spun in a circle, frantically searching the yard bathed in firelight.
Grayson was gone.
“Maybe he left to mourn Adam,” James suggested. Alphas were deeply affected by the death of a bonded clanmate, comparing it to a limb amputation. Grayson would want solitude to deal with the emotional upheaval before rejoining his pack to howl the traditional Ferwyn songs of loss and bury their dead.
Tucker nodded, but the devastation on his face was hard to witness. Sarah’s noticed his ravaged expression and moved swiftly, leaving James to enfold her clanmate in a fierce embrace. The beta remained stiff in her hold but didn’t reject the comfort of the pack she wholeheartedly offered.
The group waited quietly until Tucker’s big body softened, and he returned her hug, his anguish visibly lessened. Sarah clung to him for another long moment and then released him to return to her mate.
James welcomed her into his arms, determined never to let her go again.
Samuel shattered the heavy silence. “Jenkins, do you have enough juice left to make sure the outcast pack sleeps awhile longer?”
“I could break more necks if you wish,” Prince Myles offered drily.
Samuel behaved as if the vampire hadn’t spoken. “The Guard can be here in a few hours. Can you keep them all unconscious until then?”
“Shouldn’t be a problem.” The liaison’s extreme paleness and quivering muscles belied the assurance, but no one in their right mind would question the accomplished battle witch’s ability to get the job done.
