Page 15 of Rising Out of the Darkness
“Don’t let anyone escape! Go! Now!”
Scorching embers flew all around us as the flames spread through the campsite where we had found the Nightshades. Bushes and trees blazed, but our main goal now was to make sure none of these bastards escaped.
“Down!” Liam roared from behind me, just in time to catch my attention as a Nightshade’s Flame dynamis flew over my head. A plume of frozen snow shot out from Liam’s fingertips as I hunched my body. It collided with the flames, dousing them on contact. As I rose, the air around sizzled with steam.
The Nightshade was draped in all black, but even the hooded cloak and dark bandana couldn’t hide the look of terror that flooded his eyes. The moment his eyes locked with mine, he turned and sprinted into the cover of woods behind him. I rolled my head from side to side, and my lips twitched with delight.
I’d always liked a chase.
Liam gave me a nod, and I transformed into a gust of wind as I zephyred towards the Nightshade. I collided with his body in a matter of seconds and rolled him over to face me. Inky shadows poured through my fingertips, wrapping around his body and squeezing.
I stood, pulling my shadows towards me, as his body followed. Now we were face to face.
Rustling arose from all around me as the rest of my guard of twenty men rushed towards me. Ash and blood covered their faces, clothes and some of their swords. A few bent over, hands on their knees as they tried to steady their breaths. My gaze caught Killian’s. He lowered his gaze, shaking his head.
Damn!
It had taken us months to discover their plans for the attack we’d interrupted. Now, this man was the only one we had left, so we better make our questioning count. Rage swirled inside of me, causing my shadows to squeeze the man within an inch of his life.
As I approached, the parts of his face that were exposed were turning a delightful shade of red. I ripped the bandanna from his face and tossed it aside. Then, flicked the hood down.
Amber eyes full of fury met mine as he spit, missing my face by mere inches. Grabbing the rough material of his cloak, I tugged him close.
“Wrong choice,” I growled. My fist collided with the left side of his face as he groaned. Grabbing his chin with my hand, I pulled his face back towards mine. “Want to try that again?”
“I’ll never tell you anything!” The man snarled.
I forced my shadows to wrap around his neck. “We’ll see about that.”
Raising my hands, I summoned my shadows to lift him off the ground a few inches. Liam snorted from behind me as the man’s legs twitched and gurgles fled his lips. He clawed desperately at the shadows around his neck, his face now a deep shade of burgundy.
“Are you ready to talk now?” He raised his middle finger towards me, and I chuckled darkly under my breath. “I’ll take that as no.”
My fingers clasped around the hilt of my sword, just as the ground quaked beneath me. The force shook me so violently, I stumbled forward, rising just in time to be hit by a blast of violet-tinted air. The force of the burst sent me flying backwards, and I landed with a crash straight into the solid trunk of the tree behind me.
The back of my head throbbed as I took in the sight around me. What looked like little white embers twinkled in the breeze, remnants of whatever had just assaulted us.
Grunts rumbled from all around me as I realized that everyone had been knocked over by the mysterious blast of energy. Another swift realization was the fact that I no longer felt my dynamis swirling within me, which meant my shadows were no longer wrapped around our captive.
Scrambling to my feet, I zephyred towards the last place I had left the Nightshade. I frantically circled around the empty space, searching for where the man might have been tossed. A twig snapped behind me, and I jolted around to come face to face with a dagger.
“All of you will fall.” His words solemn, and his body had a hint of a tremble.
His iron dagger jabbed towards me, causing me to lean back, just narrowly avoiding it. Ever since we’d started hunting them down, they had upped their attacks with iron weapons.
“If you tell us what we need to know, we’ll spare your life.” I stared into his eyes, hoping that he would make the right decision.
The man broke out in crazed laughter as the rest of my men gathered around us in a circle. I raised an eyebrow at Liam, who shrugged. He was just as confused by the man’s reaction as I was. When I looked back, the man’s dagger was no longer pointed at my face but angled directly under his chin. His hand trembled, eyes wild.
Raising both hands, I took one step toward him. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Ah, but I do.” Closing his eyes, he dragged the dagger across his throat. He crashed to the ground.
“Well, I certainly didn’t see that coming.” Killian winced as we discussed last night’s events as we saddled our horses.
“I should have.” I dragged a palm through my hair, regret clawing at my insides. “That burst of energy was just so unexpected, my mind was a little hazy afterward.”
“Yeah, I felt the same after it hit too. That blast was wild. I don’t think that I’ve ever witnessed anything like that,” Liam said as shoved his satchel into the saddlebags on the back of his horse.
