Page 46 of The First Trial
The fireball didn’t just illuminate him, however. Our eyes met, his widening with shock to see me and Phenex hiding in the shadows, but there was no time to dwell on our surprise appearance. He yelped as the fire bit at his heels, and I acted before I could think through my actions.
I raised my hand and, with the last bit of energy I possessed, I performed another spell.
‘Integumentum!’
My eyes drooped low as the last ounce of energy shot from my palms to envelope us all in a protective, impenetrable layer of magic. It was an advanced shielding spell that was typically reserved for an individual during hand-to-hand combat. Pushing out that much magic to cover an entire group of people was draining, and my head pounded with the effort. I felt blooddrip from my nose and tickle down the side of my neck where it streamed from my ears, my body working overtime as I forced myself to stay awake long enough to maintain the spell until they could get rid of the threat.
Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to grasp what I’d just done, so I gestured wildly for Evander to turn back around, weakly acting out a stabbing motion like I held a sword. When he glanced between me and his not-so-singed body, understanding dawned and, with a battle cry that spoke of experience, he lunged back down the tunnel. More Fae followed his lead, leaping in after him with their own blades raised.
It was only after I heard an agonised screech that quickly died down, the sounds of flesh rending as blade after blade tore whatever it was apart, did I finally allow myself to release my hold on the spell. The last thing I heard was Phenex’s frightened voice in my ear as I slumped fully in his arms, unconsciousness dragging me under with a small, satisfied smile on my face.
Chapter 17
Phenex
Ihad never felt such terror in my entire life before Juniper slumped over in my arms. The blood in my veins had turned to ice, and I felt light-headed as it drained from my face at record speed.
I felt it in my very bones when Juniper raised her hands and released that spell that she was risking a lot to save them. Her energy was already depleted from a long, trying day and an overuse of magic without any water or sustenance. She had given every last piece of herself to ensure these strangers survived, and though I fell even more in love with her for it, I also wanted to shake her, to scream and demand she never do something so reckless again.
If she died saving those Fae… heads wouldroll.
My free hand rose to her face, and I gently patted her cheeks, ignoring the sounds of battle as they continued to rage just out of sight. A second beast must have appeared after the first was slain, but I couldn’t focus on that when Juniper remained unresponsive. Next, I gently laid her out on the floor and checked her pulse. My heart kick-started again when I found one, but it was weak. Fuck, it was way too weak. She needed a healer, and she needed onenow.
I screamed, my neck straining with the force of it as I tried to grab someone’s attention. Anyone’s. I didn’t care as long as they could heal her. Except no one heard me over their own cries, caught up in the battle and bloodlust as they slayed the beasts that hunted them.
I tried again, this time grabbing the attention of the closest Fae. A tall female with pale hair that cascaded almost all the way to the floor. She was cowering behind the rest of the group, blades shaking in her grip. Clearly, she was not a warrior, but I respected her for at least plucking up enough courage to stand with her people.
Her gaze bounced between me, Juniper, and the battle before her, and the decision was easy for her to make. She darted over to us on swift, light feet that spoke of athleticism even if she didn’t apply it to combat. She knelt before us and took a closer look at my mate, studying her with a critical eye.
When she spoke, her voice was high and lilting, though her words were nothing more than illegible sounds to me, barely audible above the fighting. I shook my head at her, frustrated that we couldn’t communicate effectively. Thankfully, she understood the severity of the situation enough to take action. She extended her hand toward me. I didn’t understand what she was after at first, but then she used her other hand to pick up mine and pressed our palms together, wrapped our fingers, and shook firmly. Just once was all it took for me to feel the tingles of magic sinking through my skin.
A deal had been struck.
Just as soon as the magic settled inside me, I felt it. Like a straw had been placed into my very soul, energy was dragged out of me at an alarming rate. I cried out, the pain of my lifeforce being forcefully taken too much for me to bear, and I crumpled to the ground beside Juniper. Agony flared throughout every atom of my body, and my mouth gaped open in a silent scream.
My pain didn’t matter, though. Not when I saw the colour return to Juniper’s face. Her cheeks pinkened, her breathing deepened and evened out, and her eyelids fluttered as she slowly roused.
When she opened those big, blue, enrapturing eyes and they immediately latched onto me, the pain finally ceased. I was panting, sweat rolling over every inch of my skin and plastering my hair to my face and my clothes to my body. A chill ran over my bare chest as her breath cascaded over me, and then she gasped.
‘Oh, gods. Phenex…What did you do?’she cried, tears gathering in her eyes before they spilled over and down her cheeks. She leaned over me, her hands cupping my face as she fussed about, but when I tried to tell her not to worry, I could barely even move my jaw, let alone get the words out. I was too exhausted, too relieved that she was okay.
I hated seeing her cry over me. I wanted to tell her I was going to be fine, that my energy would replenish after a good night’s sleep. That was the benefit of being a Djinn. All we needed was a bit of rest, and we were good to go.
The reminder that she didn’t even know what I was or the extent of my power was one last punch to the gut as I let sleep take me, and my last thought before I sank into its cool depths was that I needed to tell her the truth. I never should have kept it from her in the first place. She deserved more than that from me, even if she was keeping secrets herself, but that was okay.
When I woke, I vowed. I would tell her everything.
Chapter 18
Juniper
‘Phenex… Phenex, wake up,’ I pleaded as I watched his eyes close. He looked content, peaceful, but it only made my panic greater. He couldn’t leave me when I’d only just found him…
I glared at the Fae woman still kneeling beside us, her gaze darting between us with a curiosity that I wasn’t willing to sate while Phenex was fading away.
‘What did you do to him?’ I demanded.
She couldn’t understand my words, but she certainly understood my pain. With soft eyes, she acted out a handshake, and I felt my world tilt on its axis. Stories about the Fae were lost to time, but those that had survived always claimed that Fae were tricksters at heart and warned never to make a deal with one, for it would never end in your favour. If Phenex had made a deal with this Fae woman to bring me back from the brink of death, I would bring him back and kill him myself, because magic always had to come from somewhere, and the rules of bargaining with a Fae were clear.
