Page 24 of Caught By Her Guardian
Hunter hit him first, a massive wall of muscle and power, sending Azure skidding backward.
Maverick lunged, claws flashing as he raked them across Azure’s arm, dark blood splattering onto the ice.Sebastian struck next, his wolf fangs snapping at Azure’s leg, nearly taking him down.
They had him!They were going to take out Frost’s second-in-command.
Then she saw it.Movement in the darkness.
Her stomach dropped.
An army was coming toward them, Frost’s evil followers heading to Northernmost.
Pixie soared upward with a powerful flap of her wings, desperate to see what they were dealing with.Her heart pounded as she confirmed what she’d feared—a wave of Frost’s evil followers was coming.
“There’s an army!”she shouted.Inside the perimeter, the security force surged forward, warriors rushing out to meet the oncoming threat.The night erupted in battle cries and the clash of bodies as the two opposing forces met.
She looked at the Well and spotted Santa beside it, the golden glow of his magic replenishing surrounding him.He couldn’t leave the perimeter to aid in the battle.If he stepped beyond it, Frost would have direct access to him.
At least he’s safe now.
But the moment of thankfulness was short-lived.
A viselike grip clamped around her ankle and bitter cold shot up her leg.
Before she could react, she was yanked from the sky.
She screamed as her body whipped downward, her wings helpless to stop her.Then, she was flung like a ragdoll into the darkness.The wind rushed past her ears and her stomach lurched as she twisted in the air and tried to get her bearings before she slammed into the ground.The impact sent a burst of snow fluffing around her, the ice like sandpaper on her exposed skin.
She barely had time to push herself upright before she felt someone loom over her.
Azure.
His eyes were glowing an unnatural purple, a herald to his warlock nature.He might be a minion of Frost’s, but he’d been powerful as a warlock before he turned evil, and that made him infinitely more dangerous.
She scrambled away from him, her pulse thundering in her ears.Why were they still fighting?Frost lost.Santa was safe.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Azure sneered.“You really thought it was over?”He stalked toward her with slow, measured steps.
Behind her was the safety of Northernmost and her mate, fighting for his life with his friends against Frost’s followers.
“You lost.”
“We’ll take you instead, little fairy,” he said, his voice filled with malice as molten silver strands of magic flowed from his fingers like thorny vines that crept on the snow toward her.“If we can’t kill Santa this year, your magic will replenish Frost.”
“No!”She flapped her wings and rose into the air.
She was stopped by a shockingly cold pain around her calves and looked down to see the magical vines tethering her to Azure.He jerked on the vines and she was yanked down, crashing to the ground on her hands and knees, the unnatural cold of the vines burrowing into her bones.“I’ll keep you for myself.Frost lets me sometimes.When you’re turned evil and part of his followers, I’ll enjoy using you until there’s nothing left.”The vines slithered higher up her legs.
Rage and panic ignited inside her.No!
With a furious shout, she twisted away from Azure, grabbing the vines with her bare hands.She called on her shadow magic and the shadows answered, surging beneath her like inky ribbons.They curled up her arms and licked at her fingers.
Azure frowned as he realized his dark magic vines weren’t working.
Then she struck.
She thrust the shadows toward the vines, and they wrapped around the silver vines, sinking into them.The vines unraveled.
With a twist of her wrist, she yanked the silver vines and flung them back at Azure.He barely had time to dodge them.While he stumbled to avoid being hit with the vines, she launched herself skyward, desperate to put distance between them.
