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A gift. Goddess-blessed, spirit-protected.

“Gift?”

As she finished the single-word question, she plummeted toward the ground. The air sped by, the colors of the storm-laden world around her blurring as she descended, feet-first.

Yet she felt no fear as she dropped. Weightless. Invisible.

Powerful.

That energy beamed inside her as the village approached at a death-defying rate. The canopy of trees that dotted the streets smoldered, curls of smoke creating a veil of white over the land.

She had no time to analyze the cause.

Her feet landed softly on solid ground. Ground that tilted, forcing her to stumble forward, through the blackness of a void, until she fell back into the basement room.

And found herself staring into the disbelieving emerald eyes of Bryce.

Without hesitation, she gathered up Terrek and struggled to pick up Chase until Bryce scooped him into his arms.

“We have to go.” Desperation flooded her voice, the alien pulsing magic inside her chest pushing her to the ladder. “Shaye and Rihanna won’t survive without us.”

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Rock trembled beneath him. Crept up around his legs and arms.

Shaye cut both arms across his body and shot them outward, dispersing Daeanna’s attempt to shackle him beneath her. Despite the faint throb from the hard impact, he rebounded to his feet, threw up his arms to block another burst of her magic, and managed to put a few feet of distance between them.

Daeanna’s shoulders rolled back, her spine straight, and her lips curled in an icy smile. Her eyes gleamed with malice, fingers twitching on either side of the long leather armor-reinforced skirt she deemed appropriate for waging war on his people. Flickers of light sparked from her fingertips, whorls of smoke curling around her hands and wrists.

Shaye kept closely attuned to every movement she made without breaking his gaze from hers. She wanted him to crack, wanted him to make a mistake.

After the surprise attack of the past minutes, he wouldn’t make that mistake twice.

“I enjoyed having you on your knees for all those years,” she mocked.

He detected the hiss of magic before it left the flick of her fingers. He met it with a defensive barrier, rendering it powerless to force him to do her bidding. Bring him to his knees.

Never again would he kneel before her. Never.

The rumble of thunder shook his world. Clouds swirled overhead, a threatening sea of power awaiting its mistress’s orders. Ribbons of lightning scattered throughout the dark cape that blocked the sun.

And in those few flashes, he caught reflective glints on the freshly carved mountain cliff.

An army.Herarmy. Poised on the crest, bows drawn and arrows nocked.

Rihanna moved to his side, her face a sheet of emotionless calm. It was a frightening look on his sister.

Daeanna raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Sparks flew from her hand.

Shaye bit back a growl as he prepared to meet another attack. ’Twas he and his sister against this witch. He, Rihanna, and Thierry, wherever his friend might be. Liam and all the High Fae behind him were limited in what they could do against Daeanna.

A series of puffs rose in succession behind the sinister woman, leaving another line of Seelie Fae dressed in golden armor, swords sheathed at their hips, arrows aimed at Shaye and his few followers.

One man separated from the line.

Shaye’s fingers curled into his palms, power building with his anger.

Thaddeus stepped up to Daeanna’s side, one hand on the hilt of his sword while the other entertained strings of his bluemagic. The man’s ice-blue eyes narrowed on Shaye, his mouth curled into a chilling half-grin.