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When they were still two hundred yards away, she glanced over her shoulder at Ashtine, who nodded. Eliza raised her bow, took aim, and let the arrow loose. Unnatural winds kept the arrow airborne, and its path true. She had expected it to bounce off a shield, but the arrow struck its target, a bellow of fury sounding that could be heard from where they stood.

“They did not expect her to be out here,” Arianna said, adjusting the armor on her forearms as she waited.

“Then let’s take advantage while they scramble with their defenses,” Eliza said, already releasing another arrow.

Six more arrows found their marks before the seraphs got their shit together and shields started blocking them. Eliza managed to take three of the beings from the sky before that happened. Ashtine didn’t stop working against them either, her winds making some of the seraphs use their own magic to keep them on course. When a small unit of seraphs finally landed before them, Eliza felt good about forcing them onto the defensive while maintaining the advantage of this being lands they did not know.

Arianna stepped forward, her armor gleaming under the already hot sun. Jamahl stalked in front of her, a low snarl sounding from him. “I am Arianna Renatus, Beta of these lands. You have come here uninvited and unannounced. By our charters, that is cause enough for us to claim your deaths.”

There was a male at the front of their company. His off-white wings were nearly the same color as his ivory skin. Blond hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and his navy blue eyes were hard as he looked the Beta up and down. Jamahl snarled another warning, his hackles rising, but Arianna held up a hand to stay him.

“There are others coming to speak with you,” the seraph finally said. His gaze moved over the rest of them, instantly dismissive, until they landed on Ashtine. “I am only here to collect the Wind Princess.”

“A deal was made,” Sawyer cut in sharply. “Three lives for three lives. Or does Alaric not stand by his word anymore?”

The seraph blinked at him, his lip curling slightly. “My prince demands payment for the false queen that was returned to him. That payment is the return of the Wind Princess.”

“Those terms were not agreed to,” Eliza interjected.

“I do not deal with low-level grunts,” he sneered.

Eliza only smirked, memorizing every line of his face. She would be the one to send him to the After.

“You do not get to come to my lands and disrespect the family of my sovereign,” Arianna said. Solid and unflinching. Fierce and demanding. That was who the Beta had always been. She took another step towards the seraphs, Shifters beginning to slink into view. Feline and lupine. Fangs and claws.

“Where is your Alpha?” the male retorted.

Arianna went utterly still, and Eliza realized in that moment, she may have to relinquish the male’s death to the Beta.

Until a spear came flying out of nowhere.

It pierced the seraph right between the eyes. The male stumbled, dropping to a knee. Before he raised his hand to reach for the spear, Eliza had his wings alight with flames. Sariah and Ilyas stalked forward in their Shifter forms, while Stellan appeared in his human form, armor in place that matched his sister’s and a feral rage emanating off him. He held another spear in his hand, and his opposite hand had claws. The look on his face said they were done talking. Bloodshed it would be then.

The flames that had started on the seraph’s wings were suddenly out, his body twitching on the ground. He would heal. They healed faster than the Fae.

“There are wind wielders here,” Ashtine gasped, her lilt tight and strained. “Several of them. They are working against my power.”

“Shit,” Eliza cursed. The unit had kept their own element of surprise. They’d let some of their own fall to keep them from knowing what gifts they had. “Cut off their wings. Keep them grounded. We get them down and bleeding, then we end them all at once.”

There was murmured agreement. Soft golden flashes of light had the Alpha and Beta shifting. A sleek black and white tiger stood next to Jamahl, and a massive lion standing between the jaguar and wolf roared his challenge.

Eliza twirled her sword in her hand, the bow and quiver discarded. She locked eyes with Sawyer. “They do not get near her.”

Sawyer nodded.

The Shifters attacked.

Blood sprayed.

If a seraph made it past a Shifter, they met Eliza.

Not one made it to Sawyer.

Sounds of battle filled the air. The snarls of animals. The bellows of men. The clanging of metal and steel. It was a song that filled her veins as Eliza fought with blade and fire. She felt the winds suck the air from her flames over and over. That was fine. If they stayed focused on her fire, they weren’t focusing on the others plunging blades through chests and sinking fangs into limbs.

Her sword had just sliced across an abdomen, warm blood splattering across her arms and leathers when Sawyer’s warning cry reached her.

She whirled to find a handful of seraphs that had gotten airborne and were circling around to come for Ashtine from behind. Maliq was snarling, his teeth bared as the winged-beings landed feet away. Eliza raced for them, but a gust of wind slammed into her, knocking her onto her back. She hit the ground hard, the air forced from her chest, but a moment later there was more oxygen finding its way into her lungs.