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A sickening crack echoed in her ear followed by the leader’s screams.

Arianna ducked from the grip of his other hand, rolling away and Rion’s earth engulfed the male a second later. But her gaze didn’t linger on the male screaming for his life. It shot straight to Rion and the warriors circling behind him, ready to take advantage.

They ran, closing in with weapons poised. Rion spun, growling in frustration. He blocked a sword coming down, ripped the flesh from another, and planted his boot in a male’s chest so hard it sent him flying, but Rion was being driven back.

Because she’d been a distraction.

Arianna whirled to Eoghan. “Take these shackles off ”

“What?” His scent was a whirlwind of emotions.

Arianna growled, baring her fangs in a desperate attempt to appear intimidating. “I said take them off!”

His stunned gaze drifted toward Rion and hers followed. There were more warriors pouring from the woods. Fresh males and females who hadn’t had a chance to join the fray. Rion was holding his own, but how many enemies could one male eliminate? How long before—a knife slashed through his arm and blood sprayed. Another flew through the air and grazed his side.

Rion screamed in rage and his magic rose again, circling his body and tearing the flesh from whoever was unlucky enough to stand too close.

Arianna grabbed Eoghan by his shirt collar and growled in his face. “Now!”

Eoghan scrambled for the key in his satchel and all but yanked the shackles from her wrists. Maybe he believed her to be The Divine. Maybe he just hoped to survive Rion’s fury, but Arianna couldn’t think through his reasons right now. Not until Rion had the upper hand again.

Arianna grabbed the dagger from Eoghan’s belt and threw the blade toward those surrounding Rion without hesitation. It sank into a female’s calf, sending her to the ground in a screaming fit of pain. Arianna sprinted across the field and grabbed another blade from a corpse. She stumbled on the bodies left in Rion’s wake but took aim and threw. It buried into a male’s shoulder.

Vines were wrapping around Rion’s legs now. They crawled up his body despite his magic tearing at his enemies from every angle. Arianna didn’t stop. Couldn’t pause in the whirlwind of bodies launching themselves toward Rion. She fought through the line, stole another blade from her nearest assailant, and plunged it straight into the gut of the male at his side.

Her world froze and something in the foundation of her being cracked. His eyes widened and warm blood flowed down the length of the blade. Arianna’s breath came shallow and sweat beaded on her forehead. Nothing else existed outside the male’s dimming gaze, like she’d trapped herself in a single, agonizing moment for eternity.

Rion made a noise and Arianna snapped back to reality in time to dodge a sword aimed at her torso. Their magic wasn’t letting up. She had to use it. She didn’t have a choice now. Not with Rion cornered. Trapped. Arianna’s body shook but she lunged at another male, grabbed his arm, and screamed as she tore the liquid from his body.

Nausea rolled through her again and hot tears poured down her face when she opened her eyes. His limbs had shriveled, the skin hanging loose from his bones, and he collapsed gasping for air from lungs that no longer functioned. Arianna reached for their magic next, thankfully able to tear the greenery apart from a distance. She drained the leaves and stems until they were nothing more than empty husks.

A sob tore through her body. She’d finally done it. She’d stained her hands with the blood of her enemy and there was no going back.

The warriors curled in on themselves like an injured spider with every touch of her hand. She leapt over their wilted bodies, roaring in panicked fury. Her magic exploded on all sides, but she was oblivious to the damage. She just needed to keep moving.Don’t think, she urged herself, but the tears wouldn’t stop falling.

Arianna landed beside Rion and tore the water from every living plant crawling toward and across his body then exploded a ring of liquid outward with enough force to send every warrior to the ground. Rion watched her from the corner of his eye, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Would she see approval? Disgust?

Instead, the two backed against one another, staring out at their enemies. Arianna let her magic rise and expand, the droplets mixing with the particles Rion already had suspended in the air.

Her heart ached with a heaviness she couldn’t describe. Her lungs burned from the acrid stench in the air. And she was pretty sure that was blood splattered across her tunic.

Why had it come to this?They were dying. Her people were dying and she—gods she was the one killing them. Her hands were meant to heal. She was supposed to bring peace to the land, not this.

Two males circled behind the cluster of growling warriors. The hairs on the back of her neck rose when she met one’s angry gaze. She hated this. She wanted to warn them to back off, to submit, but this fight was beyond words now.

The males lunged, breaking through their comrade’s line, and Arianna solidified spears of ice before letting them fly toward her attackers. Neither dodged quick enough and they dropped to the ground, clutching lethal wounds that painted the earth crimson.

So many.The sheer numbers should have been enough to subdue Rion minutes ago, but he was still fighting. And if he was willing to fight, then she would too. Arianna slammed her palm into another’s chest, drawing the liquid out.

“Don’t falter!” Arianna’s head whirled to their leader. She’d thought after seeing Rion’s magic engulf him that he’d be dead, but the male rose to one knee, clutching his broken wrist. “He’s weakening, don’t falter now.”

The warriors, who’d previously looked ready to run, steeled themselves and charged. Arianna dropped into a fighting stance and joined in Rion’s dance of death. She felt his magic rush past her body, the particles so close to her skin she could feel the wind in their wake.

Brónach’s magic rose from the ground in a massive wave, snaking vines surrounding them on all sides, but Arianna was already moving. She ripped the fluid away in one swift motion, solidified it then sent her magic flying.

The pair brought down warrior after warrior, neither pausing for breath. Sweat rolled down the sides of her face, but there wasn’t time to think or regret. She just needed to keep moving and stay as close to Rion as possible.

Arianna spun again and heat sliced through her side. She stumbled back, reaching for the side of her abdomen only to find a blade protruding from her skin. Arianna gritted her teeth and yanked the knife free then sent it flying back through the crowd of bodies.