Page 47

Could Farrendel take on that many? Without guns shooting at him, he could kill that many with his magic far too easily. But this wasn’t a fight to the death.

Farrendel turned to Essie, lowering his tone and speaking in elvish. “Should I use my magic?”

“Can you use only a little bit of your magic? Like you did with the nephews?” Essie also spoke in elvish. Though, the only person they were really excluding from this conversation was Averett. Edmund could understand them just fine, annoying brother that he was.

Farrendel nodded. “Yes.”

“Then do it.” Edmund clapped Farrendel on the shoulder, speaking in elvish as well. “Prove that Essie made the right choice in marrying you.”

That straightened Farrendel’s shoulders and added a hardness to his expression.

As he looked about ready to march across the field and take on the whole pack of soldiers by himself, Essie leaned forward and kissed Farrendel’s chin. “A kiss for luck.”

The corner of his mouth quirked for a moment before he spun on his heels and marched across the training yard, hefting his pair of training swords.

With a grin, Edmund followed on Farrendel’s heels.

Averett crossed his arms. “What did Edmund say to him?”

“More or less told him to prove to everyone that he’s worthy of me.” Essie leaned against the fence, trying to relax. This would be fine. Her brothers wouldn’t let anything happen to Farrendel.

“That explains it.” Averett turned toward the others. “Looks like I’d better get over there before they start without me.”

As he strolled to the center of the training field, Paige leaned against the fence next to Essie. “What’s going on? The servants were chatting that something was going on at the training field.”

That didn’t take long. Essie waved at the gathered soldiers. “Avie, Julien, Edmund, and Farrendel are practice-fighting that crowd of soldiers.”

“All of them? At once?” Paige raised her eyebrows.

“Yes.” Essie gripped the top rail of the fence.

In the center of the training field, her brothers and Farrendel gathered in a circle, probably planning their strategy. The soldiers were also gathered in a larger circle, the four lieutenants who had volunteered for the practice fight organizing them into groups.

A whistle blew. The signal for the pack of around fifty soldiers to face off against her three brothers and Farrendel. The soldiers formed four squads, each led by a lieutenant.

Averett and Julien stood in the center with Farrendel and Edmund slightly behind and to either side. What was their plan? Essie would’ve expected Farrendel to be in front, the way he had been when fighting the trolls.

The whistle sounded again. Two of the four squads of soldiers rushed forward, coming at her brothers from either side.

When they were only a few yards away, a crackle filled the air a moment before a wall of blue lightning flared between the soldiers and her brothers with only a narrow gap left in the center for only a few soldiers to come at them at a time.

Farrendel had told her he’d started like this, simply providing a shield. Interesting first move on her brothers’ part.

“That’s Farrendel’s magic?” Paige had gone still, staring.

“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Essie had been using that word too often, but she couldn’t think of what else to call his magic. Scary, perhaps, but she didn’t want to give the wrong impression.

His magic was scary. It might be awe-inspiring now, but she had seen how easily it could turn deadly. Even though she trusted Farrendel to stay in control of his magic, it was still uncomfortable standing there, watching his magic get all too close to her brothers and her people’s soldiers.

The groups of soldiers staggered back a step, staring ahead and upward at Farrendel’s shield of blue lightning.

Averett and Julien pressed forward, taking on two of the soldiers at a time. For several minutes, they fought, disarming the soldiers one at a time with Edmund providing aid when needed.

At this rate, the soldiers would eventually overwhelm Averett and Julien when they tired. Not to mention, this fight would last far longer than Essie had been expecting.

Then Julien shouted something Essie couldn’t make out above the clash of weapons and the crackle of Farrendel’s magic. Edmund crouched. Farrendel leapt, using Edmund’s back as a springboard. Edmund stood in time with Farrendel’s leap, giving him an extra boost into the air.

Farrendel somersaulted in the air above Averett’s and Julien’s heads. As he straightened, a bolt of his magic lashed out, touching the swords of the nearest soldiers.