Page 88 of A Phoenix Reborn at Christmas

His uncle gaped up at Cyprian. Obviously, he’d never expected his son to rebel. Cyprian straightened, lips pressedtogether. He took a deep breath and turned his back on his father. He strode away, facing the wall.

“Let’s get this over with!” he snapped at Sorceress Elayna, breathing heavily. “I want my father gone from this world!”

Once more, Percival tried to shift, tried to reach for the power of the phoenix. But he couldn’t.

Sorceress Elayna smiled at Cyprian. “Of course, Lord Cyprian.” Then she paused and walked towards him. His back remained to her. “But why should we settle for two phoenixes’ ashes when we could have three?”

“What?” Cyprian began to turn.

But before he could, her hands glowed a brilliant blue. She shot her arms forward. The light struck him in the back. Snow and cold exploded in the room. Percival shivered.

Luna flew towards the door. Without releasing his hold on the sigil, one of the other sorcerers shot a bolt of ice at her. She screeched as it struck her and she fell to the ground.

Cyprian gasped on the floor, staring up at Sorceress Elayna. Her hands glowed bright once again. Then the ball of blue hit him in the chest. Cyprian screamed.

“Stop that!” Ignatius yelled.

Percival struggled in his bonds. He kept trying to shift. Kept trying to pull on the fire within. But he could do nothing! Nothing!

Then a flutter of black wings entered the room.

Chapter

Forty-One

Percival watched as Ebony flew into the room, her eyes fixed on Sorceress Elayna.

There are too many sorcerers! Ebony can’t take them all on.

But then Uzoth flew in, roaring as he went straight for another of the sorcerers. The sorcerer turned on him. He fired a bolt of ice at Uzoth. The bolt struck Uzoth’s shoulder and shattered.

Uzoth didn’t even flinch. He grabbed the sorcerer and threw him across the room.

Wulfric, in werewolf form, sprinted in, running straight towards the other sorcerer. Wulfric knocked him to the ground.

Meanwhile Ebony flew straight at Sorceress Elayna. The sorceress threw up her arms to protect her face, but it was too late. Ebony dived and stabbed her beak straight into the sorceress’s right eye. Sorceress Elayna screamed.

“Percy!” Leo shouted as he ran towards him. He knelt by the chair, looking over the ropes.

“You came!” Percival cried out.

Leo looked up at him. “Of course I fucking came!”

Warmth lit up Percival’s chest. And despite everything, he smiled at the witch he loved. “Leo!”

Leo’s mouth fell open. “Do you…remember me?”

“I do.” Percival nodded. “I’m so s?—”

A beam of light flew an arm’s-length from Percival’s body. It hit the wall behind them. A blast of freezing air washed over them.

Half a second later, another beam brushed past Leo’s body. Leo dived to the floor, covering his head with his hands. “Shit!”

Sorceress Elayna, now blinded, lay on the floor. Ebony dived at her, striking at her with claws and beak. But Sorceress Elayna waved her arms wildly, shooting beams of snow and light in every direction.

Another blast shot over Percival’s and Leo’s heads, hitting the ceiling above them.

The sigil encircling Percival was no longer activated. The sorcerers had been attacked and their focus drawn.