Page 122 of Princess of Bael

“How are they hitting us with magic through the barrier?” I wondered out loud. “And who has the fire magic?” It wasn’t necessarily directed at her, just a general question as I searched the four beings inside.

They were all Nephilim.

Or that was my guess, anyway. Because I couldn’t actually read their auras.

Which meant they could technically be Halflings as well.

They could also be under a concealment charm of sorts that blocked their energy signatures from being noticed or felt by others. Their influx of intense energy was the only reason I’d been able to find them at all.

Kayla cursed as sweat began to accumulate on her brow.

“Bite me,” I told her. “Take energy from me.”

She didn’t ask questions or hesitate, her blunt teeth landing on my neck before I even finished speaking. Electricity sizzled around us as our souls danced, our bond igniting and flaring to life with a passion that had only grown fiercer between us over the last week.

We’d indulged in our connection without remorse, allowing our bodies to communicate to each other about our desires and needs.

It wasn’t perfect.

It likely wouldn’t be for decades or centuries to come.

But it was a start.

The barrier began to fracture, stirring a whirlwind of static in the air that caused all the hairs along my arms and neck to stand on end. I could see the edges of it now, the jagged line looking like a tear in the sky as it traversed downward to meet my blade.

Kayla didn’t stop imbibing my essence, her jaw working as her shield above us kept the fire at bay.

“We can’t hold it,” one of the beings inside said, his voice a deep growl that reminded me of a hellhound. His long black hair hung in thick waves past his shoulders, his bangs hiding his eyes from view. Maybe he was some sort of shifter.

I still couldn’t read their auras, all four of them seeming to be no more than human to my senses. Apart from the insane amount of energy they were conjuring, anyway.

The tips of my swords punctured through the barrier, creating another fissure that allowed me to feel the cool intensity of their power.

It was growing with each second as more and more of my swords penetrated their shield.

“Almost done,” the lone female of the group said, her spiky black hair reminding me of sharp rocks. She’d knelt on the ground moments ago to begin crafting the new portal.

I peered through the torn edges of the barrier, searching for evidence of the tunnel or whatever they were using to traverse through this realm.

Nothing struck me as out of the ordinary, making me frown.

Then another blast of energy came at me through the cracks, causing me to dislodge my swords as I fluttered backward.

My gaze narrowed. “They should not be able to possess this sort of power.” I caught the next blast with my sword and sent it back to them, but it exploded against the barrier. “Fuck.”

I flew to the side to start again as Kayla growled something against my neck. She’d released my vein when I’d moved and was still trying to hold back the flames raining down upon us.

I could beat Kristina on a good day.

Hell, I could beat the entire Divinity. We’d sparred on several occasions just to keep my fighting skills sharp. But that’d been decades ago—pre-Kayla.

While our rekindled bond had helped bolster my reserves, I was nowhere near what I needed to be to win this battle.

And something was holding me back from tapping into my bond with Kayla to fully replenish my abilities.

I thought it was related to trust and her lack of desire to make this long-term. But a nagging sense told me the cause ran deeper than that. Because she was fully embracing me now, yet it wasn’t enough.

Biting her wouldn’t solve it, not when she needed my strength to keep that shield above our heads.