Page 61 of The Purrfect Rival (Enchanted Falls #1)
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K alyna paused at the crest of the hill, the Foxworthy homestead sprawling before them in complete chaos.
When they’d debated their strategy, she’d braced for resistance—surely a lion would prioritize his own territory. Instead, he’d simply nodded and said, “Your family first. Mine can fight lion for lion. The tactical choice is yours and the right one.”
She squeezed his hand once before releasing it, squaring her shoulders. “They won’t all welcome you.”
“I don’t need their welcome.” His golden eyes met hers. “Only their survival.”
Warning shouts came from the eastern perimeter, followed by flashes of offensive magic striking against the protective wards. Kalyna ran into the fray and joined her father on the garden terrace, adding her fox illusions to the defensive array. From the north gate, she sensed Rust coordinating the lion shifters, his presence radiating focused authority.
The wards on the northern boundary collapsed under coordinated magical assault. Boz’s forces poured onto the property—hired mercenaries in black tactical gear wielding spelled weapons, rogue shifters in partial transformation, corrupt mages channeling sickly green energy.
Kalyna’s fox magic responded to the threat, power flowing more freely than ever before. Her illusions gained solidity, confusing attackers with phantom pathways while she darted between defensive positions. Through her bond with Rust, she sensed his fierce concentration, felt the surge of protective rage each time an attacker breached their lines.
A trio of mercenaries cornered two young fox shifters against the garden wall. Kalyna sprinted toward them, hands weaving complex patterns that multiplied her form into six identical copies. The mercenaries hesitated, weapons tracking between the illusions, unsure which to target.
She used their confusion to strike—not with magic but with the physical training she’d rarely needed before. Her foot connected with the nearest attacker’s knee, dropping him to the ground with a howl of pain. The second swung a spelled blade that passed harmlessly through one of her illusions.
The third proved more dangerous—a bear shifter whose massive arms ended in wicked claws. He slashed through her remaining illusions with terrifying speed, snarling as he identified her true location.
Kalyna ducked under his first swipe, fox reflexes giving her a crucial edge in speed. She rolled across the damp grass, coming up with a fallen branch that glowed with fox magic as soon as she grasped it.
The bear shifter charged, surprisingly fast for his bulk. She sidestepped, swinging the branch at his exposed flank. It connected with a satisfying crack, the fox magic disrupting his partial shift. He stumbled, fur receding from his arms as he lost control of his transformation.
Victory proved momentary. The first mercenary had regained his feet, producing a small crossbow from inside his jacket. Kalyna spun toward the new threat, illusions already forming to distract him.
Too late.
The bolt struck her shoulder with burning force, the impact driving her back against the stone wall. Not a normal projectile—spelled metal that sizzled against fox magic, disrupting her connection to her animal nature. Pain blossomed outward from the wound, unnaturally intense, her illusions shattering like glass as her concentration broke.
The bear shifter seized the advantage, lunging forward with renewed aggression. She dropped to one knee, right arm hanging useless, blood soaking her sleeve. Her remaining magic coalesced into a shield—transparent but solid, barely materializing in time to block his attack.
His claws scraped across the magical barrier with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. Cracks spread from the point of impact, her shield weakening as more blood spilled from her wound. The spelled bolt pulsed with sickly green light, spreading toxin through her system with each heartbeat.
Another blow from the bear shifter. Her shield fragmented further. The mercenary reloaded his crossbow, taking careful aim.
Hold on.