tossed it to Damien, who stabbed the messenger he was beside. Aumae turned to the third one and opened her arms wide. A light came from them, like she had spread wings, and shone in the female’s eyes, blinding her. Kellan swooped in, caught the dagger back from Damien, and slit the messenger’s throat. She fell to the ground, wide eyed, as blood poured out of her, darkening the gravel around her.
“That wasn’t hard.” Vespar glanced around beside Gus, who was scratching her head.
“They were the appetizers.” Kellan stood beside me, holding my gaze. His eyes were steady, looking into me with a deep intensity. He wanted to tell me something, reassure me, proclaim something, I wasn’t sure, but then the look was gone as his eyes slid over my shoulders. They caught on something in the woods behind me and stayed there. I turned, too, my heart pounding, and gaped. It wasn’t what I saw, which was a set of twenty pairs of eyes, watching us from behind the trees, but it was what I felt.
They were powerful and ancient. They were together as one and they were angry. Three of their own had been murdered in front of them, and they were ready to enact their revenge.
Everything stopped in that moment. Heartbeats slowed. Breaths were held. No one moved, not even turning over a small rock in the gravel beneath our feet. No crickets chirped, no breeze swept around us. It was the calm before the storm, and holy crap, my bones knew it was going to be the storm of my life.
Then Damien broke the silence. “You brought them here?”
“It was either that or die at their hands. I was outnumbered.” Kellan threw an irritated look at him, but no one else said a thing. “I’m stronger by Shay’s side. Strong enough now anyway.”
“Shay…”
I jumped, feeling my father. His voice was strong as he called to me. I felt my blood churn inside, hearing part of its ancestry.
It freaked me out. Without thinking, I reached for Kellan’s hand and squeezed tight. He moved closer so our hands were hidden, but he squeezed back, and the other blood in me calmed down. I needed him.
The twenty pairs of eyes moved back, parting waves. Everything moved to the side, and I was staring at my father. He was over seven feet tall with long blond hair held back in one large braid. My eyes were drawn to his clothes, a loose fitting tunic as a top and pants that billowed around him.
“Look at me.”
I flinched and looked away, at Aumae who had a resigned expression on her face. She caught my gaze and winked, the resignation switched to an eager defiance. “We’ll be fine, Shay. Answer your father.”
“Do not speak to my daughter. You’ve done enough, Aumae, you and your sister,” my father roared, flying forward and landing in front of us with a force that was fierce. The earth moved beneath him, and we all moved as well.
Aumae snapped her head to the side as if she’d been slapped. When a red mark appeared on her cheek, I realized she had been slapped. That pissed me off, and I snapped inside. My fury built inside of me like a volcano, boiling and churning upward until I reared back in the air and sent two bursts of energy at my father.
Kellan followed with his own bursts of energy, as did Damien.
My father was slammed back, past his followers. Kellan went with him, and I caught a flash from his hand. He meant to use the dagger on my father. My gut sparked, and I knew it was a bad idea if Kellan stabbed him. I didn’t know why, but I flew after them. When my father tumbled to the ground, still dazed from the onslaught, Kellan landed on top of him and raised his hand.
“No!” I caught his hand and clawed, trying to unleash the dagger.
“What are you doing?”
“Trust me,” I panted. “This is not a good idea.”
“He’s going to kill everyone, Shay.” Kellan took my hand and shoved me backward.
“Kellan!”
He turned back, but my father was on his feet again. Laughing. “You think that little thing will kill me?”
Kellan fell silent.
I stood, cautious. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m a first lineage messenger. Those things give us strength. They don’t harm us.”
I hadn’t wanted to look at my father. The power in him was enormous, and it drew me in, captivating me. I’d fought against it, not wanting to