Changed by Fire (Phoenix Rising #6) - Harper Wylde Page 0,167
head mounted on my wall for what she’s done to my daughter. I do not care about the war, for I know you will surely perish in time. The Council’s motivations are different from my own. I demand retribution for what was wrongly taken from me,” Ishida boomed, his anger causing the sky above to cloud over as his magic infused the air.
“If you seek retribution for your daughter’s death,” I called, the challenge slipping from my lips and traversing the shrinking space between us until Ishida paused just a few yards away, “you need to only look in the mirror. Your own anger and greed are what killed Ahmya. The magic you cannot control was merely a side effect to your ever reaching desire for status and power.”
What happened to ‘do not engage,’ baby? Killian growled, but underneath his irritation that I’d drawn Ishida’s lethal attention to myself was a pride so thick my Phoenix preened her feathers.
“You wretched, backstabbing little cunt!” Ishida roared, and with a nod to his followers, they attacked. “You will pay! You will all pay, pay, pay!”
Griff shifted before Ishida had even finished giving the order, his Griffin’s feathers shining like pure gold under the moonlight. Large, black eyes locked onto me as my Phoenix surged forward in an explosion of flames. I stretched my wings, shaking out the blazing feathers, and took to the sky. Griff was much larger than I was in his alternate form, but from what I knew about griffins, his greatest asset was his razor-sharp beak and strength. I could out fly him and out maneuver him, and I had the fire burning hotly inside me, ready to be released. I wanted to singe that cocky expression off his dumb bird face.
“Go, my warriors! Maim and kill and conquer, and you shall be greatly rewarded! Greatly rewarded indeed!” Ishida raved, his cackle floating into the night sky like the sparks rising from the fire, weaving and dancing as chaos rained down around him.
I didn’t know where to look as my mates went into battle, some utilizing the crescent of flames to their advantage, using it as a shield and making the enemy come to them, while Ryder, Damien, and I took off into the sky. All around me were creatures I’d never seen before, and shock radiated through me as a huge ass dragon rose from the tree line with one massive flap of his wings. Orange eyes flared to life, and as he opened his mouth, a ball of fire building, my Phoenix squawked loudly and pulled control from me as she expanded her wings.
Nix! Killian screamed through our link. My guys all drew up short, watching with wide eyes as the fire released.
The blast of heat roared from the Dragon’s mouth, the destructive energy unfurling around my Phoenix. Wings spread wide, my Phoenix chirped, pulling the fire energy into herself and abating the blow.
A sharp shard of ice flew past me, impaling one of the Dragon’s veiny wings, causing him to fumble and fall from the sky in a crash of bone and snow. Theo stood on the ground in his human form, unable to shift in these conditions. With his arms extended to the sky, his fingers straining, he controlled the snowy elements to our advantage.
Holy shit! Ryder breathed, relieved as he taunted the Pertyon into battle. You scared the fuck out of me.
Don’t you ever do that to me again, Killian growled, the effect lessened by the pride in his tone.
Nix, you ready to put all that training into practice?
Griff swooped with a screech that gave away his attack, and I wished my Phoenix could roll her eyes as I skittered sideways, letting him miss his mark by a fucking mile. He might be pretty in his shifted form, but that was about all Griff had going for him. The fact that he was one of Ishida’s chosen warriors just solidified the celestial Kitsune’s madness and lack of judgment. The old man was losing it one brain cell at a time if he thought Griff stood any chance of killing me.
More than ready to end this and take back what’s ours. I eyed Emy, still held too tightly in the Harpy’s winged arms as Ishida waved his fingers through the air like a conductor, thoroughly enjoying the chaotic performance of his minions as blood, both theirs and ours, stained the snow. Let’s do this.
Damien dove toward Griff, taunting the douche canoe to follow him while