Fires of War (War and Deceit #4) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,121

“I love you.” I step backward, gasping as the magical shield is suddenly removed. I feel exposed, vulnerable.

“Clarissa!” My name is called by many, but I block it out, focusing on the predator in front of me. I’m vaguely aware of movement behind me, I just hope they’re getting ready to escape once the barrier is down.

Tilting his head and smiling at me with that disturbing, toothy smile once more, Rhydian takes another step closer. “That was foolish,” he goads, but I don’t rise to his taunts, simply backing away. For every step he takes towards me, I step back, trying to make my way to the barrier without alerting him to what I’m doing. If he knows what I’m planning, he’ll try to stop me.

It works, until I glance behind me to judge the distance to the barrier.

“Oh, I see,” he snarls. “Clever little slave. Think you can break Death’s magic, do you?” Anger seems to consume him, but something he said sticks with me.

Death’s magic? His phrasing is confusing. Is he using death magic? That’s not what it sounded like though, he made it seem like he was using magic from death. But that can’t be possible. I don’t have time to contemplate as he raises his hands, black shadows appearing to concentrate there.

Mother above, I pray, before turning and running towards the barrier. Shouting fills the courtyard, but I can’t make out any individual words or voices over the din. Something hits my back and sends me flying forward with a yell, smashing me into the ground with a smack. It knocks the air from my lungs, but it’s nothing compared to the pain coursing through my back as the dark magic tries to seize me. My gift begins to work on breaking the spell, but it’s hard going, and spasms make it impossible for me to get up.

Curling onto my side as my back is racked with another wave of pain, I see Rhydian is being distracted by the magicians, who are throwing globes of glowing magic at him. It doesn’t seem to be doing much, but it gives me a brief respite. Something tugs hard in my chest, and it makes me look up. When I do, I see Tor at the door of the carriage, his eyes carrying more tension than I’ve ever seen, but as soon as I meet his gaze, he smiles and says something. I can’t hear him, only the ringing in my ears as another wave of pain tries to pull me under, but I know what he’s saying.

He loves me.

With a sudden burst of energy, I use my arms and crawl towards the barrier. The movement jars my body and tears at my nails, but I’m not far and I’d go through worse for my family. Nausea increases the closer I get, the feeling of wrongness mounting, but I push past it, slamming my hand onto the wall of dark magic. It instantly shudders, repulsed by my touch as my gift starts to unwrite the spell, and it’s working.

I’m surprised at how easy it seems to be coming down, that Rhydian hadn’t built more of a defence into the spell. I suppose he didn’t expect to be attacked by the mages, but I don’t dwell on it as my energy quickly dwindles. The barrier falls with the sound of shattering glass, but when I remove my hand, its inky tendrils begin to reform, confirming that I will have to stay here until everyone has passed through the gate.

Sprawled across the courtyard, I watch as the mages on horseback gallop through the gate, followed by the carriages, with the final mages trailing behind, blasting Rhydian with their magic to give me a chance to escape. Except I can already feel the edges of my vision fading as unconsciousness tries to claim me, but my exhausted body still attempts to pull away from Rhydian’s advancing form.

A bright light fills my vision as the prince is blasted back, a cloaked figure stepping into view. Kneeling at my side, they scoop me into their arms and step past the castle gates. Weakly, I try to fight them off, aware of the barrier quickly replacing itself now that my hand has been removed.

“Rest, Clarissa, you’re safe now.”

When I hear his voice, all of my fight leaves me as blissful unconsciousness drags me under. The last thing I hear is Rhydian’s furious roar from the other side of the wall, and Wilson’s steady breathing from