Magical Midlife Love (Leveling Up #4) - K.F. Breene Page 0,77

are reborn, yes. But if you die, it’s forever.” Sebastian dragged me a little closer, Kingsley pacing in front of us, his tail twitching at the end as he watched the phoenix.

Edgar ran in from the side in his purple sweats, wielding a long metal stake that was almost certainly more fatal to him than it would be to anyone else. The others flew in from overhead. They must’ve felt Ivy House’s defenses go down.

“Here we go!” Sebastian shouted.

Another burst of fire rose and surged forward, larger than the first, a great blast of heat and flame. Sebastian threw up the same shield, covering Kingsley, himself, and me. Heat bled through, and it felt like it was melting my face off. My clothes were hot against my skin. My eyes burned.

Sebastian swore again. “Think it through,” he muttered to himself. “Think it through. It’s fire. It is magical fire. It’s a natural spell created within the beast. Figure out a way to combat it.”

I nodded in encouragement. But the fire died and the thunderbird stepped forward, shaking out its mighty wings. It spread them wide, nearly taking up the whole bulbous end of the street, before flapping them forward and down. A great gust of wind slammed into us, and Sebastian’s shield did virtually nothing. The wind ripped us off our feet and flung us backward, slamming us into the house.

“Think it through,” I heard Sebastian muttering again, jumping up and running forward. He belted out a spell that twisted and curled into the air, sending the great thunderbird back a step. But the phoenix was ready for Sebastian. She sent off a jet of fire this time, like liquid magma, blistering in intensity, directed at his magical shield.

It would not hold. Not for this. The heat had almost made it through last time, and this attack was much more intense.

I flung out my hand, layering my own shield over his, pouring power into it.

The lava stream slammed against it. My shield held. At first.

Smoke billowed from my magic, melting down to nothing. The stream hit his shield next, blasting around the arch, sinking into the magic.

Yelling wordlessly, knowing that I couldn’t heal him if that lava made it through—it would kill him too quickly—I yanked Cheryl from my back pocket and ran forward, snapping it open as I did so.

A roar came from the other side of the attack, but not from a creature. From a Jeep.

Rubber screeched and the back end of the Jeep slid around as it stopped. The door opened and Austin jumped out, naked one minute and a flash of light the next. When it faded, he stood on his hind legs in polar bear form. His roar shook the earth. Shook my bones. Made the wolves in the cage cower and the phoenix and thunderbird shut down their magic (if only for a moment) and turn around.

The basajaun stepped forward now, opening his arms wide. He added his own bellow, the urge to fight singing through me, too.

A neigh from Niamh in the sky and then the roars of gargoyles added to the chorus, the Ivy House team ready to fight. Ready to die, if need be. Kingsley lifted his roar to the heavens last, a great cat ready to support his brother’s bad decisions.

“You have earned the trust of those sworn to you,” Ivy House said as Austin lowered back down and rushed forward, “and your allies. They will protect you with their lives. Will you do the same for them?”

I neared the sidewalk, but Kingsley leapt forward, knocking me out of the way. Cheryl flew. He didn’t want me in the fight, probably because he thought I was useless in combat. Or else he thought Austin wouldn’t want me in danger. But Austin knew better.

The phoenix sprayed Austin with fire, a preliminary blast, like she’d first tried with us. The basajaun ran at her and swiped, but the moment his palm touched her skin, it burst into flame. He howled, shrinking back. The thunderbird flapped its great wings and lightning flickered. Edgar jolted, on its back. I hadn’t realized he’d jumped up there, but he didn’t stay there for long. He convulsed and fell, cracking his head on the ground.

The thunderbird launched into the air, each movement showcasing its incredible strength. The gargoyles rolled out of its way, but they immediately turned around and flew after it. Its lightning crawled out around it, giving it a natural shield. Niamh rammed it with