Queen of the Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,12
I launched myself upward, drawing a sword as I flew toward the closest one.
Below me, Del hacked at an opponent with her steel, making him howl and burn. Aeri swung her mace in a deadly dance, crushing the skull of a Fae who dived for her. Cass and Claire hurled firebombs with deadly precision, while Nix took out the enemy with steel-tipped arrows.
In the air, I collided with the Fae closest to me in a clash of steel, blocking with my shield as he attacked. His midnight black eyes glinted with ferocity. Quickly, I landed a blow to his arm, making black blood well.
His blade slammed into my shield, sending tremors up my arm. I gripped the shield tight and struck again, managing to deliver a killing blow to his neck. His eyes widened as he gripped the cut and tumbled from the air, wings flapping helplessly.
I whirled, searching for another attacker.
Just in time, I spotted a blast of flame headed right toward me. I deflected it with my shield and raced for my attacker, a slender woman with a flowing mane of midnight hair. She drew a long silver sword, and we collided, blades smashing together. She was more skilled than the other Fae, and she swiped my thigh with her blade, leaving a long, burning cut.
I winced and pulled back, then hurtled toward her, smashing my shield into hers. I wasn’t as graceful in the air as a full-blooded Fae, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t beat the shit out of them. The force of my blow made her tumble backward in the air, and I pressed my advantage, slashing her in the side with my sword. The blade cut deep, and she howled.
I struck again, finding an opening and stabbing her through the shoulder. Weakened, she dropped her sword and flew backward.
Right into one of Cass’s fireballs.
Howling, she took off into the sky, blazing like a torch.
I spun, searching for more threats.
Tarron was fighting three Fae at once, his blade moving so fast and so powerfully that it was just a blur. Black blood flew in great arcs as he landed his hits.
Shouts and blasts of magic sounded from all around as my friends battled the Unseelie.
“We’ve got this!” Aeri shouted. “Do your thing!”
She was right. Every enemy was occupied, and if they came for me, my friends would have my back. I needed to try to use my power before reinforcements came.
I flew toward the center of the stone circle that was now illuminated with the pale gray light of dawn. Thirteen tall pillars of rock surrounded a large flat stone in the middle. It was decorated with incredible carvings, thousands of lines twisting and turning around each other like a beautiful, complicated knot.
If I fed it a bit of my black Unseelie blood, it would open and permit me access to the Unseelie realm.
But we weren’t doing that now. Not yet.
First, I needed info.
I landed at the edge of the flat stone and knelt.
A second later, Tarron landed next to me. “I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks.” I touched the edge of the rock, shutting my eyes and closing my other hand around the charm that Aethelred had given me.
From behind, I could hear something slamming against Tarron’s shield. Fireball, maybe.
I shoved the thought away and trusted him to protect me.
Slowly, I drew in a deep breath and focused on the feeling of the stone beneath my fingertips. It was a connection to the Unseelie world—to my mother—and I could feel it deep in my bones. Aethelred’s charm buzzed against my palm, some kind of strange seer magic igniting within it. I could almost smell the seer. Old man cologne and brandy.
A vision flared to life in my head.
I was back in the white, cloudy room.
Something tugged at me from the right, and I turned, running toward it.
Through the mist, I spotted the burning Seelie city. The colorful flames licked around the buildings, and Seelie fought it, spraying it with massive jets of water and magic.
The flames didn’t even steam.
The Fae shot more water at it. More and more, until it was a deluge that should have drowned out the fire.
The blaze kept roaring.
No amount of water could douse this enchanted fire.
I ran toward it, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. I got close enough to the inferno that I could hear the Seelie shouting.
“It’s Eternal Flame!” shouted a pale-haired woman, her eyes red from the smoke.