Queen of the Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,27
turning black with the effort. His wings flared and his horns appeared.
My breath came short. I’d never seen anyone look so powerful before.
I called upon my own magic, slicing my finger and letting the blood flow.
My Fae power wasn’t like his—no wind or rain or any other element that I could think of.
But my Dragon Blood magic would allow me to create what I needed. A few droplets of blood dripped into the water at my ankles as I imagined the power of the gale. I used the wind and water around me, drawing strength and inspiration from the storm itself.
It filled me, whirling in my chest and making me feel like I could float off the ground, carried into the sky. When it had filled me to bursting, I let it blast out of me.
More wind shot toward the storm. Then the water. I picked it up, imaging it lifting off the ground and shooting back at the massive clouds that hovered above.
I’d hit the unarmed, faceless storm god with the same thing he’d thrown at us.
Between us, Tarron and I managed to force all the water off the ground, hurling it back into the sky in massive sheets that would crush us if they fell back to earth. We forced the wind away.
Exhaustion tugged at me. Magic flowed from my soul, weakening me with every second. This was truly some spectacular magic, the biggest I’d ever created.
But it was also draining me. Fast.
I’d be on my knees soon.
“Keep going,” Tarron roared.
We were almost there.
Exhaustion tugged as I dredged up some strength from deep within, hurling it at the storm as I forced the wind and water away from us.
Finally, the black clouds receded. The wind died down and the rain ceased. An eerie stillness filled the air.
My shoulders sagged. I dropped my arms, letting the magic fade away. Panting, I leaned back on the rock wall behind me.
Tarron lowered his arms, his magic fading from the air. He turned to me, brow creased with worry.
“I’m fine,” I said, before he could ask the question. “You?”
He nodded, then raked a broad hand through his hair. His horns disappeared and his eyes turned green once more. Sickly gray clouds swirled in the sky behind him, but they didn’t coalesce into blackness once more.
“Come here.” He gestured to me. “I’ll dry you off.”
I arched a brow, wondering how he’d manage it, but not wanting to refuse. Walking in wet leather sucked.
Tarron raised his hands once more, his magic filling the air. A flame appeared from his palms, the heat radiating toward me. It was the perfect temperature, drying my clothes but not burning me. When I was all dry, he turned the magic on himself. Steam rose up from his clothes, and he was fully dry within minutes.
“Thanks.” He’d dried me first, and that was definitely the kind of thing I noticed.
He nodded, then turned toward the horizon, searching. “We need to find the Vestal Virgins.”
“Agreed. Fabius was right about the storm, so I trust him about this. Even though he’s kind of a jerk.”
The plateau rose high in the distance, closer than before but still looking dreadfully far.
I called upon my wings. “Shall we fly for a while?”
The mud was still thick underfoot, and I didn’t want to tromp through it unless I had to.
Tarron nodded. His own wings burst from his back, crackling like lightning. We took to the sky, flying over the muddy ground and ragged trees below. The wind whipped at my hair, but it was a gentle breeze, thank fates.
By the time we reached the end of the huge muddy swath created by the flood, I was tiring. Not just my muscles, but my magic. Flying took a fair bit of it, and after the battle with the storm, I was running dreadfully low.
“It’s there.” Tarron pointed ahead.
I squinted, catching sight of the massive complex of stone ruins. There was something almost threatening about the place. I shivered and flew forward. There was no other option but forward.
8
The white pillars speared the sky, rising up amongst a copse of trees that appeared to have been planted in an ornamental arrangement around the structure.
“Let’s walk the rest of the way.” I lowered myself to the ground a few hundred yards from the building, grateful to give my wings a rest.
Tarron landed next to me, and we strode through the trees. As we approached the temple, I blinked, clearing the haze from my eyes.