Queen of the Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,60

swiftly over the ground below. Tarron stuck close to my side, and hundreds of Seelie flew all around.

The queen and her Unseelie forces were pouring out of a portal in the middle of a field. They were a good hundred yards from the nearest building. They’d need to reach it to allow their flame to alight. Tarron had mentioned that they’d left this entrance—the one farthest from the city—just a tiny bit weaker than the rest. They’d shored up everything to the best of their ability, but when magic ran short, this was the one chosen to be faulty.

And it had worked. The weakness in the protections had drawn the queen, and she’d chosen to break through here.

It gave us more time to take her out before she could light the city on fire.

I swooped toward the Unseelie, who were launching themselves into the sky. Black hair and pale skin was stark against the blue, cloudless backdrop. Many of them stayed on the ground, surrounding the queen. She would stay there, I was sure—more protection when you were standing. No one could attack you from below.

Our side collided with theirs in a clash of magic and metal.

I spotted an enormous crow soaring through the air, grabbing an Unseelie in its talons. It had to be Ana, the Morrigan, a Dragon God who represented the Celtic pantheon. Nearby, Cass flew in her griffon form. Huge and majestic, she had golden feathers that transitioned to fur, huge claws and a beak that could crush horses. She went for the Unseelie, snapping at the wings with her jaws. Behind her, I spotted the Origin. The first original shifter also preferred the griffon form. He was even bigger than Cass, able to grab two Unseelie at a time with his front claws.

Tarron shot into the battle, flying ahead of me and colliding with an enemy, sword to sword. Their blades clashed and blood flew. Tarron fought with a force and speed that was difficult to comprehend.

I looked to the ground, trying to find an open space around the queen. I didn’t need a lot of room—just enough to attack from. I gave my transportation power one go, trying to reach the spot right next to her, but it didn’t work.

Damn it.

There had to be some kind of magical barrier, and I wasn’t surprised. She wouldn’t come here and leave herself open like that.

I eyed the area around the queen, looking for my in. Dozens of Unseelie pointed arrows at the sky, ready to fire should we approach.

Del, on the ground below, danced through the crowd of Unseelie in her phantom form. Transparent blue and incorporeal, she passed right through them, turning solid only briefly so she could stab one in the shoulder. Nix stood on the outskirts farther away, firing arrows at a record pace, taking out Unseelie after Unseelie.

I couldn’t help feeling guilt at the deaths of those who weren’t willingly serving the queen, and I hoped that Nix wasn’t shooting to kill. I’d asked Aeri to explain to everyone what the deal was. Fortunately, it looked like Nix was aiming for legs and shoulders—debilitating but not killing.

I looked closely. Everyone was doing that, in fact. In a battle like this, it was impossibly difficult to pull your punches and only wound when your enemy was determined to kill, but the magical might of those assembled here was phenomenal. If anyone was up to the task, it was my friends.

The Seelie warriors were more vicious, however, and I couldn't blame them. They had no reason to believe me when I said that some of these fighters were unwilling. And behind them was a platform full of their weakest loved ones waiting to be burned to death.

If I were in their shoes, I’d probably kill first and ask questions later as well.

Aeri fought on the ground below, swinging her mace with terrifying accuracy and nailing the Unseelie in the arms. She was chopping them away from the herd, getting closer and closer to the queen.

Even as our forces broke down the queen’s guard, the evil one moved ever forward toward the town. Her horde was like a steam engine, rolling ever onward. They lost dozens of their number, falling to my friends’ magic and metal, but they kept going. Tarron fought bravely from the other side, cutting down Unseelie after Unseelie. But there were so many.

Finally, I spotted my chance.

And she was nearly within throwing distance of the closest building. There was no time