Spirit of the Fae (Dragon's Gift The Dark Fae #4) - Linsey Hall Page 0,63

behind. Heat and pain enveloped me, and I shrieked, nearly dropping my lightning hand.

“I’ve got you!” Tarron shouted.

A half second later, a cold blast of water hit my back, dousing the flames.

Finally, we reached the false queen. I was in so much pain that I could barely stand. Aeri and I moved our lightning toward her, and it caught her in the middle. The red glow that surrounded her from the Aranthian Crystal turned bright yellow. The false queen shrieked, her eyes flaring wide.

The red glow of the crystal began to fade. The false queen twitched.

“Oh shit!” I yanked my arm down, breaking the connection with Aeri. “We almost released her!”

That had been a bad plan.

For some reason, she liked the lightning.

A blast of smoke hit me in the shoulder from behind, making me stumble hard, nearly going to my knees. Aeri screamed as something slammed into her. Declan raced toward her, cutting down Unseelie as he ran.

“Time to go!” Tarron shouted.

Battle raged all around, more Unseelie flying in through the windows. There had to be three dozen of them now, and my friends were barely managing to stay alive. Everyone was covered with cuts and burns. I could barely walk. The false queen was moving like she might escape.

I sprinted for the archway of silver branches, digging into my pocket for the second Aranthian Crystal. As I neared the portal, I turned back to the false queen. I nearly chucked it at her, then stopped.

If the first couldn’t freeze her, the second wouldn’t do the trick. I shoved it back into my pocket. I’d save it.

Declan sprinted toward me, carrying Aeri, who clutched her wounded leg.

“Go!” Aeri shouted.

“After you!”

She glared at me as Declan carried her through the portal, knowing I wouldn’t go until she was gone. And that she had no choice, since Declan would carry her out of her no matter what.

An Unseelie charged, and I raised my sword, clashing with him.

Cass raced into the portal. “Come on, idiot!”

I grinned, kicking the Unseelie in the stomach to drive him back.

Across the room, my mother twitched. Fear spiked.

In a burst of magic, she broke free of the Aranthian Crystal. Her eyes lit with rage and she raised her hand. Magic exploded out from her palm before I could brace myself. Gold light twisted with black as it shot toward me.

Tarron appeared out of nowhere, diving in front of me and taking the hit straight to the chest. It was like he’d known I hadn’t had time to brace myself.

I screamed, terror sending ice through my veins. He collapsed, unconscious. I grabbed him, wrapping my arms around his waist and yanking him through the portal behind me.

My mother’s wild eyes were the last thing I saw as the ether sucked us in and spun us through space, then spit us out in the Willow Wood in Puck’s Glen. I staggered out onto the leafy ground, collapsing with Tarron. His limp body fell heavily to the ground, and he lay still. Panic sent my heart racing.

Cass, Aeri, and Declan fell to their knees beside me.

Claire, Nix, Del, and Connor converged on us.

“What’s wrong with him?” Claire shouted.

“Did you get her?” Nix demanded.

“Shit! Close the portal!” Del screamed.

I spun around to spot the archway of silver branches standing tall in the clearing behind me. An Unseelie guard was beginning to come through the portal.

The rest would follow.

Shit.

I lunged forward and shoved the Unseelie back through to his realm. I yanked at the silver branches, tearing them down. Everyone but the unconscious Tarron joined me. As they tore apart the arch, destroying the portal, I turned and fell to my knees at Tarron’s side.

He lay still, his eyes closed and his face pale. Tears streaked down my face as I shook his shoulders. “Tarron!”

Aeri joined me. “What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know. My mother hit him with her magic. She was aiming for me but he jumped in front.”

“She wants you badly.”

“Tarron!” I shook his shoulders.

He jerked, gasping. His eyes opened, and they shined gold and black.

“His eyes,” Aeri whispered.

The green was gone, and something dark now shined from within. They focused and landed on me.

“You.” He hissed the word with such venom that I recoiled.

He lunged for me, reaching for my neck.

Horror iced my skin.

He means to kill me.

There was no mistaking the tone or the look.

His hands closed around my neck. Aeri lunged for him, shoving him back to the ground. He thrashed against her, and Declan joined in, holding him back. Tarron fought them both, trying to get to me, hatred in his now-golden eyes. Black swirled through the irises. He broke free and lunged again. Aeri punched him hard in the face. His head snapped back on his neck.

“Aeri!” I gasped, lurching toward them.

Tarron shook his head and turned back toward me. His eyes were green once more, his voice normal and confused. “What the hell happened?”

Declan loosened his grip on him, and Tarron rubbed his jaw, trying to shake the fog from his mind.

“You tried to kill me.”

“No.” Horror and confusion echoed in his voice.

“You did.” Aeri crowded in front of me, looking into his eyes. “Your eyes turned golden and black.”

“Black like my mother’s magic.”

“A curse,” Cass said.

Tarron shuddered, and his eyes turned gold and black once more. He growled and lunged for me, driven by such hate that it filled the air around us.

I scrambled back on the leaves, shocked. He broke past Aeri and surged forward, reaching out, hatred in his eyes.

Shit.

This couldn’t be. Not after we’d found each other. Saved each other.

I sucked in a breath and charged him, striking out with my fist. Just like Aeri had done to knock some sense into him. My stomach lurched as my fist smashed against his cheek and his head twisted. I hated hurting him.

Please work.

He shook his head, no doubt clearing his mind once more.

When his gaze met mine, it was still gold and black.

“No!” I gasped.

He hadn’t changed back to himself. He came at me again, a low growl in his throat.

Aeri and Declan hurtled toward him, grabbing both his arms and pulling him back. Del grabbed him from behind as well, with Claire and Connor joining. He fought, so strong that he nearly broke their hold.

I watched in horror as the man I loved fought to reach me. Fought to kill me.

Whatever allies we’d gained in the Unseelie realm, I’d lost far more.

I’d lost Tarron.