Trial of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress #4) - K. M. Shea Page 0,127

stick, then ran back to the fireplace and flung firewood on the flames, making the room hotter and brighter.

Angelique unearthed an armload of starfire crystals—mentally thanking Stil and Gemma for insisting she take them all back when she visited Chanceux in the fall. “Snow White, take these!” She passed the princess a handful of crystals. “Follow my lead.” She spun around to face constructs still pouring into the cottage and struggled to hold her armload of magic crystals up. “Shine!”

The starfires glowed a bright, pure white light and cast mini rainbows from their prism facets.

The closest constructs clawed at their eyes and shrank backwards.

“Shine brighter still!” Emboldened, Angelique took a few steps forward as the crystals’ light grew in intensity.

Behind her, Snow White timidly said, “Shine?”

Angelique laughed as she shoved a crystal in a construct’s face. The construct fell as it scrambled to get away from her.

Of course black magic would react negatively to light—this is wonderful!

Angelique stood in the cottage door as the warriors finished off the remaining constructs that had gotten inside—most of them were writhing on the floor or clawing at their eyes as they were trapped between Angelique’s armload of crystals and the bright fire.

“How much brighter do these get?” Snow White asked.

Angelique tried to shift her arms without dropping her starfires. “At least another level or two. Why?”

Snow White glanced from the crystals she cradled in her fingers to the door. “Come on!” She fearlessly darted outside, Angelique behind her.

She wasn’t too surprised by the writhing mass of constructs that filled the lawn—she’d felt it inside the cottage. But it was one thing to feel their presence and quite another to see the dozens—possibly hundreds—of glowing white eyeballs and gleaming teeth in the cold night.

Their skeletal shapes were barely visible in the soft light of the moon that reflected off the snow, giving the shadows an even more ghostly appearance. When all of those constructs saw Snow White, they lunged forward—gnashing their teeth and swiping their claws at her.

Snow White inched closer to Aldelbert and Gregori—who were back-to-back and pinned against the cottage’s outer wall. She squared her shoulders, then held a crystal aloft, making the closest constructs jerk to a stop, spin around, and uselessly attempt to claw through their brethren to escape the light.

Angelique watched and shifted her armload of crystals. “What now?”

I have a guess…but I want the warriors to see what Snow White is capable of.

Snow White sucked in a deep breath. “Shine!”

Snow White’s crystals burned bright white—which was reflected by the white snow and made the area glow brighter. She flung the starfires into the mass of constructs—which inspired terror in those closest to the crystals.

Some of the constructs faded away—they didn’t even turn into smoke; they just disappeared as if swallowed whole by the light. The rest of the constructs collided as they tried to flee, and those at the back of the clearing continued to march forward, unaware of the other constructs’ terror.

What are these things? They’re reactive, but they’re definitely moving under someone’s orders…

Angelique grabbed a couple of starfires. “I get it—shine!” Angelique threw fistfuls of starfires, scattering them across the clearing, making the constructs shriek and retreat as the crystals—reflected by the snow—made the area as bright as day.

The warriors that had stayed in the house to clean it of constructs came bursting out and launched themselves on the hapless sea of constructs.

“My Lord!” Wendal pulled several daggers from his belt in a smooth movement that made Angelique suspect he had a belt pouch that was enchanted like her satchel to hold more than it should.

“Wendal—you’re just in time!” Aldelbert laughed. “Come, let us drive them away!”

Together, the Seven Warriors formed a crescent shape and cleaved their way through the constructs.

Puffs of smoke filled the meadow in a thick veil, but Angelique felt the constructs’ slight magical presence ease away as they fled. They skulked their way back to the shadows of the forest—or the surviving ones did, anyway. Those that stepped too close to the brilliant light of the starfires evaporated, and the warriors were fast and skilled, falling on the constructs with an admirable ferocity Angelique had to applaud.

The few constructs that made it to the trees faded into the darkness, disappearing—though not before they leveled their creepy eyes at Snow White and gnashed their teeth at her.

She may not be cursed, but something is definitely after her.

The Seven Warriors completed their sweep, eliminating the last of the constructs that the crystals didn’t destroy.

Marzell