Page 126 of The Last Storm

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After the first few stumbled out, hundreds began charging from the trees. Thousands. More than we could have expected. More than we had.

The clash of swords rang through the air and I gritted my teeth as a man rushed at Rogue.

* * *

Rogue

There were too many.

My eyes darted to Doran. He was engaged with three men at once, slicing and dodging. My eyes shot to the rest of my men. They were all occupied, but hundreds more were still pouring from the trees.

Snapping my wings out, I shot to the sky and positioned myself at the tree line. My fire raged and thrashed against the confines of my skin and with a focused breath, I freed it.

It roared and raced down to meet the ground.

On impact, the men let out blood-curdling screams. The same screams of my innocent people.

Anger pulsed through my veins and I urged it harder. Hotter. The screaming stopped abruptly. A dozen blackened corpses dropped to the scorched ground all at once.

But I could only burn what I could focus on, and there were too many still charging from the tree line.

Too many.

Blood stained the soil as men dropped like flies—humans and Fae alike.

Bile rose in the back of my throat at the sight.

I turned my attention back to the tree line.

Burn.

My vision tinted red as heat and rage consumed me.

Burn.

* * *

Ara

Blood.

Blood everywhere.

I blinked rapidly and tore my eyes from the growing pools.

Rogue was in the sky, blazing every human that exited from the tree line, but there were already so many.

I paced, biting my nails. My heart pounded in my chest.

“I have to do something. I have to do something.”

I looked to the forest.

“I have todosomething.”

Closing my eyes, I searched and that’s when I felt it.

The beast. The massive source of power prowling through the trees.

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