Page 256 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
They were mine!
And now I knew why Briar had readied an army. Somehow, he’d discovered where I was and had tasked this force with my rescue, unaware I no longer needed rescuing. And he clearly didn’t care how many innocents he slaughtered to save me!
“Stop!” I roared at the invaders nearest me. They didn’t spare me a glance, rushing after fleeing refugees. So, I waved an arm and sent them all whipping back like tin cans. Some, I swiped completely out of the time pocket. Then I darted through Eden, compelling any invader I spotted to tumble through the air. None of them knew what hit them as they sailed away.
Intent on my work, I didn’t notice until the last second—the sizeable feyr charging forth to impale me. Startled by his murderous snarl—soinhuman—I lost grip of my righteous fury. On all my powers too.
I was as good as dead. And if it weren’t for the small, apish creature that leapt out of nowhere and onto the charging feyr’s back, I would’ve been. Instead, I watched, breathless, as Morus ripped out the feyr’s jugular, spattering my cheeks with his blood.
I shivered at my stupid luck as Morus jumped off the fallen Danann’s body, landing beside me in the sand, gore dripping from his muzzle and claws. “You must find the leader of this rabble, Amaranthine!” he crowed up at my wide-eyed face. “This attack won’t cease until he’s assured—”
I shrieked, my heart ricocheting into my throat, as an arrow tore diagonally through Morus, its tip protruding from his belly.
Morus’s black-pit gaze rounded in shock, his hands gripping the arrow shaft. When he crumbled to his knees, I crumbled with him, clutching his bony, hairy elbow to keep him upright. “W-what should I do?” I stuttered, helpless. “How should I help you?”
“This is no time for fussing.” He bared his ugly teeth in mingling pain and rage. “I’ll keep long enough for you to end this madness.”
“I can’t leave you right now!”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Unless you’re a healer, Amaranthine, then that’s all you can do.”
“Then I’ll find a healer! I’ll take you to shelter, and I’ll—”
A barked roar of, “Bloody stay behind me!” resonated in my marrow, and I whirled toward the school pavilion, where I found Pete defending Master Hickinbottom, a terrified number of faelets, and several of their parents from twenty aggressors in horned helmets.
Lightsabers circled the ground around Pete. As did strangled bodies, his tethers working double time. Ten invaders were currently writhing for breath, prying at their shadow nooses, but more surged toward him.
His tan face flashing red, Pete balled already swollen, bloody fists. He never wore his weapons in Eden—the one place in this entire world he hadn’t felt he had to. “Let the others go!” he shouted over the faelets’ fright. “They’ve done nothing to no one! Let them go, and you can take me for whatever you will!”
Whether Pete was being truthful, I couldn’t say. He lied when he needed to, and right then a lie seemed more than necessary. But one of the invaders clearly didn’t believe him. He hurtled forth like a beast with an unslakable hunger for blood and vaulted himself at Pete, sword swinging.
I clutched my ears in horror, Morus cussing beside me—just before Pete released one of his blue-faced victims and lassoed the blade from his assailant’s hands.
His nostrils flaring, Pete grabbed the sword and had it hard against the helmed jerkwad’s bobbing throat in a heartbeat. Fury pulsed through his reddening neck as he seethed down into the Danann’s face. “You dare to tussle withme? You’d best take me by surprise.”
“Fuck you,” the feyr rasped—in an American accent.
I gasped, dropping Morus’s arms, and stepped forward to watch as the helmed feyr raised his pale, shaking hand and squeezed his fingers into a fist.
The cool breath of mist hit me first, then surrounding jungle wildlife awoke in petrified screaming.
“Danu have mercy,” Morus croaked, blood dripping from his muzzle, as we stared ahead at the sea.
Before us, the always tranquil waters had become a violent thing of nightmares. They’d receded from the beach into a wall, eclipsing view of the moon. A wall that would careen back toward Eden, crash down on the village to destroy everything.Andeveryone.
“Run!” a guttural shriek warned, the masses scrabbling for a shelter with no hope of saving them. Every instinct I had told me to join them, to flee for my life. But I’d die if I did that. So many would die.
Pete’s face drained of blood, watching the tsunami rise. And I knew he was about to kill his assailant to quell his magic. And damned if I could let that happen. Morus was right. This attack wouldn’t end until the invading leader knew I was safe. And his death would only mean more bloodshed.
“Go!” Morus wheezed, shoving me forward with his waning strength. “End this!”
So after one more glance of concern for Morus’s welfare, I dug into myself and regained the reins on my wind. I shot into the sky just as the star-scraping wave bowled forward.
Screams for Danu’s mercy punctuated my descent to the ground. I slammed down beside Pete and the helmed feyr. Pete stumbled aside—giving me enough space to whip the invader back on his keister with a savage wind.
The feyr landed with a clang of armor. His clenching hand flopped open, and he lost grip of his deadly magic. The tsunami halted at the beach like it had hit a barrier.
I stomped down on the feyr’s plated chest before he regained control. Ripped off his helmet. Just as I’d suspected—Briar Hawthorne gaped up at me, lime-green eyes blazing, his auburn hair sweaty and matted. His expression went from indignation, to recognition, to awe. “Amy?” he croaked.
