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His steps slowed down, but he was close enough for Orion’s power to reach him. The rest of his group were allowing this poor fool forward to test if he had, in fact, lost his ability to do magic. The silent figures had most likely met him in person before.
Interestingly, there hadn’t even been a trace of shock when he’d mentioned that he was a prince. How many of his old comrades had known who he was all along?
“Next time I ask, it won’t be so pleasant for you,” Orion promised. Not an empty threat and that was even worse. His body craved to be replenished after the bomb had taken everything from him.
“Can you believe this fool?” The Crow scoffed, his magic on full display now, pure energy buzzing in between his fingertips. “You have no power left in you and no one even knows you’re alive…”
All the Corvus’ eyes rested on him. They still seemed unaware of Nava moving in the shadows as she transferred close to Devon’s location, using her last reserves.
“Let’s feed upon his delicious soul and show him what happens when they challenge us,” a voice in his aura called.
Orion’s magic returned to him slowly in swirls of black ink. They wrapped around his body as he gripped the wisps of what power remained awake after being stunned.
The ground and the surrounding buildings had lent him the energy he needed, and he’d accomplished his goal of distracting them. He had enough magic left for a single blast—and now it was time to move.
“Sahir, stand back…” A whispered warning came from the group, even as the young Crow sent his first attack swirling toward Orion.
But it was too late for Sahir to change his mind. Orion barely dodged the spell, and it singed a few feathers on his wings. Anger bloomed hot inside him, and he lifted a hand in the Crow’s direction and gripped his soul.
Sahir moaned and drifted forward on his tiptoes, tugged by the energy of Orion’s curse. A song of laments pierced his surroundings as all the fragmented pieces of old souls swirled around Orion, greeting this new one.
The fresh energy he drew brought back his dormant power. His skin tingled as he fed on and on, until the Crow crumpled forward. It only left him hungering for more.
The Crow who held Devon lifted a trembling knife to his brother’s neck. “Stop, Reaper, or I’ll kill Black.”
A second later, Nava materialized right next to him and stabbed him with her dagger. His scream pierced the silent night.
The ground trembled beneath Orion’s feet. Was that Nava’s doing or his magic? It didn’t matter. They moved in unison, connected by a string of shared energy. Her skin glowed as she danced away from a Crow’s spell and leaned forward to cut through the ropes that tied Devon.
Orion dodged another attack cast by one of the remaining four Crows who approached him. They were keeping a big enough distance that he wouldn’t be able to pull at their souls. Four separate spells shot at him at once, and with his wings, it was near impossible to outmaneuver them all.
He rose up into the sky and flew toward the first, slashing with his sword until it cut through armor, flesh, and the bone of a ribcage. Then he pulled at the energy that remained to allow his magic shield to strengthen as he flew a few meters higher.
“Ark, watch out for—” Nava’s words were drowned out by a battle scream. An arrow sliced through the air, striking his shoulder, followed by another that punctured his right wing.
He lost control and spiraled down to the ground.
Lightning illuminated the sky and struck somewhere nearby. Someone screamed, and the potent stench of singed hair and burnt flesh wafted up to his nostrils. Thunder boomed a second later as Orion landed roughly on the rocky ground, and the glass vial in his pocket cracked open, its gooey liquid seeping through his pants and onto his skin.
The god’s spell took hold of his movements. For a moment, the adrenaline pumping through his veins dulled the ache from his rough landing and the arrows still jutting out of him. But the searing pain returned just as quickly. He needed to keep an eye on what was happening around him, dammit, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think.
Two blurred, winged figures touched down on the ground, chased by trails of shadows. The Dark Ones descended upon the Crows. Were there really just two of them? They looked more like ten.
Then his vision blurred as darkness claimed him.
“Ark, the guards are here.”
Orion blinked. Nava was kneeling beside him. A magical rain fell on him, hot against his icy skin. There was a sound that didn’t make sense until he realized she was repeating the same words again and again. “You are fine. You’ll be fine.”
Was she telling him or talking to herself? Even with his thoughts scattering like birds, he could feel the touch of her healing magic caressing him in spluttering waves that didn’t quite reach him. At least the rain continued to fall. That meant Devon was still alive. Right?
“I need to take these out,” Nava said, grabbing at the shaft of the arrow that stuck out of his shoulder.
“Leave them,” he wheezed, lifting his body with trembling arms, chasing the warmth of her skin. Sometimes, the Society dipped their arrows in poison that was meant to slow down their victims. But he didn’t think his body could handle the pain he was experiencing and the artifact at the same time. At least not without losing consciousness again. Even the blood pouring from the wound felt scalding. “The vial broke. The liquid is on me,” he stuttered.
He tried to look over her shoulder to make out what was happening in the road, but all the shapes were blurry, and he couldn’t tell friend from foe. He met her gaze and pressed his palm to her cheek, but the edges of his vision were already narrowing in.
“You had the artifact?” A brief look of comprehension flashed over her features, quickly replaced by pure panic.
