Atlas’s shadows exuded from him as all their necks remained craned, watching. “What in the name of Irah…”
The owl shrieked once more before it dove, talons outstretched. Itslammed into Atlas's chest with a violent flap of wings, claws raking down his front. He stumbled back, shadows exploding in all directions. But the owl held fast, snapping at his face, beating its wings furiously.
“What thefuck!” Atlas screamed as it bit into his shoulder, blood blooming through his fine tunic.
A single golden eye met Draevyn’s in the chaos, and it was then he realized Jak was trying to cause a distraction.
The guards charged, swords raised, but their run came to a halt at the sight of Lephyrin’s Phoenix. Draevyn’s palms sizzled as fire danced across his skin, heat shimmering in the air around him. With a single, furious sweep of his arms, their blades succumbed to the unnatural heat, and the tips’ edges curled like parchment in flame.
Draevyn’s chest heaved as his power surged hot enough to melt the weapons from the men’s hands. They gasped as the blades dripped molten rivulets that hissed as they hit the ground.
Well,thatwas different, but a handy trick, nonetheless.
There was a heartbeat of stunned silence before he met the terror-filled eyes of the guards. He glanced at Atlas, pulling out Jak’s feathers with grunts as he tried to free himself of the owl’s claws. Varis tried to aid him, holding his blade in the air ready to swing, but Atlas was moving too frantically to swipe.
One of the soldiers took a step toward Draevyn as he was distracted.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” he warned.
But the guard only raised his fists as he looked Draevyn up and down. Then he attacked.
“Fucking Irah,” Draevyn huffed, right before his fist cracked into the man’s jaw, sending him sprawling.
Another guard came at him as he swung a shield, but Draevyn ducked and drove his elbow into the soldier’s gut. A third caught him with a punch to the ribs. He grunted before grabbing the man by the collar and slamming him face first into the wall of the prison.
As the guards tried to push themselves to their feet, he ran to his men, who were still bound and bloody. “Hold still,” he growled,trying to catch his breath. A pulse of heat melted the chain linking the iron shackles like wax, freeing their hands from the bindings.
Grabbing both Sam and Tommy by their arms, he heaved them to their feet. “Get up.Move!” He couldn’t help his tone. If they were caught again, they were fucked.
Draevyn turned toward the soldiers pursuing them once more, and with only a look, each of them went up in flames, turning to ash that instantly glided away on the wind. They were there one moment and gone the next.
“Holy fucking hells, Drae,” Sam breathed, his jaw falling open.
“This way!” Draevyn barked, shoving his two men toward the horses.
Behind them, Atlas wrestled the owl off, his shadows lashing at the bird like whips.
“Jak, go! Now!” Draevyn bellowed.
Jak launched himself back into the air before he could be caught, flapping away into the darkness.
Draevyn, Sam, and Tommy raced toward the horse post. Draevyn reached them first, throwing himself onto the back of the black stallion he rode in on, gripping the reins as Sam vaulted up beside him on one of the guard’s grey mares. Tommy was older, slower, but scrambled after them, narrowly dodging a crossbow bolt that slammed into the wooden post behind them.
“Tommy, hurry!”
He’s not going to make it.Draevyn’s heart leapt in his throat as he kicked his heels into the stallion’s sides. The horse burst forward, hooves thundering across the earth.
He barreled toward Tommy, his hand outstretched as arrows rang out from all around them, coming down from the prison’s roof.
Draevyn reached out, grabbed Tommy by the arm, and heaved as hard as he could, his horse never halting. Tommy leapt up, slamming into the saddle with a grunt. They turned and bolted as he just barely pulled himself up behind Draevyn.
“Godsdammit, boy,” Tommy grumbled behind him. “You should’ve left me. I’ll only slow you down.”
“You know me better than that,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Aye,” Tommy said with a half laugh. “That I do, lad.”
The stallion staggered under the weight of them both but held.
