She backed away another step, heart racing.
Raine’s angry with you. He’s coming to help.
“No! Tell him to get everyone out. Head home. We’ll meet you.”
He refuses to listen.
“Tell him that’s an order. From the princess.”
Andras continued to approach, the smile never leaving his face. “I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up to rescue the general.”
Ava shrugged, preparing to use her magic to trap him. She lunged, vines bursting from the ground, but he was quicker and had her wrapped in his shadows in seconds. His magic pulled her to the ground on her hands and knees. She couldn’t move, couldn’t use her own magic to get away.
With a feral snarl, she pushed with all her strength, but the darkness held fast, writhing around her as a living breathing entity.
“I knew you’d come for the book.” He knelt before her, a dagger appearing in his hand. His shadows pulled one of her arms forward, raising her upturned hand toward him. He gripped her wrist, then sliced her palm.
“No!” she screamed.
With an agonizing twist of her arm, he slammed her palm to the ground.
Right on top of symbols that had been traced in the dirt.
No no no.
“Luna! He’s opening a portal!”
Get out of there.
“He’s too strong!”
Even with her increased strength, he was much too powerful. She couldn’t get away. Would never escape.
Ava squirmed, attempting to free herself from the shadows, panting as she attempted to pull her hand away from the ground. But it was too late. A prickling sensation overwhelmed her as her blood activated the symbols beneath her hand. Vision fuzzy, she watched in horror as a swirling black vortex formed.
Wind billowed, whipping her braid. The portal expanded, growing larger until it was tall enough for daemons to walk through.
“Thank you, dear,” Andras said, standing beside her.
Ava screamed, trying again to pull away, her body trembling with the effort, but the shadows kept her restrained. This couldn’t be happening. What had she done?
A flash of white fur appeared out of the corner of her eye. Luna leaped at Andras, her sharp teeth piercing his thigh. Andras shouted, distracted enough that his shadows fell. Luna darted out of his way, avoiding his attack.
Time to go,Luna said as Remy exited the tent, book in hand.
“What do we do about the portal?”
You don’t know how to close it. We must leave. Now.
Ava jumped to her feet and raised her hands, allowing her magic to take over. With a surge of power, a giant purple flower burst from the earth and swallowed Andras. He bellowed in fury, muffled beneath the petals.
“Run!” Ava ordered Remy. “This won’t hold him for long.”
With one last glance at the portal, just as an armored boot stepped through, they took off to the tree line, Luna bounding alongside them.
“Faster, Remy.” They leaped over a ruined tent and increased their pace. Ava’s lungs burned; her heart raced; her thighs ached as she pushed herself as hard as she could, pulling Remy alongside her.
A spear of black shadow shot toward a tree. Splinters of wood exploded as the tree fell with a crack, landing in their path. Without breaking her stride, Ava lifted Remy over it and continued to run.
