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But it was the shrieking of the wraiths that hurt his sensitive vampire hearing, a sound designed to frighten their opposition.
He drew to a stop, hovering in the air three hundred yards from the nearest conflict.
Alexandra the Bad drew close. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“If you and your fae sisters need to leave, I understand.”
“Not on your life, but thank you for the thought. We’re here to support you and to support Willow. We’ll see this through. We’re all citizens of the Nine Realms and that bitch needs to be stopped.”
Malik itched to join the physical fighting as well. He could see Zane in the distance battling three pairs at once and looking righteously powerful as his blue shield held against all kinds of physical weapons. But one by one, his assailants fell to the earth.
Glancing once more into the forest, he saw his Troll Brigade move with great care as they bound up any surviving wraith-pairs. Zane would have had them killed outright, but Malik wanted Samantha of Bergisson Realm to have a chance at rehabilitating as many as possible. The bonded realm-person, usually taken against his or her will, deserved a chance at being restored to normal realm life. Those bonded to wraiths were enslaved to the wraith without the ability to fight that bond.
Because Malik could see that the combined forces would be victorious, he started to relax.
But at that moment, the entire northern section lit up in a golden glow and he knew exactly what it meant.
“Shit.”
“Oh, no,” Willow murmured. “Margetta’s got at least another two hundred wraith-pairs with her. Our forces will be overwhelmed.”
“Unfortunately, you’re exactly right.”
As the additional wraith-pairs entered the battlefield in the air, Zane shouted for a retreat, something Malik would have done as well. They needed to regroup.
But the In
victus, under Margetta’s direction, swept after the retreating Guardsmen and forced engagement.
Malik knew they’d be wiped out if something wasn’t done.
His warrior instinct was to take off and join the fray. But his recent bond with Willow as well as his realization that he needed to expand his thinking into much larger teamwork, forced him to hold back.
What was needed was fae power to counteract Margetta. If they could force her to leave the field, her Invictus would be thrown into disarray.
To his team, he said, “Because we’re outnumbered, we can’t fight a straight up battle. Instead, we need to focus on Margetta. If we can somehow oppose her fae power, we’ll have a chance.”
“I think you’re right,” Willow said. The five fae added their agreement.
“Willow, I’m going to release you to levitate on your own. I didn’t tell you what happened at my house, but Margetta held me in a spell and I only escaped because of the vibration from the earth. I want you to engage the heartbeat of the Nine Realms right now. I’m convinced that’s what will turn the tide of the battle.”
She nodded her acquiescence, then slid away from him to levitate easily in the air. Malik encouraged the five fae to form a circle and a moment later all seven joined together in the air by holding hands.
Willow closed her eyes even while levitating.
And just like that, he felt the vibration from the earth travel through the night sky, passing through his body and Willow’s. The same powerful frequency then sped quickly through the five fae.
As the waves began an outward progression, Margetta’s golden light wavered. She must have understood the danger, because she headed straight for them.
“Looks like the Ancient Fae is worried,” he said.
Willow nodded. “But even if she draws close, don’t pay her any attention. She won’t be able to touch us.”
Margetta had assumed her wraith-form and arrived with a shriek louder and more piercing than anything he’d heard before. Willow’s hand clamped around his as did the fae to his left.
The Fae Guild women began to chant and the earth’s power flowed.
Margetta made sweeping passes overhead. She threw red arcs of battle energy in their direction, trying to disrupt them. But Willow was right; they couldn’t be touched, not joined as they were with one intent, one purpose.
