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He was just taking off in levitated flight, heading west down the main street, when it was as though the night sky broke open. A burst of light made her cover her eyes. When it was dark again, she saw a powerful Invictus wraith-pair floating in the air a few feet from Devyn. At the same time, a swirl of gray mist quickly surrounded the pair, though encompassing Devyn as well.
She recognized the mist as something a powerful fae could create, but there was no such realm-person present. Then she realized the wraith had created the mist. She’d never been more shocked. What was she looking at?
She drew close to the nearest building, her heart pounding all over again.
Despite her fears, she drew her phone from her jeans pocket. Her hands trembled as she punched in the number for the Vampire Guard Emergency Call Station. She explained the situation, gave her location, then stated Devyn was battling a wraith-pair.
Once she was assured a patrol had been dispatched, Emily stared in horror at the Invictus couple. She put her phone away well aware her fingers still shook. She had no idea how soon more Guardsmen would arrive to help, but she knew Devyn was in trouble, just as Kyle had said.
The wraith was huge and the female vampire was building up her red Invictus battle energy. But where had they come from? Tannisford was supposed to be free of the Invictus now. A final battle two months ago had ended the Ancient Fae’s bid for a Nine Realms takeover. Margetta had built an Invictus army, but Mastyr Stone and the other ruling mastyrs, with Rosamunde’s help, had defeated them all.
On top of that, every Vampire Guard in all Nine Realms had supposedly hunted down the last of the Invictus pairs. So, what did this mean? Where had this pair come from? And how could this wraith have so much power?
As the wraith moved, more of the strange gray mist flowed from his body, cloaking himself, his female vampire mate and Devyn.
Emily clung to the shadows of the building as the large male wraith began to fly in a tight, fast circle above Devyn’s head. The vampire in turn levitated around Devyn as well, though lower yet parallel to her mate and adjacent to Devyn.
Emily didn’t see how Devyn could battle them both at the same time. When the wraith started to shriek, Emily had to cover her ears. She’d never heard a worse sound in her life.
Yet as she glanced out at the shops and sidewalks, everyone was going about their business. She realized the mist was creating a private space for whatever would happen during the battle and no one else would be able to see them. That she could, she set down to her own growing powers, the ones Vojalie had been encouraging for the past two years.
She thought about going to the Wild Boar in case there were any Guardsmen who could help out. But she doubted they’d be able to see past the mist. She suspected only a vampire as powerful as Mastyr Stone would have that ability.
Emily began to creep in the direction of Devyn and the wraith-pair. She could feel the heavy vibration of Devyn’s battle power as he prepared to fight.
She knew a lot about realm warfare, having been a girlfriend to a Guardsman for many years. Because of it, she knew Devyn faced a wraith he couldn’t defeat. Even now, despite his mastyr power, he couldn’t seem to gain control of the field.
Devyn aimed one hand up toward the wraith and leveled the other at the vampire. He rotated as the pair moved around him. He sent streams of blue battle energy both directions. But the wraith flipped easily through the air avoiding a hit as did the vampire.
Each then turned and swept closer to Devyn. They aimed their Invictus red streams at him simultaneously. He met the attack with his own battle energy so that red and blue sparks showered everywhere. But no one on the street noticed. Only she could see them.
Yet, she felt the same presence – Kyle’s maybe – at her back, pushing her forward. Help him, Em.
Suddenly, the wraith and the vampire attacked Devyn at the same time. The wraith moved in from above and the vampire darted behind Devyn.
Emily saw the blade go into Devyn’s shoulder, close to his neck.
As Devyn fell several feet to his knees, the wraith gave a shout of triumph.
Emily was close to Devyn now. She had to help him or he would die.
Without giving it a thought, she flew toward him in a quick dart. She gathered her time-pathing power at the same time. The moment the vampire would have sent the dagger a second time deep between Devyn’s shoulder blades, Emily reached him and pulled him into the time-path.
Through the blurred wall, she saw the vampire’s completed strike. The blade had moved through nothing but air. One thing was clear to Emily. The wraith and his vampire mate had come specifically to Millerell to slay Devyn. But why?
She turned her attention to him. Blood poured from his wound.
For her own sake, she moved the time-path with a sweep of her hands down the street and into a nearby moonlit field west of the village. Because she kept him in the time-path, she knew no one would be able to see them. In that sense, they were both safe.
“Emily.” Devyn’s deep voice sounded weak. “I need help.” He was still on his knees, barely able to sustain his position.
“I’m here. Let me see what I can do to stop the bleeding.” She placed both her hands on the wound. She knew she was a fae of power and had practiced the art many times before. But never with a wound this severe.
She had to calm her heart. It was beating too fast and too hard. She almost had a pain in her chest.
She took deep breaths as she let her fae healing flow into Devyn. She called on the Goddess and begged for her help.
Feed him, returned to her. Again, it sounded like Kyle’s voice. But how was that possible?
