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Chapter Ten
Astrid
A wall of shadow races towards us, the forest going from bright to dim in an instant. I catch five sets of glowing red eyes out in the woods. What kind of creature they are, I’m not yet sure. But it’s clear from the dark energy pouring off them that they’re not visiting tourists on a hike.
I had really hoped Erik was wrong about the Night Guild.
Lilli clutches to my legs, but she doesn’t tremble or make any sound. Her expression is strangely calm, though her eyes are a bit wide. Magic reverberates around us, both mine and Erik’s, creating a forcefield where we stand, an orb that wraps around us. Adrenaline spikes through my veins. I have to protect Lilli. Nothing else matters.
“Stay here,” Erik growls in a voice so dark and deadly it sends a shiver up my spine.
He lets go of me and strides away from us. A ripple moves over him, and a flash of magic. In a matter of moments, skin turns to silver scale, wings erupt from his back, and Erik grows ten times in size as his dragon comes roaring out of him. He sucks in a breath, his wings flaring out behind him, and then he rains flame across the forest.
It’s not ordinary flame, it’s a pale blue. And it doesn’t burn the trees. It’s pure, raw magic. It surrounds our attackers, and they freeze as if turned to ice. Then they begin to vibrate, and a moment later they burst into a million pieces. Glittering shards fly through the air a couple dozen yards away.
Silence falls over the forest.
And then another wave of dark magic hits me from behind.
I spin and throw power into my magical forcefield to reinforce it as it shakes. The shadows pound against it like a battering ram, trying to break through my defenses. The borders of my orb throw off sparks as the blackness presses into it, rushing around us with a sound like chittering teeth and flapping, leathery wings. I press both hands against my dome of light, bracing against the onslaught.
It’s hard to see anything beyond my circle of light. The forest has become a swirl of rushing darkness, I can’t make out trees or boulders or even the snow anymore. But I see more sets of glowing red eyes popping up in the distance, and this time there are at least a dozen. Lilli does let out a whimper now, huddling between my feet, her hands trembling where she has them wrapped around my legs.
A roar echoes through the forest as Erik charges around us toward the new attackers. I feel the rush of his magic and see a silver glow cast away the shadows as he lets out another burst of flame. This time it burns like normal fire, and there’s a chorus of shrieks and a terrible sizzling sound of flesh burning. But as he attacks that side, another wave of shadows and glowing eyes rush in from the other side again. How many of these things are there?
While still holding the forcefield around me and Lilli with one hand, I raise my other hand and begin to draw glowing runes in the air before me. I draw eight of them, runes of the Völva. They form a circle about twelve inches across, with one rune in the middle, all glowing golden. When I’m finished drawing them, I circle my index finger to rotate the ring, spinning it faster and faster. Then I shove it out past my forcefield and send it racing toward the shadow creatures.
It flies out, the ring growing larger as it moves until it’s the size of a van. The forest lights up, growing brighter and brighter as if the sun itself is rising on the path. The runes begin to shoot light into our attackers, rapid fire like a Gatling gun. Screams ring out and the air burns with heat. The snow around my boots starts to melt as power pulses off of me.
And then the light fades, my enemies vanquished. Something touches my shoulder and I spin, my runes flung up before me like a shield, but it’s Erik. He’s shifted back to human form.
“They’re gone for now,” he says. “We need to get back to the house.”
I nod and he lifts me with one arm as if I’m the same weight as a feather and flings me over one shoulder. He grabs Lilli in the other arm, sitting her up on his hip. Then he shoots forward in a blur of speed that rips the breath from my lungs. In less than sixty seconds we’re back at the house. Erik flings the door open and sets us down on the floor.
“Do you have protective wards on the house?” Erik asks. He doesn’t look winded in the least, even after carrying two people more than half a mile at high speed.
“Of course,” I say. My heart is still racing from our journey, and my head spins. Erik still has his arm around my waist so I don’t tip over from the dizziness. “But I’m about to add more.” I turn to Lilli. “Stay right there.”
I walk back toward the front door and step outside. Erik follows me. “You should watch Lilli,” I say.
“I’m not letting you stand out here alone.” His tone and the way he crosses his arms over his chest make it clear there’s no arguing with him.
I call on my magic again, illuminating the existing wards around the house, which are runes of protection and shielding from enemies. Using my hands I draw more, runes for strength and runes that call on the power of the earth beneath the house. I also draw runes for the sun, to ward off shadows. It takes me a couple of minutes, and when I’m satisfied, I turn back for the door.
“We need to discuss next steps,” Erik says, taking my arm. “They’re going to be back soon.”
I nod. “Let me distract Lilli first.”
We head back in and I bolt the door behind me, then place my hand on it and send another pulse of magic into the walls of the house itself. A shimmer of gold flashes down the halls, over the windows, and along the ceiling.
“Mommy!” Lilli says, flinging herself around my legs as if I’d been gone a year.
I pick her up and carry her into the kitchen, Erik on my heels. “Would you like a cookie?” I ask.
She nods vigorously. I sit her down in one of the chairs at the counter and give her two cookies, along with a glass of milk.
Lilli takes a bite and then says, “Why were monsters chasing us?”
