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Their enormous hands take hold of the metal bars and bend them back, a high-pitched squeal vibrating through them as the magic tries to fight against it, but it won’t hold for very long.
“Take your places everyone,” Landon commands, raising his voice to be heard over the panicked shouts. The teams spread out, making a star-like formation as they must’ve practiced.
“We’ll stay close to you,” Greyson murmurs. He and Carter break away from their group as the rest take their position just before the stairs.
“We all stay together,” I say, locking eyes with Denver, then Landon, Harper, hell even Jakob, Samuel and Luke. “We have each other’s backs.”
“We’re a team,” Denver agrees, clasping my shoulder. The small touch sends waves of comfort through me, while also silently communicating the strength of his sentiment to his friends.
They all silently nod, the reality of today sinking in as the metal groans in the background, underlining just how little time we have left.
“Try to get the monster in the middle of the group, and don’t try to take them on one on one,” Landon reminds us, his tawny-brown eyes locking with mine in a silent plea as though he’s attempting to speak directly to me. “Use the entrapment spell the most, while Carter and I help to send them back.”
“Let’s do this,” Harper says, and we all move to our places on the driveway, taking a spot near the center of the already gathered teams.
“Landon,” I murmur, catching him as the others take a few steps away. “I need you to teach me the portal spell.”
“Aria, it’s—”
“You know that the magic isn’t a problem for me,” I say, cutting him off.
“But with your history with—”
“I don’t care,” I say, cutting him off. “I can do this, and I won’t let someone else potentially die. Besides, if you don’t tell me I’ll just get Carter to teach me.”
He exhales sharply, giving me a stern expression but finally he relents. “The spell isPorta Thaedan, but you need to visualize a ripple in the fabric between our realms and feed it your magic slowly. Who knows what would happen if you used the full force of your powers on it.”
A shiver runs up my spine at that and I nod, stowing that information away. Nope, we definitely do not need another rift, that’s for sure.
“Be careful, and only take that risk if Carter or I are unable to open one for you,” Landon warns, his hand twitching at his side as though he wishes he could reach out for me.
I give him a small smile, about to reassure him, when the shriek of shredding metal pierces my ears. We hurry to join the others just as a crash echoes from the gate, the metal magically-reinforced bars finally falling.
The four ogres stomp over the warped metal, their red eyes gleaming with malice as they survey our gathered forces. The teams at the front begin to methodically work their way forward, the witches and warlocks flinging attack spells to knock them off guard before they use the entrapment spell. A chorus of stomping footsteps echo around us, coming from the other side of the now destroyed gate.
My stomach sinks with worry, but I cling on to that final shred of hope that it might be the reinforcements that Landon called for. But that faith is ripped away in the next moment as a horde of monsters appears from the thick cover of trees. Some with sharp razor-like teeth grin manically, while others with long sharp talons let them glint in the sunlight, a silent promise to rip our flesh from our bones.
This is it. The threat that my familiar mentioned, and if we fail, I have no doubt in my mind that all of our lives will be taken today.
“We call upon the power of our ancestors before us,” I call out, tipping my head back and raising my hands to the sky, collecting my power within them. “It is our duty to protect this town you built with your blood, sweat, and tears. Lend us your strength now, and goddess protect all gathered with us.”
“Aria,” Carter hisses incredulously, but I can’t take it back now, nor would I want to. Landon’s eyes widen in horror as he realizes what I’ve just done.
My magic swirls above me, the golden flecks sparkling as the sun beams down on me. My invocation of the goddess only strengthens my power as I send it out in front of me, flying over the heads of our gathered fighters and slamming into the once solid wall of monsters. The four ogres are frozen in their tracks, struck with an entrapment charm that immobilizes them while the rest of my power sends the horde hurtling back.
Trickles of magic sweep over our teams, and I instinctively recognize it as protective charms. The grounds are plunged into silence for only a moment before roars of battle cries erupt through our forces and they launch into motion, portalling the frozen ogres away and entrapping the first few monsters, staggering to get to their feet.
“Well that was a surprise,” Denver quips, giving me a wry grin before he launches into action, motioning for the others to join in the ensuing battle.
“Glenda is going to—”
“I don’t care about that old witch,” I interrupt Carter, not wanting to think about the hell our grandmother is going to rain down on me because of this. “Let’s focus on surviving this first.”
Carter gives me a tense nod and we jump into action. Carter goes to his team, him and Greyson—now in his wolf form—taking the points closest to me. He leans against me briefly in a show of comfort and support, his dark brown fur soft against my leg. He seems to be bursting with energy now but I can’t help but worry after seeing the deep exhaustion set on his face earlier. His golden-brown eyes flash with warning, and I swear I can almost hear his insistence to stay safe ring through my mind before he jumps into action. His sleek, strong form launches at a hellhound, and he sinks his gleaming canines into its throat while Carter casts the entrapment spell and portals him away. They work in perfect synchronicity, anticipating each other’s moves and showing their skill and teamwork.
Movement draws my gaze as Denver casts the entrapment spell on a monster, his tusks snapping at Denver viciously, but he’s stuck in place. I rush over to him as another monster approaches him.
“I’ll portal while you get the next one,” I say, gesturing to the approaching harpy, coming our way. He doesn’t bother arguing with me and instead launches a stun spell at the harpy, catching her off guard while he draws the power to entrap her.
