AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Unexpectedly, my skin prickled. A foreign presence was at the edge of the gulley to the west. A male solidified, too far away to see his face, close enough to tell he was in full Shadow Army tactical gear.
“Something’s happened,” Casimir assumed. “They were ordered to stay away from this area.” He shifted into shadow form and jetted off towards the visitor.
“Damn it. Stay here, all of you,” Draven ordered, flying after his cousin.
Lyric came closer. “Release him,” she urged in a low tone. “I think he’s here for Phalen.”
Kree put a hand on Phalen’s arm. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know but that’s one of our veteran army scouts who rarely shows himself.”
Ignoring the dread making itself at home inside my gut, I cut the pipeline to my captive. The magic snapped like a rubber band and crashed into my chest, knocking me off my feet.
For the love of Leucetius!
I sat up, only a few feet from where I’d been, rubbing the back of my head. I blinked at the sight of Phalen sagging to the ground, tears streaming down his face.
“Not good,” I blurted.
“Yeah, no shit,” Lyric laughed, holding out her hand to me as Kree began inspecting my skull.
“Just a goose egg,” she declared. “You’ll heal in a few minutes.”
I pushed myself up to my feet, careful not to allow Lyric to pull much of my weight. “Yeah, my head isn’t what I was worried about,” I panted. My damned adrenaline was spiking.
“Oh?” Kree looked at me with concern.
Lyric leaned closer. “What is it?”
I pointed and the sisters turned.
“Oh shit!” Lyric yelled.
Kree was beside Phalen in an instant with Lyric only two waddles behind. Both were speaking in low murmurs, gently rubbing his back. I approached slowly, careful not to startle him.
I didn’t know what to do.Did I break his mind?
Draven and Casimir appeared behind Phalen. A hint of the Shadow Lord’s magic released. His mouth tightened. “We need to get him to the infirmary.”
“I’ll take him,” Casimir said and bent to help his friend up from the ground.
“I’ll come with you,” I offered, knowing it was my fault Phalen was in this state.
“No, you won’t,” Casimir contended.
“Why not?”
“You just aren’t.”
“Because of the, ah,issuewith ghosting a non-Shadow? I most likely can handle it since my magic can counter the shift.”
“I’m not ghosting anywhere, but that’s the least of our problems, Little Bird.”
“And why is that?”
“Because,” Draven answered before Casimir, “there’s a group of royal emissaries at our border, seeking an audience with the Shadow Lord as soon as possible.”
Oxygen depleted from the space around me. Anxiety wrapped itself around my throat. I unconsciously pooled power into my palms.
