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The emissary gripped the hilt of his sword with white knuckles, and black power licked over his fingers. The swirls of his sorcery were mere wisps compared to the raw power the king possessed, or even compared to Orion’s magic. But unlike them, the emissary was an immortal with a powerful weapon Orion didn’t know how to avoid.
Without another word, the emissary unleashed himself upon Orion. His strikes were so fast that it was hard to see, let alone run or fly away from. Each time Orion managed to dodge it, he landed on the scalding hot ground that burned through the soles of his boots.
Ash rained down on them as the fire roared closer, strong winds pushing it in their direction.
“Behind you,” a spirit warned, giving Orion just enough time to move out of the sword’s path. Still, the dark tendrils of its attack sizzled through the hairs on his arm.
Another strike and the pointed blade nicked his white shirt. Orion stumbled back and fell to the ground, crushing his wings beneath his body.
The emissary kept a large enough distance between them to prevent Orion from using the full force of his powers. That damn weapon was too strong to approach.
Suddenly, panic and pain flooded the bond in a fierce rush. Orion clutched his stomach with a scream and stared past the dark shape of the undying fae, into the thicket of trees and to a point where he knew Nava must be… Injured.
He jumped to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain that shot from his wings down to his shoulder blades. The emissary couldn’t die, and he might possess a weapon of incredible destruction—but he probably couldn’t fly with those mangled wings.
The air cracked around Orion as he called for a shield of energy to protect him. Then he flew to the highest branch of the nearest tree.
The emissary’s sword chopped it off before he could land somewhere that would hold his weight. Orion pivoted, aiming for an even larger branch instead.
With the distance between him and the magical weapon, it became easier to find the perfect moment to attack. The sword was clearly heavy, and each time the undying fae swung it at him, it seemed to tire him.
It was a marvelous weapon, likely forged by the gods for the gods. It demanded a price in exchange for its use, and his opponent’s strength was fizzling out. The emissary’s skin was shining with sweat. He had completely underestimated Orion’s power and determination to not die.
The next time the fae swung the sword to strike, it took him longer. Orion jumped off the tree he was perching on, his aura calling for blood, and caught his opponent by surprise.
His fist connected with the emissary’s jaw, whose shocked eyes rolled into the back of his head before he fell to the ground like a dead weight. But Orion didn’t stop hitting him. Not even when his vision grayed out and all he felt was bone breaking beneath his knuckles.
The sound of a portal opening barely registered. A sudden force shoved him off the undying, and he skittered across the debris-covered forest floor.
The emissary sat up a heartbeat later, like a puppet pulled from the ground by invisible strings. The broken bones that deformed his face snapped into place. Then his eyes blinked open, and he looked around in a daze, before they widened in understanding.
Mad laughter escaped his bloodied lips, and his shattered teeth healed right in front of Orion’s eyes. He tried to jump the fae again, but some kind of shield held him back.
The emissary hiccuped, a rattle in his breathing. He rose on shaking legs. A red cape slowly appeared on his shoulders, fluttering in the high winds behind him.
The portal grew and sucked the emissary into its black center like a magnet. He clicked his tongue, and for the first time, he abandoned the mask of madness he’d worn before. “Be glad the God of Shadows called me, Prince—for I’m done waiting for my freedom.”
The whistling wind of the portal formed a shield of air that nearly burned Orion’s lashes. Then darkness swallowed the emissary’s body.
Nava. He needed to get to her. Now.
Orion jumped up to the sky, not wasting another second as he followed the pull of the bond through the thick layer of smoke, to where the warm rays of Aristaeus’s magic beckoned him.
Three horned demons remained in the chaos below. But Orion had no trouble locating his soulmate, who lay on the ground, clearly injured. A demon hovered nearby, waiting to devour her.
Orion called her name and jumped on top of the demon. His aura burst around him, and the wisps of his power captured the creature of darkness before it could hurt her further. It screeched, its flames failing as he grabbed the Zorren by its slimy neck, ignoring the burn of its venom against his skin.
All the souls in him feasted on the demon—soulless but so full of power. The Zorren collapsed forward, its body shriveling like dry flowers as Orion drained it until there was nothing left, replenishing the energy he’d wasted while battling the emissary.
He was ready to destroy them all. To make them pay for even dreaming that they could hurt her.
20
NAVA
There was no time to waste. Arkimedes came for her, had saved her, but they weren’t out of danger yet.
Nava rolled over onto her stomach, pushing her body off the ground with trembling arms. Blood dripped from her lesion, leaving warm, sticky trails over her hand as she tried to stem the flow.
