AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ella was chilled to the bone, promising to never do magic without supervision again, when the air shivered around her. A chill breeze swept through the trees, and suddenly, fae warriors began popping into existence.
“Mananan!” Ella ran to him, and he picked her up in his arms and squeezed her. “Thank gods you’re here.”
“I’m never going to sleep again,” he grumbled, kissing her once and putting her back on her feet. “How did you get here?”
In low whispers Ella explained the magic, the potion, and the unexpected dream walk that turned real. Mananan looked torn between worry and fury. Worry won out. He hugged her again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she whispered.
“I know. It doesn’t matter now. We have the upper hand, and we are going to use it,” Mananan replied.
Taranis was scanning the beach with narrowed eyes. “Where are they, Ella?”
“They are there behind wards. I think they are held together by the bone mounds,” she said.
“What bone mounds?”
Ella rubbed a hand over her cold cheek. “Right there! You know what? You all look like you don’t believe me, so I’m going to prove it. Stay here.”
Surprisingly, they all did as they were told without argument.
Ella made sure her hood was up before she walked out of the trees and towards the beach. She went to the nearest bone mound, the skull of some kind of animal sitting on top of it. Not knowing what else to do, she kicked the skull off the top of the mound. An electric shock zapped her foot, and she jumped back, shaking the buzzing from it. Mananan was beside her in a second, scooping her up and running back to the cover of the trees.
“Check her, Taran,” he commanded. His eyes were on the camp that was suddenly in full view.
Taranis touched Ella’s foot, and the electric shocks stopped. “I need to teach you how to disable wards better than booting them.”
“It worked, didn’t it?” she replied.
Taranis grinned. “It did.”
“You lot fan out through the trees until we have the camp surrounded. No one is escaping this time,” Bayn instructed his warriors, and they melted into the shadows.
“Can you use this?” Bron asked and offered Ella a dagger.
“Not really. I know to stick them with the pointy end, and that’s about it,” she replied.
Bron grinned. “Good enough. You can wait close by. If anyone tries to attack you, stab them.”
Ella nodded, feeling a little nauseous. Mananan was speaking with Taranis and pointing.
“The mage is there. I don’t know where the beast is, but if we attack, I’m sure he’ll summon it,” Taranis said.
“I’ll be ready in the water,” Mananan replied and turned to Ella. He bent down and gave her a deep kiss that lingered. “Please stay out of the fight, baby. I can’t lose you.”
“I won’t do anything stupid,” Ella promised him.
Bron’s wings rustled. “I’ll stay with her, uncle. If you need my blade, get a message to me, and I’ll join the fight. If any stragglers try and escape this way, I’ll get them.”
“Thank you, Bron,” Mananan said and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
Ella watched as he headed north through the trees, cutting down to the water and disappearing. She hated feeling so hopeless, but she knew nothing about fighting.
“He’s going to be okay, Ella,” Killian reassured her. He kissed Bron and launched himself into the air.
“Now we wait,” Bron said, though she was tense as a bow string.
Ella whirled toward the beach with the first burst of magic. The mage’s followers were awake, the shadowy figures leaping to their feet in cries of alarm. Fae warriors crept from the trees, and the fight began in a rain of arrows and spells.
