One of the figures was double the height of the other, but they wore identical threadbare trousers and an oversized capelet with a hood. They appeared to be men, but their ashen, weathered skin and gray eyes indicated they weren’t human.
“Savy,” Jaxson said as he slowly stepped forward, “put your moonstone in the orb.”
The instant I moved back toward the orb, the two figures bounded across the courtyard, and they were on us in a second.
Shit, they were fast.
Sam kicked the smaller figure as he lunged at her, and he ricocheted off the wall, but he recovered in a breath and crouched for another strike.
Jaxson ducked under a singing blade that almost took off his head. Panic surged through my veins, and my magic flared. Instinctively, my hand flew out, and a ribbon of shadow shot forward, wrapping around the sword that kissed Jaxson’s chest.
What the hell?
Thathad never happened before. I tugged on the wisp of shadow, and the weapon flew out of the bastard’s grip. Shock cut his grisly features, and he growled before jumping onto Jaxson.
Exhilaration coursed under my skin. Crushing the lion monster with my shadows had been awesome, but this…this was even better. Had the moonstone given me this new magic?
I flung the sword on the pavement behind me, then shot another shadow ribbon at Sam’s attacker. It wound around his neck, and then, with a flick of my wrist, I flung him across the courtyard.
Holy crap!
He hit the stone wall adjacent to us, and his limp body dropped to the ground like a sack of rocks. For a second, it looked like he was smoking, and then he burst with a piercing light that exploded across the courtyard.
I screamed as my eyes burned.
“Fuck!” Sam shouted. “What the hell was that?”
I blinked a couple times until the bright spots cleared from my vision. A pile of ash lay where there should have been a body.
That was definitely one way to go out with a bang.
Jaxson was locked in combat with the other figure, and I had no doubt he’d make short work of him.
“Watch out, they go nuclear when they die!” I shouted. “Don’t get too close!”
Jaxson cursed and kicked the creature in the chest, sending it flying back.
I scrambled over to the orb. Here we go.
Crouching, I jumped with my arms wide and landed on its upper surface with less grace than a drunk girl in heels on the dancefloor. I cursed my throbbing ribs and inched my way up until I could reach the little notch at the top.
Before I got there, another blinding pulse of light consumed the space, and I pressed my face against the orb to shield my eyes.
“I hate those fucking things!” Sam swore.
After a moment, I opened my watery eyes.
“Are you okay up there?” Jaxson shouted.
“Fine! Just a sec.” Once I was sure I wasn’t going to slip off, I scrambled up the last few feet and deposited the moonstone in the opening.
The inaudible thrum of the orb intensified, and it emitted a warm glow, casting a column of light high above the castle—a pylon.
I slid off the orb, landing firmly on my feet. “One down, two to go.”
Jaxson stalked toward me like a predator. His clothes were torn and tattered from the lion attack, and a glistening gash stretched across his chest where a sword had sliced him. Sweat and blood covered his brow, and God, was he beautiful like that.
Clink.
Something bounced on the pavement below the orb. The moonstone. I bent down and picked it up. The thing was warm to the touch, but all of its magic was gone.
“Are you hurt?” Jaxson asked Sam.
“Apart from my eyes, no.” She glanced over at me. “Thanks, by the way. Your magic is getting wicked good.”
“I’m beginning to use my shadows, but I’m not quite sure how this works. I think, in part, it might have been the magic of the moonstone. It gave me a little boost.”
That wasn’t entirely accurate, though. My magic was getting stronger, almost by the day. But using it was also sapping my energy more and more. Without the magic of the moonstone, my muscles felt like jelly.
Jaxson pressed the moonstone he was carrying into my palm. Its magic spilled into my body, filling it with a new reserve of power, and I felt strong again. Invincible.
“Thanks.” I peered up at him, but I couldn’t help my gaze from dropping to his fresh wound. It was already knitting, but his shirt was torn and bloodied. “Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.”
“You had my back.” He touched my cheek and gave me a look that sent fire through me and made my knees tremble. “I’m going to thank you later.”
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling overheated. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Sam chuckled. “Now I know how to get you moving.”