Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“How much longer?” Kieran yelled at Lexi, constantly changing the airflow and messing with the fog, keeping them guessing.
“Just two more prongs,” Lexi said. “The soul will stay in the body if he can keep just two more prongs from deteriorating.”
Kieran labored as more magic crashed down upon them.
“I sure would like to help out,” Bria ground out, knives in hand. “If they’d come closer, I wouldn’t feel like such a freeloader.”
“Ditto,” Jack said.
Another Celestial swooped and two more came in after her. There were about eight in the sky, half of them staying too high to engage in the fight. Watching, it seemed. Magic rained down from the four, and a deep pounding of pain and agony felt like it was twisting Zorn’s bones.
“Do you want me to let him die?” Lexi roared, looking up from where she knelt over the Celestial’s body. She put her hands wide for showmanship, not needing them for her soul magic. They wouldn’t know that. “He’s barely holding on. If I leave, he’ll die, and we’ll make it through the gate anyway. You must know you can’t stop us. Is that what you want?”
Lightning again spiderwebbed across the sky, just barely missing everyone in it. Dylan’s control was incredible, and his warning was plain. He could fry them. Rocks tore from the ground and through the rifts in the ground that the fae before them had created. They blasted into the sky, more warning. Kieran stilled the air and pulled back the fog.
“What are you?” a Celestial called out.
Lexi went back to looking at the male on the ground. “A Demigod Spirit Walker. A Soul Stealer, when I need to be. Right now, I’m trying to keep this guy’s soul in place while his body rejuvenates. He’s almost there. He’ll be right as rain…except for maybe a little PTSD.”
“Humans shouldn’t be this powerful, Demigod or no,” the Celestial said.
Lexi laughed. “I have news for you…” She spread her hands again. “I might be a smidge more so because of my bond with another Demigod”—she hooked a thumb at Kieran—“but ultimately, yeah, humans have about the same level of power as you. Good thing for us the books were wrong about your power, huh?”
The Celestial lowered in the air, hesitantly getting closer. “What do you want with these lands?”
“At least she didn’t just assume we wanted a deal,” Donovan murmured.
“Good looking out—no one make any deals,” Bria said.
“Our ward was taken from the human lands,” Kieran said, his voice deep and full of confidence. “She is in Faerie against her will. We seek to reclaim her.”
“We have zero desire to be here. Trust me,” Lexi said. She pushed to standing and pointed down at the Celestial. “He’s got a wing that’s all fucked up. He might need a hand back to…wherever, but he’ll live. I think his heart stopped for a bit, but he should be good now.”
She took a deep breath and stepped back.
“Listen,” she continued, “I hear you people—creatures, whatever—can read minds. You’re welcome to come and get the answers you seek. I’ve got nothing to hide. I want my ward, and then I never want to see one of your kind again. If you were doing your jobs, I wouldn’t be here in the first place.”
“That’s one direction to take things,” Bria mumbled.
The Celestial on the ground sucked in a breath and started coughing.
The Celestial in the sky lowered slowly, several others hurrying to join her. They’d descend in a group. More gathered above, staying high. They didn’t plan to get involved. Or maybe they were waiting for someone else to cross the fringe.
The Celestial at Lexi’s feet groaned and patted himself, trying to hold himself in a few different places. He might’ve healed enough to live, but it still hurt. The others landed, their gazes going to him quickly and lingering. They cared about his wellbeing.
Seeing that he was doing okay, the female neared cautiously. Her eyes flicked between Kieran and Lexi, the others right behind her.
“We’re going to take the wounded,” she told Lexi.
Lexi took a step back and Kieran went with her, giving them plenty of space. The three Celestials behind rushed forward and helped the wounded stand. He was barely able to, needing more time to heal. Two of them grabbed him and pushed off into the sky, their wings making a humming sound as they went.
The female locked eyes with Lexi for a long moment. Silence fell around them. Zorn watched the body language but neither gave anything away.
“I just want her back,” Lexi said. “I don’t need your help, and I don’t want to make a deal. I’ll either force my way through the fringe and Faerie beyond, or I will walk a red carpet, but I will get through.”
“A red”—the Celestial cocked her head—“carpet? What is…”