“A fae without magic powers is a fae who can’t use mana. You’re on the bottom of the food chain, chump’o. As useless as those grimy humans.”
“I’m a brawler.”
“You’re a magicless fae trying to fit in with elemental arcanes!”
“I’m above trying to fit in. How I see myself is what matters.”
“That’s what losers say to feel better about themselves.”
“Sorry, you were entertaining for a while, but now you gotta go.”
“You don’t have the spine to kill me.”
“I’ll let my blade speak on my behalf,” I said, cocking my halberd back. Another civilian, another native of Thalian. I had to keep telling myself that this was all part of war. My other option was letting her go and having her find more victims. Down her path, no one was safe, and her next targets… their blood would be on my hands.
So I gritted down on my teeth and tightened my jaw, bolted my feet down and cocked my sharp blade back. But Lanette had an Ace card—a motherfucking laser eye…
A point blank shot right into my shoulder, barely missing my armor by a thread. If I hadn’t stammered back a bit, she would have caught my chest. When she beamed me, I hadn’t felt the pain, not initially. I was so hot on nerves that what I felt instead was a jolt of electricity passing through my body.
I fell on my ass, my hand cradling my gaping wound. Just as I was struck, the pocket wormhole began to shrink, Pixie regaining her footing.
All of that talking was just to run the timer on the pocket wormhole… Lanette was playing me…
She cackled. “You rookies are so gullible. You’re nothing compared to the true warriors of Mavriel. The Deo squad will shut you down and squash you like a bug!” she taunted, speaking in Pixie’s voice. Lanette dropped her hand to her side and veered her head to her comrade. “You alright there, big mama?”
Pixie dusted the dirt off her abs and then rolled her shoulder back with a mean look on her face. “I’m going to wear you like a scarf!”
I sucked my teeth, my hand quickly reaching for the halberd I tossed on the ground when I got hit. Lanette denied me my last stance, flicking her finger toward my arm and slicing my wrist, making me drop my weapon.
“Party time is over, buddy! Magic beats brute strength every time! Ask the orcs! They’ll tell ya. Oh wait, they can’t cause they’re all dead!” She laughed. “Or they will be, once we get our hands on the Grimoire.”
Pixie marched up to me, an unbridled pain through my body finally kicking in. I couldn’t do anything to save myself, Lanette piercing clean through me. Shit, fight back, Silas! Do something! I begged my body to move, but there was no hope. Pixie yoked me up by my throat and then slammed my back against a tree.
I swear I blacked out. She was so god damn strong, the earth fae taking the breath right out of my lungs.
I struggled to break free from her grasp, but she was unyielding. Her fingers closed around my windpipe as I gasped for air, the smile on Pixie’s face widening.
“Any last words, acolyte?”
“Only one,” someone said from behind us, the sight of Rufian bringing chills down my spine. “Incinerate.”
.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A fucking godsend—Rufian came back to pull my ass out of the fire with some flames of his own.
When he snapped his finger, a raging inferno came for Pixie. Two long whips of flames spiraled around each other and struck her back, the fire spreading rapidly across her body. She screamed, dropping me as she tried to put out the flames. I fell on the ground, gasping for air and clutching my throat as I watched Rufian work up Pixie with his arcane magic.
“This is truly despicable,” he said, standing there with confidence. A hand of ice, and a hand of fire. Lanette couldn’t move, but I could tell by her face that she was two seconds from pissing herself. “The Deo Guild. Lady Lanette, and Lady Pixie. Although, I could hardly call you vicious girls ladies. I thought after the High Order had you imprisoned, you’d learn your place. You served your time, and it was clear to the court that you understood the ramifications of your actions.”
Pixie grunted, getting off of her knee and back on her feet. This time, her focus wasn’t on me, and I was grateful for the break. It gave me time to crack open a vial and chug down a healing potion, Lanette too distracted with trying to break free to disrupt me.
Pixie spat on the ground, flexing her back again. She balled up her fists, ready to fight Rufian. “In the name of mother Mavriel, I will end you and dismantle the High Order with all of my might!”
Rufian grinned. “I’m not associated with the council. However, I do agree with their decision of locking psychotic vigilantes behind bars. Your life ends here.”
The ol’ mighty equalizer. He evened the odds and gave me time to heal. As the heat of the battle in front of me grew, the power behind those two continued to choke me up—Rufian versus Pixie, an arcane duo wielder vs an earth brawler. Stones flew in the air, lava pooled into the sky, and arcane elements danced throughout the woods in a song of fire and ice.
Rufian weaved around her brawler attacks, making sure to keep a gap between them. If she couldn't land a hit, then Rufian could keep up the speed and keep his flame lashes going. Sooner or later, she'd get tired of her legs being bolted down with ice and whipped on her back.
Despite her trials, Pixie didn't give up. Instead of adding more armor, she began to shed some off. It left her vulnerable for Rufian's attacks but it also helped tighten the gap with her makeshift stone scythe she created from her fallen armor.
As hard as it was to believe, Pixie was still getting her ass handed to her.
Pixie gave a loud battle cry that shook the grove as Rufian continued to outwit and out-maneuver her. While he was 30 levels behind her, he was handling his business.
I was itching to step in but I didn’t want to get in Rufian’s way. Safer in the sidelines from the onslaught of elements, I watched on as Pixie made Rufian move. Suddenly, she claimed the distance, being able to maneuver around Rufian’s tricks.
Even though Pixie was advancing, Rufian kept on with a confident smirk on his face, as if he had her right where he wanted her. He conjured up a fiery fire ball and swung it at Pixie, but she managed to block it with her scythe. “You fight with desperation,” he commented, his voice patronizing. “But I fight with conviction.” With that, he sent a swallowing burst of flames toward Pixie, the heat making me turn my eyes away and shirk back.
“Shit,” I winced, crouching away from the fire. But when I turned around and opened my eyes, I saw Pixie charging into the inferno!
The big girl rushed in with her arms crossed over her chest. She was a walking pile-driver, finally catching Rufian off guard. She hid behind his flames while Rufian quickly summoned a large wall of ice. But that didn’t faze the war tank one bit. She bashed right through, then grabbed Rufian by his neck.
I leaped up to help him, however Lanette had other plans. I was intercepted by a spiraling wind tunnel I barely caught at the corner of my eye, the force sweeping me off my feet and tossing me into a tree.
“You’re not going anywhere!” the little girl cried. When I landed on my elbows, I looked up to the huffing and puffing Lanette who had shorter hair and cut sleeves. She must have used her wind blades to cut herself free from the goo, her desperate move allowing her to join the fight again.
