Page 21 of Outnumbered

Caleb stepped in front of me, hands out, and his shield surrounded the entire VIP section just as the magic reached the ropes.

The magic sizzled against the shield, but didn’t deflect or disappear.

Caleb scowled and grunted.

Was the power so strong his shield couldn’t defeat it?

The white-haired man walked towards us as everyone on the dancefloor screamed and tried to flee.

The guards advanced, some in werewolf warrior form and some with magic in their hands.

The white-haired man battled with them, but my eyes were on Caleb.

His brows were furrowed and sweat was beading on his head as he continued to keep the shield up. The red magic continued to sizzle against it.

“What do you need?” Riddick asked.

“I don’t know. It’s not a magic I’ve seen before,” Caleb grunted.

Stepping forward, I set a hand on his shoulder, feeling a need to touch him. “Can we teleport away?”

“I’m not sure what the magic is. It might hurt the others here if we leave,” he said and his lip twitched in a snarl.

Right, he was a prince, a king and he didn’t want others to get hurt because he fled.

“Get Ember out of here,” Caleb ordered Triston and Branson. “Go to someplace safe while we handle things here.”

“No, I’m not leaving,” I snapped and gripped his shoulder tighter. “We’re pack, we don’t separate just to save one of us.”

“You’re what matters to us, Ember,” Riddick said.

“No,” I growled. Looking back, I realized the man had defeated the guards and was heading closer to us.

“Caleb, what do you want me to do?” Gavin asked.

“Flee,” Caleb ordered him.

“Caleb,” Gavin growled.

“He’s after us, Uncle. Please, take your friends and the others and flee. Get as many to safety as you can. I don’t know what this magic is.”

Gavin growled, nodded, and started shouting for everyone in the VIP section to head towards the exits.

Caleb grunted and the shield wavered. “I’m going to have to drop the shield. We need to move out of the magic’s way. Ready?”

We all nodded.

“Now!” he shouted, grabbed me, and jumped to the right.

The red magical ball hit the booth in the exact spot I’d been sitting. It exploded and then imploded, destroying the part of the booth and table.

Holy acorns, that would have definitely killed me.

Riddick and Branson in warrior forms fought against the white-haired man.

Caleb stood and ran his hands along my arms.

“I’m good, go,” I ordered him as I regained my breath from getting the wind knocked out of me.