Page 22 of Call of A Eagle

There was a difference.

“Now,” Xander whispered.

Shifter magic surged through the air and Alma’s owl burst from her in the next instant.

Shit. Now I’d have to fight an old woman.

Alma’s movements were stiff, and I knew it was because Xander controlled her. She didn’t want to fight me or Lyra. This was all against her will.

I remembered what that felt like, and I hated it for her.

“Lyra, stay back,” I warned.

I couldn’t let her get caught in the crossfire of this, and I damn sure didn’t want her to unintentionally harm her grandmother. She’d never forgive herself for it. I knew she wouldn’t.

How the hell was I going to put an end to this madness?

As Alma’s owl took flight, my heart sank. I couldn’t let this escalate into a full-on battle. I needed to break Xander’s control over her without causing any harm to the old woman. My eagle stirred within me, and I gave in, shifting in a rush of feathers and wind. Maybe I could draw her attention away, make her chase after me.

I soared through the open front door and outside. Alma followed. My eagle instincts kicked in, and he took us high in the sky. He knew Alma wasn’t the enemy, though. We couldn’t use our full strength against her. We couldn’t stray too faraway either, because that would leave Lyra with Xander—which wasn’t going to fucking happen.

My eagle glanced at the cabin. Lyra had made her way into the driveway below us. She watched on in horror, her eyes darting between her grandmother and my eagle.

Flying closer to Alma’s owl, my eagle tried to graze her with his talons just enough to have her retreat, but not to intentionally cause her harm.

“Waylen, no!” Lyra shouted.

Shifter magic filled the air again, and in the next instant, Lyra’s owl was in the air with us. My eagle drew back, giving Lyra and Alma room. They circled one another, locking in an airborne dance.

Was Lyra attempting to tire her grandmother’s owl out?

If so, it was a good strategy.

Movement on the ground caught my eagle’s attention. Xander had stepped into the driveway too. Shifter magic sparked in the air around him as he gave way to his raven. While he was smaller than my eagle, what he lacked in size, he made up for in speed, because he was on us in an instant.

Xander’s raven dove at my eagle, but he dodged him. Barely. The wind from Xander’s raven’s wings brushed against my feathers, and even my eagle thought it was too close of a call.

When Xander’s raven lunged at us again, my eagle was ready. As our wings clashed with a force that sent us both tumbling through the sky. However, my eagle’s talons managed to graze the raven’s side.

A surge of satisfaction rushed through us both, intensifying when dark feathers fell from him.

Xander’s raven recovered quickly, though. His beady eyes burned with fury as he locked his sights on my eagle, but then he dove toward where Alma and Lyra’s owls circled one another below.

It was such a Lucius move.

My eagle dove after him, knowing we couldn’t let him get to them. Xander’s raven was fast, but my eagle forced himself to be faster. With a powerful beat of his wings, he intercepted him, forcing Xander’s raven to veer away from the owls or collide with us. He veered, but my eagle stayed on him. Extending his talons, my eagle gripped hold of Xander’s raven mid-air and squeezed, sinking his talons deep into him. A sharp cry escaped the raven’s beak, but pain shot through my eagle’s side moments later as Xander’s raven struck him, his beak drawing blood.

Still, my eagle didn’t let go.

Lyra’s owl swooped in, striking Xander’s raven and putting an end to his relentless pecking at my eagle’s side. My eagle didn’t let go even then. Instead, he tightened his grip, drawing an angry caw from Xander’s raven.

It looked like a coordinated attack was the way to go.

Lyra’s owl swooped around, ready for round two, but Xander’s raven let out a harsh, guttural caw before she reached him. It was filled with an unnatural darkness that seeped into the surrounding air, thickening it to a near-suffocating density. It unsettled my eagle and me, causing a chill to run through us both.

Which was all the distraction Xander’s raven needed to free himself from our grip.

My eagle soared after him, his wings cutting through the air with a force I hadn’t realized he possessed, but Xander’s raven was too fast. He used his smaller size to his advantage, weaving through the trees with an agility my eagle’s larger form struggled to match.