Page 10 of Rage of Her Ravens
“I have no choice.” Thorin shrugged, unmoved by her pleas. “We must save Flora and her unborn daughters at all costs.”
“No, no!” Flora sat up, dragging a hand down her face. “Our friends come with us.”
Tobias spun around, his wings nearly smacking Thorin’s head. “Fetch our sons!” he called to the servants.
Two young women, who looked to be mostly human with slightly tapered ears, bowed and quickly left the room, leaving behind just a frightened human male servant who stood by the door, his knees shaking with fear.
“They will be safe,” Thorin said with a grin as he slowly stood and adjusted his robes. “Malvolia will take pity on them when she learns you were murdered by Derrick.”
Thorin swore the temperature in the room heated up by at least twenty degrees when both Ravini noblemen glared at him.
Flora gasped. “Thorin, what are you talking about?”
Derrick’s top lip pulled back in a snarl, thick smoke rising from his hands. “We’re not hurting our friends.”
Before the fire mage could attack, Thorin hit them all with a blast of white light so powerful the magic burned when it was pulled from him. His knees weakened from the energy he’d had to use, but he blew out a breath, forcing himself to remain strong. He’d used too much magic these past few days, and his fatigue was catching up to him.
Chara whimpered, and Derrick and Tobias jerked forward, fighting at those invisible chains that bound them. The male servant slumped against the wall, his mouth dropping open in shock. Thorin unsheathed his blade and sliced Chara and Tobias’s throats, stepping back before they crumbled to the ground. He winced when blood sprayed from the gaping wounds in their necks and splattered across his robe. How he hated killing. Such messy business. He’d be relieved when he and Flora were far away from here where they could start a new life together, a peaceful life far removed from all the bloodshed. And when time came to defeat Malvolia, he would be sure to take a back seat to the chaos.
Thorin stepped up to Derrick. “Listen to me closely. Chara and Tobias deceived you and tried to kill you.”
Derrick slowly nodded.
“They wouldn’t do that,” Flora cried out. “They’re our friends.”
Thorin spun toward the sofa, surprised to see Flora was sitting up and looking straight at him with clarity in her eyes. Why wasn’t his magic working on her?
He hit her hard with another blast of light. She fell back against the sofa as if she’d been struck, then blinked at him in a daze.
He’d forgotten that stronger witches required more mind-bending magic. Still, he wasn’t about to risk having to blast her again and frying her brain. “Fine,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “Your friends were killed by Malvolia’s mages while defending you.” He turned toward the human and waved her forward. “This peasant girl has willingly agreed to trade places with you, Flora.” He snatched the girl’s wrist, ignoring her cry of pain when he dug his nails into her skin. “You will trade faces with her, and you and I will escape to Caldaria.”
Flora’s mouth fell open. “But they will kill her.”
Curse the elements! “Better her than you,” he seethed.
“It’s wrong.” Flora shook her head, her eyes focusing again. “She is with child.”
Smoke began to fill the room as he stalked toward her. “No, Flora, this girl has a stomach tumor.” He waved toward the human with a snarl. “She is dying. She wants to do this for you.”
Flora blinked at him. “I will not leave Derrick.”
Thorin fought the urge to tear out his hair as he dragged a frustrated hand through his beard. “Flora, they will kill you if you don’t leave.”
She blinked at him again. “I will not leave him.”
“Fine!” Cursing, Thorin threw up his hands, then ducked and swore when a flaming rock shattered the window and landed on the carpet. “He and the servant will trade bodies. The servant wants to save Derrick. He’s also ill and hasn’t much longer to live.”
Flora blinked again, unmoved by the smoke that filled the room. “This is wrong.”
Thorin hit her with another blast of light, this one draining all his remaining magic. “You will do what I say, Flora,” he spoke through a wheeze, his chest tightening. “Understood?”
“Yes,” she answered, her eyes glossing over.
“Good.” He smoothed trembling hands down his robes. “Let’s get to work.”
He’d have no choice but to let Derrick come along after all the magic he’d used. He’d need a strong fire mage to protect them until he could regain his strength. Curse Flora for draining him!
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