Page 103 of Wings of Snow

The knife whistled through the air. At the last second, Ilara crouched to avoid the blow, the blade missing her by a hair’s breadth.

Savage fury fired through me when the warlock raised his weapon again just as my guards and I arrived at Ilara’s side.

In a blink, the warlock was gone.

Chest heaving, I whirled around to see the warlock reappear by the Fire Wolf.

The warlock’s arm swiped out, catching the hunter in the stomach. A flash of red appeared through the Fire Wolf’s clothing as he let out a hiss of pain.

Faster than the wind, the warlock was before us again.

Dear gods.

Magical spells flew from the warlock’s fingertips, glowing curses shooting toward us one after the other. In a heartbeat of stunned realization, I knew he’d been holding back. Seconds prior, the warlock had been toying with us, enjoying the scene as we stumbled over our feet as his superior magical capabilities stayed in check.

But now he wasn’t holding back.

Dozens of spells arced through the air, the force of them coming so fast I only had a chance to blink before they were upon me.

It took all of my training, all of my skills, to avoid one after another.

Flashes of movement showed my guards and Ilara doing the same. Thank the Mother she had a warrior affinity. Despite her magic being depleted, I knew the inherent tie to her strength and speed was still within her.

Ilara moved with fluid grace as she wore a mask of determination.

I jumped to her just as a curse flew in my path. It burned through my sleeve at the shoulder, leaving a gaping hole where it had touched. If it had hit me in the chest, my heart would have been obliterated.

“Ilara!” I called to my mate, desperate to get her out of here.

“We need to mistphase!” Nish yelled.

“I can’t!” Haxil replied as he dodged another blow. “My magic’s gone!”

“And we can’t fly,” Ryder bellowed. “Ilara’s wings are gone, and the Fire Wolf isn’t able to.”

“Carry them?” Haxil roared.

“My magic’s too depleted to have the strength,” Sandus called.

I gritted my teeth. We were running out of options. All of my guards kept trying to attack the warlock, but their movements compared to his were laughable.

The warlock was too strong. Too powerful. This was why my father had hired him. This was what the Fire Wolf had warned us about. Warlocks’ magical capabilities wielded from the dark magic they’d ingested from their living sacrifices made them godlike in their power.

“We must—” the Fire Wolf heaved. He was still doubled over, and I wondered how deep his wound had gone. “We must join hands. It’s our only chance.”

The warlock’s lips twisted into a terrifying smile as all six of us leapt toward the hunter. At the last moment, I called the looking glass to me, and the magical device flew to my outstretched hand before I shoved it in my pocket.

A slew of curses rained down on us just as we joined hands, but the hunter held a tiny portal key, and in a whisper of words?—

We disappeared.

* * *

We reappeared backat the marketplace, slamming into the ground near the clock tower. Blood still gushed from the Fire Wolf’s belly wound, and Ilara immediately leaned down to assess him as his gleaming black ax hung limply from his other hand.

“He needs a healer.” She glanced up at me with frantic eyes.

The Fire Wolf coughed, then shook his head. “No, I don’t. I’ll be fine once I’m back home. I only came here to drop you all off.” He coughed again.