Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) by Wendy Knight Read Free Book Online

Dani. Not yours.”
    She glared, her dark eyes, usually sparkling and kind, were menacing. “If you're going, so am I, Will Delacour.” Before he could answer, to tell her that he was the Prodigy's Guard and one of the most powerful sorcerers ever, she turned her back on him and started counting down. And before he could stop her, she stepped through the doorway as it shimmered to life.
    He swore yet again, quickly burning a shroud spell and throwing it over her before he followed her. She hit him with one, too, as soon as he stepped through. Even so, he knew as soon as he threw a spell, they would all know who he was — his flames were brighter than regular Edren warriors, just like Ari's.
    It didn't matter. If he could save Ari, it was worth it.
    He looked around, expecting to see hundreds of Carules warriors, but there were only a handful. He looked at Dani, his heart pounding. Had it been a trap? Was she really against him? “Where is everyone?”
    A woman standing just to the side stepped forward. From the strong family resemblance, he knew she must be Dani's mother. “They haven't arrived yet. If we gather too large of a group, they'll see us from the plane and won't land until more Edren warriors can be assembled. They usually send her alone.” She gripped his shoulders. “I have to send the e-mail calling them. I have no way around it, or my family will be in danger. But if you can somehow tell her to turn around, or not land, or something…”
    He hadn't even tried to call Ari. How stupid was he? He dug his phone out of his pocket, hitting her number. But it went straight to voicemail. Of course. He swore again, thinking crazily that he was going to have to wash his mouth out with soap if he survived this day, and shoved his phone back into his pocket. “I can't stop her.”
    Cries exploded from across the field, floating on the breeze and picking up volume as they neared him. He simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief as his blood froze in terror when he saw the cause of all the commotion. Edren warriors were flooding the landing strip, attacking everything in their way. “Thanks, Mom,” he murmured.
    Dani's family raced toward the new threat, but Dani stayed protectively by his side. “Will, we need to get you out of here.”
    But they weren't fast enough. The Edrens saw them, and even though they couldn't possibly know who Will was, they assumed that they were part of the Carules team. And they attacked.
    Dani immediately fought back. “Will, don't burn any spells!” she cried, risking a glance over her shoulder. He'd trained her to throw spells, but not to participate in a battle.
    It was death to look away from one's enemy.
    Will couldn't move fast enough as she was attacked from the side. She crumpled, and Will lost all semblance of control. He roared and leaped over her, burning the lirik and shoving it away from him, not waiting to see if it hit its mark.
    He knew it did by the screaming.
    He burned another, letting the flames control him, moving on instinct as he spun out of the way, dodging more spells, rolling across the ground and throwing another lirik as he came to his feet.
    By now, the entire field had seen who he was. He could hear them, screaming Guard , and they abandoned the Carules to come after him. It made absolutely no sense at all, but nothing in war did.
    He was going to die.
    He threw three more spells, one after another, watching in satisfaction as the warriors fell to the ground and didn't move again. But he needed to not kill them; he needed them to stay here and fight with Ari.
    He froze in uncertainty as he saw their spells coming at him — did he save himself and fight back or did he save Ari and stop killing them? In the end, it wasn't really a decision. If he was going to die, at least it was to save Ari like he was supposed to.
    And then several hands grabbed him and yanked him backward.
    He tumbled through the portal and was shoved to the ground as several spells