Page 24 of Raven's Dawn
But then we were moving. We were moving so fast, I didn’t understand it. Suddenly, I wasn’t beside my body and Ezra’s, but in that smoky gray and black shadow that was Warren’s soul. We soared toward that pink one, enveloping it in a way I could barely understand, much less describe.
I got him, Graham said.
An emerald green orb of light sprung in front of that yellow one.
Then the rush of a blade. A splash, this time drenching me in hot, coppery liquid. And a gurgle. That yellow light soared into the sky above.
Now, Warren said telepathically.
Suddenly, Warren collapsed to the ground beside me. It was all happening so quickly; I hadn’t realized we had made it to the center of the campsite. It was like my body was on autopilot as Warren guided us that way and simultaneously showed me what was happening in his mind.
“Get down here, Ezra.” Graham spoke quickly. “I need you to hold him.”
Ezra circled and dropped beside me, his shoulder brushing against my knee.
It should’ve clicked sooner, but it was only then that I realized what they were doing. Graham was healing whoever had just gone down, Ezra was holding them in place so that Graham could work, and Warren was holding the soul in the body. The man on the ground started screaming, which I took as confirmation.
Who was this? Who were they healing? I didn’t know, and I had no way of knowing. Warren knew, but I had his eyes, not his insight. I had never seen anyone’s soul; I couldn’t recognize friend from foe. I couldn’t even be the lookout while they worked, since my vision was tied to Warren’s.
But I could.
How could I have forgotten such a simple spell?
Gripping Warren’s shoulder, touching the back of Graham’s head, and resting my knee against Ezra’s back, I murmured the spell. Wrenching on their energy gave me the strength I needed to pull it off. I could’ve done it on my own with the right ingredients and enough focus, but in a battle like this, I didn’t have time for that. Combining their strength with my own, while letting mine fuel theirs, was the only way.
And it worked like a dream, because suddenly, I was in the astral realm.
I had never needed to use the spell. I’d only learned it for the sake of learning, but holy shit, how convenient it was now.
There was no more blinding light here. Everything was dim, like a black and white filter had been tossed over reality. I finally knew who my enemies were.
To my right, half a dozen strides away, Naomi, Jeremy, and Laila were doing exactly as Graham, Warren, and Ezra were. Tucked awkwardly between them, shivering with fear, Jake clapped his hands over his face to muffle his sobs and avoid the sight before him.
Thank gods. It happened so quickly, I was still in a haze. As much as I hated to admit it, I almost forgot Jake was here.
On the left, Luci had a man as tall and bulky as Warren in a headlock from behind. The man was plain, light skin and light hair, wearing a pair of blue jeans. Which I found odd.
No one here had been in jeans except for us.
The denim-clad dickhead fought desperately as Luci reached for an Elvan ore blade on the ground at his feet. Every time he opened his mouth to summon it, the bastard jammed his elbow into Luci’s ribs.
Spells required rhythm. Each time it was disrupted, he had to start again.
Using Graham’s power over air, I levitated the blade. “Open your right hand, Luci!”
He released his hold on the man’s abdomen and dropped his hand out at his side.
Still using that wind, I floated it into his palm.
He clasped his fingers around it, released his hold around the man’s neck, then tore the blade through his throat. The blood poured out in a wave.
“You grimy shite!” Amara’s voice, followed by Elvan words I didn’t understand. They rang out behind me.
I shifted there in the astral reality––staying still in my own body––until she came into view. Three of them surrounded her, a fact she could probably sense even if she couldn’t see them. Her eyes were pinched shut; two blades of Elvan ore in her hands. Without the power of sight, she spun in circles, speaking Elvan, keeping her swords pointed in their directions.
They didn’t look like the last man. Or rather, their attire was different. While one of the men had darker skin, the other two shared the same light features. But their clothes were more normal, at least by the Fae Realm’s standards. Loose, flowing pants. One had a leather vest around his shoulders. Another wore a fur coat.
Amara was holding her own against them, all things considered. But just like with Luci, every time she spoke, one of them interfered. The guy in the vest tossed something at her, and another dropped to the ground to try and take out her feet. Gasping, she dropped the blade onto his hand.
