“I’m on it,” Alastor calls as he sprints for the door. The rest of us follow, but we know he should be the first one out there.
“Stay here, just for now,” I ask Morgana. She glances at Tira and Will and then nods. She wants to keep an eye on her friends as much as I do on her.
The rest of us exit the cottage to find Alastor already standing on the porch calling on his terrial power, a whirlwind of sand beginning to spin in front of the house. Ten feet away are the men and women Hyllus heard coming. They aren’t in any kind of uniform, but their swords look sharp enough. They back up as Alastor’s wall of sand spirals toward them, some of them pulling their shirts and scarves up over their faces to protect themselves.
It won’t help them much, not when Alastor is literally in his element.
“Spread out,” I bark to my soldiers, who leave the porch to form a defensive line in front of the cottage. The sand barrier should keep the intruders back, but I want to make sure no one can slip through.
That’s when I sense movement out of the corner of my eye—another man coming around from behind the cottage. He doesn’t appear armed, but his eyes are fixed on Alastor as hemakes a beeline toward him. I can’t reach him in time, and my geostri power is slow on this terrain. I signal to Phaia, but I can tell she’ll be too late with her sensic power as well.
“Alastor!” I shout in warning.
My friend turns in time to spot him, but not to stop his outstretched hand brushing Alastor’s elbow.
Alastor’s eyes roll into the back of his head, and he hits the ground, body convulsing against the wooden floor of the porch. Yells echo across the beach as his sand barrier collapses. My soldiers run forward to meet the humans, steel clashing against steel.
I charge at Alastor’s attacker, sword raised, just as Will Mercer sprints from the house, looking aghast.
“Stop!” he shouts, throwing up his hands. “Stop, please.”
He steps between me and the man I was about to strike down.
“Step aside,” I order Will, but to his credit, the old man doesn’t budge.
“Tell your soldiers to stand down,” Will says, and I hear in his voice the commanding tone of a captain. I also realize he’s talking to both meandAlastor’s attacker. The man reluctantly signals to his comrades to fall back. When they do, my soldiers slow their attack and glance toward me, unsure whether to pursue the fight.
“These people are not your enemies,” Will says.
“Then who the gloam are they, and why are they attacking us?” I growl.
“They’re part of a group called the Hand of Ralus,” Will says as Ana and Tira hurry out of the cottage behind him. Shock jolts through me at the name, followed by the sharp pinch of rage as the old man keeps explaining. “Some people call them rebels, but they’re a group dedicated to?—”
“Oh I know all about them,” I say, lifting my sword again. “And these people aredefinitelymy enemies.”
Chapter 29
Morgana
Afire burns in Leon’s eyes, full of a hatred I’m not used to seeing from him. As he lifts his sword, the rest of the fae on the beach follow suit, which puts the strangers back on the defensive. Will only just got the fighting to stop, and now Leon’s seems poised to ensure we have a bloodbath on our hands.
“Leon, wait,” I say. “Maybe we should listen to Will.”
He stares at me. “Don’t you see what they did to Alastor?”
I follow the direction he jerks his head. It’s only then that I see Alastor lying on the ground. He’s completely still, his eyes closed and a sheen of sweat across his pale face.
My stomach lurches, and I push the stranger aside without looking at him, dropping to my knees beside my unconscious friend. He feels hot when I lay my hands on his forehead, and I frantically reach out my magic toward his inner flame. I’m relieved to find it still burning strong.
“It’s alright,” I say to Leon. “At least, he’s not dying anytime soon.”
“Morgana, you must stop them before someone else gets hurt,” Will says, eyeing the tense stand-off on the beach.
I nod, looking up at Leon. “Tell them to put their weapons away, for gods’ sakes. Alastor’s not going to get better any faster with a battle raging around him.”
At first, Leon doesn’t move, then he growls angrily and turns, calling to his soldiers.
“Stand down,” he says.
