Proof of her assessment came when Blackstone fired dark energy in different directions, but none of them escaped his new prison.
“If Blackstone drops his shield, he’ll probably be able to attack us,” Rod said. “But then we’d be able to hit him.”
That was a tough choice. An angry Blackstone must’ve come to the same conclusion because he let out a frustrated scream.
A new attack hit Blackstone’s shield, this one came from the opposite side. Darius and Ignatius had separated from the others and fired short bursts of energy from their stones. The balls skimmed along the surface until they soaked into the dark wall.
Blackstone tried to strike them, but something incredible happened. The smooth surface of the dark shield cracked like glass. For a few heartbeats, Blackstone kept firing, seeming to not notice the new threat. Then he stopped.
“Impossible.”
“Darius is a brilliant mage,”Rod told me.“I doubt there are many spells Blackstone created that Darius hasn’t discovered over his very long lifespan.”
The spider web of lines spread along the dome. Dark energy seeped from Blackstone’s hematite, spreading across the shield. The cracks seemed to disappear, but a second later,they returned. When his attempt to repair his protection failed, Blackstone lost a little of the cocky attitude he’d displayed.
“Malachy,” Rod called out. “Can you and your guards shift and hit the barricade with your fire? Darius says that will cause it to shatter.”
As my father and the guards returned to their phoenix form, I looked at Rod.“Should I join them?”
“No,”he replied.“You need to be ready to move the moment we get Blackstone moving backwards.”
I waited impatiently as the fight devolved into a stalemate. The demon, hampered by the wheel’s restraints, couldn’t use his full power against his opponents. He roared in anger and lashed out with minimal success.
Although he directed his attacks on the guardians, his anger grew every time he looked in his captor’s direction. Blackstone played a dangerous game. If the pissed off demon ever got free, I didn’t need a list to know who he’d go after first.
The guardians’ approach to the fight confused me. They appeared to hold back, annoying the creature, but not taking it down.
“The demon withholds most of his power,”Rod said. It took me a moment to realize I hadn’t voiced my doubts, but Rod sensed them through our bond.“If they defeat the creature, Blackstone will take full control of its power.”
The plan had always been dangerous, but I hadn’t fully grasped the subtlety. Rod was forcing our enemies to fight at less than full power. My chest filled with a happy pride for the mate who would share my life. The quiet, kind, and thoughtful being who stole my heart was a brilliant, analytical man who wore command like a glove.
Rod and the other mages continued to hit the black barrier. This extended the fault lines around the entire surface of Blackstone’s shield. Father and the guards shifted and hoveredclose to me. Rage fueled all our inner fire. Blackstone had killed our king, something that could not go unpunished.
“Now, Malachy,”Rod said calmly.“Aim just below his head. The shield will be weakest there.”
Father and his guards flew to a point directly in front of Blackstone. He eyed them warily, power gathered around his hand. Even from this distance, I felt the temperature rise as they gathered their inner flames. The guards belched their fire first, marking the spot for the new king to strike. Father, channeling all his anger and pain, let out a massive stream of flaming destruction.
Copper-red energy collided with black, creating a fiery display that made the humans shield their eyes. For a second, Blackstone’s shield impossibly held back the devastating force, seeming to absorb the phoenix fire. The guards stopped their attack and Father shot a last ball of solid phoenix energy. The wall shattered into fragments of dark energy that twinkled to the ground like a sheet of broken ice.
Blackstone’s eyes widened and his arm wavered. Before he could recover, Rod’s diamond blazed with white light as he unleashed a concentrated beam of energy against Blackstone’s personal shield. Darius and Ignatius joined him, their blue and green magic striking the moment Blackstone recovered from Rod’s attack. Avie added her peridot energy, followed by Wilhelm. Each blow rattled our enemy, but he steadied himself quickly.
“We’re going to repeat the sequence.”Rod said.
“You should mix things up or else he’ll anticipate your moves.”
“That’s what I’m counting on.”Rod massed power inside his diamond.“He’ll raise a solid wall to cushion the force. That’s when you strike. Hit him with enough force to move him backwards.”
They repeated the combination of attacks, but this time more mages joined the fight. Blackstone stayed on his feet, drawing on the dark energy he’d recently collected.
“You can’t defeat me,” he snarled, dark tendrils lashing out from his stone. “I’ve prepared for this moment for centuries.”
Despite his confidence, the coordinated attacks were testing his defenses. He’d been too busy repelling hostile attacks to go on the offensive. When the series of attacks cycled back to Rod, Blackstone smirked.
The shield he created was part magic, part dark energy, and a bit of demonic energy. It was a formidable and nearly impenetrable barrier. Rod’s anticipation crept into our link. It was almost time for us to repay Blackstone for the pain he caused my family, me, and Rod.
Avie’s strike hit at the same time as Rod’s, and Blackstone took a half step backward.
“Now, Cinaed!”Rod’s voice shouted into my mind.
