Page 74 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

Did magic mask his voice?

The Fae’s attention remains on the armored men in front of them. The same armored men who, one by one, lose their uneasy expressions when they notice my predicament. Tentative confidence takes its place.

The guard who’d been speaking to the Fae rolls his shoulders back. “It is not our responsibility to assist in proving you aren’t a threat. Our sole duty is to protect Virendrell and our mayor.”

Saliva thickens my throat, but I resist the urge to swallow, sure to slice my skin if I do.

“And it is our duty to speak with your mayor.” Shadows whip around Draven’s legs like eager pups, waiting for their master to unleash them on the soldiers. “Enough of this. We are wasting time.”

“Control your tongue,” the guard’s eyes shift to me, “or your woman will pay the price of your defiance.”

A pulse of darkness ripples through the courtyard.

In sync, my four Fae escorts pivot and discover my precarious situation.

My captor’s breath catches. His fear sours the air.

“Release her.”

Rian’s words land cold and hard. Fury seethes behind his dark eyes as shadows loosen from his body and creep across the ground.

“Call your power back.” The dagger presses harder against my neck, and when skin opens, I wince. “Or I’ll cut her throat.”

“Foolish human.” Rian’s lips twist into a violent, unhinged grin. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

In the blink of an eye, one of the slithering shadows snaps upright and launches toward me.

The dagger shifts, but before it can dig deeper, the shadow slips between my skin and the blade.

I gasp at the cool sensation just before the weapon is shoved out of the man’s hand. The metal clangs against the stone floor, and my captor stumbles back.

I clutch my wounded throat and whirl around as the man crashes to the ground. His wide, bloodshot eyes stare up at the sky. Unblinking.

My heart races. I scan him for a wound, but I find none. I don’t know where Rian’s shadow hit or what he did, but whatever it was…it was lethal.

Roars of outrage rise from the armored guards. Metal slams against metal.

The cloying scent of magic tickles my nose, and instinct has me searching for cover. I dive behind a flowering bush. Clutching onto the blooming branches, I peer around the greenery and take in the violence spreading across the courtyard.

The Virendrellians fight the Fae. At least, they try to.

Shadows pour from the Fae like water from a spigot. They slip along the ground and crawl up the guards’ legs. The guards swat at them like unwanted pests.

The shadows don’t hurt them, but one by one, the armored men succumb to the darkness that wraps around their legs, arms, and chests. A dark mask presses against their lips, robbing them of speech. Then the shadowy ropes tighten around their ankles, and they topple to the side. I cringe at the painful thuds.

The Fae stand in a formidable semicircle facing the bound men.

That was too easy…

More guards are sure to come after all that commotion.

But, to my surprise, no one arrives.

The courtyard falls quiet.

Rian lifts a hand and jerks his wrist.

Silas and Draven stride forward, stepping around the fallen bodies and yanking one of the men to his feet. The shadow around his mouth detaches and drops to rest along his throat like a necklace.