Soul of Flame (Imdalind Series #4)(90)

I squeezed Ilyan’s hand back once, his pride and power pulsing in return before our legs pumped in unison, taking us toward our first destination; toward whatever was to come.

Together.





Twenty-Two



The lightning erupted a few feet from us as we flew through the trees, the thunder shaking my bones at the exact moment that the trees erupted in light. I jumped at the sound, the temporary daylight illuminating just enough of the camps below us that I felt my skin crawl.

I chanced a glance at them before darting back up into the thicker growth of tree limbs and their shadows. I gripped one scratchy limb after another as I pulled myself through the trees, the soft, dewy leaves brushing against my face as I sped past them.

A jagged razor of light cut through the forest a few seconds after the first, the storm seeming to follow us through the trees as we made our way to our final destination. I could see the camp we were headed toward just ahead, my mind circling the land with a ring of glittering green as it compelled me forward. Our target was about two miles from the camp that Ovailia and Edmund’s guard occupied—the camp where Edmund would be within a few short hours if Sain’s sight was correct.

I could hear the words repeat over and over in Ilyan’s mind, the sight mixing seamlessly with the plan he had given us. For hundreds of years Ilyan had fought this war and prepared for this battle, and suddenly, it had come. The moment that it had, however, he had begun to question everything that he had prepared for. His determination to protect me and to defeat his father cycled through with his need to keep me alive. Every possibility his mind created rotated around the conflicting sights that we were now being faced with.

I grabbed hold of a large branch as I swung to a stop, my grip tight as I hung precariously over the forest floor far below me. The air buzzed with electricity as a lightning bolt struck behind us, the jagged bolt lighting up the large camp that Ilyan had specified for our first attack.

The Trpaslíks were already awake and moving about in worried aggression, their magic prickling in the anger of the storm, of the final battle they believed to be hours away. My face fell at seeing the numbers of them, the attack that Ilyan had hoped to begin before they even awoke already spoiled. We would have our work cut out for us if we wanted to come out of this unscathed.

The heavy thunder shook through me as a jagged bolt of light came down on top of us, my muscles tensing as I fought my nerves. I expected rain to start falling at any minute, to soak the world and put out the fires that had already begun. I knew better, this storm was not for the tears of the earth. This storm was in anger.

I looked up at Ilyan from the large branch where I hung, his jaw tight as he glared into the camp, his eyes dark and trembling. I could already see the raw power burn into the world around him, feel his magic peak within and around me as he prepared to fight. His excitement burned into me, and I almost smiled.

Make sure Ovailia and the guard are where they need to be.

I could only nod at his request, the deep voice I almost never heard directed at me, detailing the severity of our situation. My magic soared through the trees and away from me as I closed my eyes to see, cringing as the rotten magic from the tent below us hit me, my stomach tightening in disgust before I sped past it in search of my prey.

I couldn’t help but revel in the brilliancy of Ilyan’s plan. Ovailia was close enough that once she heard of our arrival, she wouldn’t be able to stay away. Yet, thanks to the density of the trees that separated us from them, they wouldn’t know we had arrived right away.

It didn’t take me long to locate Ovailia, her magic surging in expectation as she sat in the larger camp just beyond the gentle rise of the forest.

She paced along the edge, her eyes constantly darting up to the large field beside her where I was sure she expected Edmund to arrive from, and judging by her behavior, he was already late.

She’s there. We don’t have much time, I said, my voice shaking as much as my hands were.

Ilyan caught my nerves, his magic flaring as he jumped over the few branches that separated us to land right above me. His magic kindled as he lifted me up to him, his power a soft caress against my body as I flew into the tight grip of his arms.

We stood against each other as the sky cut apart, his soft hand running over my cheek as my magic reacted, sending warm vibrations into me. The strength of our magic moved together, our power ready for what we were about to plunge ourselves into.

“I have trained you for this; you are ready,” he promised, his voice a whisper as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against my forehead.

The warmth from the kiss seeped through me, lighting me on fire and supercharging my magic until I could feel it buzz into my blood stream. I nodded once at him in understanding, his answering smile illuminating the maniacal light that was in his eyes.

I didn’t need him to say anything to understand what that look meant. I smiled as the warmth in his hand grew, his fingertips soft as they traced the line of my jaw before his touch was gone and the last precious beat of our time was over.

I closed my eyes as my magic stretched and I exhaled, stepping away from Ilyan’s hold, off the branch and into the open air below me.

The air rushed passed me as my magic stretched away, my hand stretching forward to wrap around the strong branch that extended from the tree. I swung from branch to branch as I had so many times before. Adrenaline beat through me as I felt the tree warning me of what was coming, guiding me through the correct path of limbs, thunder covering our descent.