Lord's Fall (Elder Races #5)(47)

With the flare of light, the battle paused. It resumed with redoubled fury, and chaos spun around them like a hurricane.

Johnny said, “Shit.”

Through some trick of timing Pia heard him distinctly over the sounds of battle, even though he didn’t shout or even speak loudly. He went to his knees, and James roared and fought even harder, and Andrea and Miguel lunged forward too.

Eva shoved Pia roughly behind her and said, “Stay back, goddammit.”

Pia stared at the other woman incredulously; like she was so crazy that she would leap into that battle. Then the captain did just that as she leaped forward, and the Wyr clicked into a seamless fighting unit. They were a hell of a sight to see, she supposed, as they formed a protective barrier around her and Johnny, but she didn’t bother to pause and admire their prowess. Instead she fell on her knees beside Johnny who had sagged forward.

“Hey,” she said stupidly to him.

His head turned slightly toward her. She blocked out all the chaos and noise and put an arm around him, and he fell against her. Trusting the others to do their job, she eased Johnny to the ground, and in the fading light of the spell Miguel cast, she saw the profuse cascade of blood down his front. Oh shit.

She tore his clothing open, and it was bad, very bad. As a Wyr, Johnny had a strong aptitude for self-healing, but this, oh shit, he wasn’t going to get over this.

And there wasn’t time for any f**king thing, let alone time to stew over a decision when she couldn’t think straight anyway, not with that horrible, unending scream in her head, so she took her knife, slit her palm and let a trickle of her blood flow over poor Johnny’s torn-up chest. Power flowed out along with her blood, but probably no one would notice because the entire world had gone insane, and everybody else was busy making too much noise to pay any attention to anything she did anyway.

Right?

Eva knelt on the other side of Johnny and grabbed her wrist. What the f**k are you doing? she hissed in Pia’s head.

Pia yanked her wrist out of the other woman’s grasp. I will HURT YOU SO BAD before I kill you if you say anything about this.

Eva didn’t bother to answer, but instead tore off some of Johnny’s shirt to put pressure on wounds that Pia knew were already closing under all that blood. I have healing potions in my pack. Dig in the left pocket—

Johnny coughed, sat up and said, “Oh man, that sucked.”

Eva’s eyes rounded. She yanked Johnny’s shirt open wider and ran a hand down his lean torso, searching for a wound that was no longer there. “Princess, you got some kind of bitch-goddess mojo I ain’t never seen before.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Pia said desperately to Johnny. “Quit whining and get up.” She stuck a finger under Eva’s nose. “And you shut the f**k up.”

The rest of the world snapped back into focus. She jumped up and Eva helped Johnny to his feet just as the last of Miguel’s spell faded, leaving the clearing washed in a hot hellish red again.

At the same time the screaming in her head reached a crescendo. For a moment it was so loud she couldn’t see straight. Then with a snap it broke off into silence.

What did that mean? Had the spirit of the Wood died?

Something had happened when she wasn’t looking. The chaotic Power had vanished, and the fighting had come to an end, although all of the psychos stood braced and ready. Suddenly Elves surrounded them.

“Lady,” Ferion said as he shouldered between two Elves and came to an abrupt halt in front of the business end of James and Miguel’s swords. Ferion wore leggings and a loose tunic, and he was blood streaked too. “You need to join us.”

Pia coughed, looking beyond Ferion for Beluviel, but she was no longer in sight. Pia could still see Calondir. He stood partially turned away as he shouted and gestured to someone. Her voice hoarse from smoke inhalation, she said, “This is where you tell me what the f**k, and you do it quickly, Ferion.”

“There’s too much to explain quickly,” he said. Linwe slammed into Ferion’s side, and he put an arm around her, hugging the young Elf tight against his side. “One of the Numenlaurians used a very old Power against us. Telling the rest of the story would take time we do not have.”

Calondir approached, and the Elves that surrounded them backed away. The High Lord glanced over the other Wyr to Pia and gave her a curt nod. “The fire’s very close,” Calondir said. “We’re going to have to cross over, and if they’re waiting on the other side, we’ll have to try to fight our way through.”

Fight their way through what? Or whom?

“Where’s Beluviel?” Pia asked.

“She has been taken, along with many others,” Calondir said. “They’ve already crossed over.”

“Taken how?” Eva demanded sharply.

The High Lord did not appear to take offense at her tone. Calondir said, “Many of us were taken over while sleeping, and they rose to attack the rest of us.” His gaze moved over them. “I see all of your party is intact.”

Then the entire conversation became blah blah blah as the only thing that mattered in the world happened.

Dragos growled in her head, Pia.

Wild joy transformed her, blazing brighter than the fire.

It’s not my fault, she groaned. Oh my God, I missed you.

I’m coming in fast, he said. Where are you?