Makenna couldn’t allow Amanda’s bravery to be in vain. She used the distraction to work on unraveling the last length of rope around her neck.
Kylian finally reacted, as shocked as everyone else. “Restrain her!”
Soldiers moved in. Rhys fought his captors, again to no avail. Trystan appeared at Amanda’s side. He took out two soldiers before another hit him with flame from behind. He fell to the ground where warriors rained down on him.
Amanda kept coming.
She struck down the soldiers before they could reach her. Most went up in flame, consumed before they’d taken another step.
Shouts erupting around her, the crowd exploding in violence as their pack stepped in to help clear the way, Makenna closed her eyes and pulled at the final thread holding her neck. It fluttered to the ground.
She opened her eyes to see Amanda destroy three soldiers coming at her, and Brianna throw a brutal, two-handed blast at Amanda’s back.
Makenna screamed. Amanda careened into the building behind her. She slid to the ground. She didn’t move. Her signature within the pack link blinked and stuttered. Makenna’s connection to her wavered.
Makenna’s power flared, spreading outward and expelling so hard it knocked Brianna from the platform and flattened the soldiers nearby. Her throat filled with a roar, and she let it out.
The war cry of the Alpha. The fury of a mightily pissed off Morrigan, out for blood.
The crowd silenced. All battles ceased. Wide eyes took her in, not believing what they beheld.
Not even knowing if what she was doing would work, Makenna lowered her head and filled the pack link with power. She yanked every bit of red flame from her bones, from her marrow, from her very soul, and gathered it in one destructive, blazing sword of light. She shoved it to each remaining member of her pack. Hoping against hope it would bolster their strength. When she looked up, she felt the wolf in her eyes. The swirling colors, the intense clarity. Glowing with all the power of the Morrigan.
“Fianna!” She echoed Rhys’ words at the top of her lungs. “Rise!”
Rhys smiled. His strength visibly returned, the orange aura around him darkening. “Fight!”
With that, her people exploded in a brutal display that would be whispered about for ages to come. Empowered by the strength of the Morrigan, they charged the enemy warriors with bloodcurdling yells and blades and magic flying.
Rhys exploded in deep orange light, now bordering on red, blasting his captors into the surrounding soldiers. He scooped his blade up from the dirt. Yelling, throwing his magic, and swinging his sword with renewed energy, he spun through everyone who came at him like a devastating tornado.
“You little bitch.” Brianna scraped herself off the ground. “You’ll never win.”
Makenna filled her hands with churning balls of deep red. Huh. It’d never formed into orbs before. Well, they’d work too.
“We’ll see.”
She threw.
Brianna dove to the right, but one orb caught her in the hip. She landed with a grunt. Flipping to her side, she launched a stream of red at Makenna. Makenna evaded the strike, throwing the whole time.
Each shot impacted Brianna’s body, bouncing her in the air before dropping her hard on the wood. She didn’t have a chance to throw anything else. Makenna had found a zone, and she was working it for all she was worth.
Something kept her from firing a killing shot, though. Almost unconsciously, she held her power back just enough that the fire would extinguish after impact. Still, she lobbed blast after blast until Brianna lay unmoving.
Whirling around, she found Bowen and the mages at the edge of the mayhem, encased in a huge orange orb. The orb wavered and rocked as Kylian’s mages blasted it. While some focused on holding the shield, some assisted Bowen in growing whatever spell he was still concocting.
He nodded at Makenna. They were almost ready.
Makenna tapped back into the pack link and sent out another surge of power.
She leapt from the platform. Seeing Trystan and Talon tending to Amanda, she scanned the crowd for Kylian. He stood on the outskirts of the battle. He deftly, brutally fended off any of her warriors who came near.
She sprang after him, determined to end the nightmare once and for all.
But after getting free and giving so much of her strength to Rhys and her people, plus the battle with Brianna, she was beginning to tire. Her arms were heavy. Her entire body sagged. Her head seemed to weigh a ton. But no way would she stop until it was over.
A massive blast slammed into her back. She flew forward and landed hard on her face in the dirt as her back erupted in flaming agony.
Rolling to her side as she fought against the pain, she tossed an orb in the direction of the hit.
Brianna had somehow made it back to her feet. She stalked in Makenna’s direction, landing blow after blow of magic. Makenna’s body jerked with each hit. Much as Brianna’s had earlier.
Pain ripped through her. Fire ate at her skin and bones. She gathered enough energy to throw one shot and impacted Brianna in the stomach. It gave Makenna the time she needed to stagger to her feet.
Her gaze fell on Rhys fighting only a few feet from her. Kylian had joined his men. Seven of them ganged up on Rhys. Her mate was tiring. Quickly.
Oh, hell no.
She launched her magic in the direction of the throng as Rhys fell back. They went flying. He shot her a weary smile and jumped back into the fray.
Pride flared within her. That was her mate. Never giving in.
Another blast clipped her shoulder, and she whirled back to Brianna. Her sister lumbered toward her, holding her stomach. Apparently she’d mustered all she had for that last volley. Makenna’s earlier attack must’ve done a lot of damage. Good. Makenna would take all the points in her favor she could get.
She faced Brianna, hurting and weak but focused on taking her sister down. Gone was any reticence to kill her. The lonely little girl who just wanted her family with her and whole was no more.
Makenna let the power inside consume her. Her skin grew hot and tight. Her head ached. Rage pulsed in her blood, feeding the flame. Bowen’s warning echoed in her mind. You must be careful. You could burn up. But she couldn’t stop it.
Amanda might be dead. Her people were dying. She watched them fall as Kylian’s sheer numbers overwhelmed them. Rhys was fading. She felt it through the bond. He battled on, but there wasn’t much left in him.
She had to end this.
She glared at her sister, concentrating her magic into her hands again. The power was all. Red flame ate up her vision. The world became the color of blood.
Makenna became death.
She threw at the same time as her sister.
Their magic collided between them in an explosion that blasted the soldiers nearby.
It became a battle of wills.
Makenna directed her power with both hands, as did Brianna. A collision of red light, one cherry red, one almost burgundy, lit the entire camp. They shoved their power towards each other, the furious flame forming a wall in the center.
Makenna pushed harder, trying to force the flaming ball at her sister. Sweat broke out on her brow and down her back. Her muscles trembled. Her chest seized. Her strength waned, just as her sister’s. Yet neither was willing to give in.
If they died killing the other, so be it.
A voice echoed in Makenna’s head, almost breaking her concentration. Bowen. He’d thrown his thoughts to her. She sensed him calling to Rhys as well. She fought to understand what he was telling her while still holding Brianna off.
I’ve done it. I can get the pack out. But you and Rhys are encased in too much magic for me to break through. His regret and heartbreak poured through the link, wavering even his mental voice. He needed the order.
Do we stay and fight with you, or do we go?
Makenna knew he meant die with them.
She cast a glance at Rhys. He’d taken down five of his attack
ers, but two of Kylian’s mages had joined him in trying to snuff Rhys out. Light flew in every direction, so bright she couldn’t see Rhys in the center of it.
Makenna turned back to Brianna. They were both flagging, their magic fading but still deadly. Both pushed harder.
She made a choice. The same one she knew Rhys would’ve made if he could answer. She focused her thoughts on Bowen through the pack link.
Go. Go now!
Sadness drew his mouth down as he nodded.
Then the pack simply vanished. Makenna gasped. Her magic wavered. The sudden absence of them, the link no longer being strong from proximity, weakened her momentarily. She’d gotten so used to it in the past few days, she hadn’t noticed how strong the connection had become.
Now that it was all but gone, she felt empty.
Shock rippled through the remaining army. They staggered, mouths dropping. Some fell as the foe they were warring against disappeared. Others yelled, as if their screaming would bring their opponents back.
It didn’t last long. Their surprise soon turned to rage. They raised their weapons, tightening their grips. The faces around Makenna turned red with fury. They wanted an enemy to fight and they wouldn’t be deprived. They marched toward Brianna and Kylian, ready to face off against Rhys and Makenna.
Makenna never saw the blast coming from her left. She’d been so focused on the furious mob in front of her.
It hit her from the side and knocked her out of her contest with Brianna. Her head impacted the ground, rattling her brain. Pain exploded down her length.
Then came the hits from Brianna and two of her mages. Brianna from the front, her mages from both sides.
One after another, they kept coming. Makenna didn’t have the chance to fight back. Not that she could’ve put up much of a fight. Her strength was failing. Each hit seemed to suck the energy from her. The life. She fought for breath. Her body screamed in agony. Her muscles refused to hold her up much longer.
Yet her power continued to burn.
She took a deep breath. It stung. The magic was burning her from the inside. Just as Bowen had said it could. She didn’t fight it. Instead, she used it.
Pulling to her knees, she fired at Brianna, knocking her down. Then she went for the other two mages, blasting them over and over with the little fight she had left.
More mages joined them. She knew she didn’t have long. Still, she kept firing. Using up the energy she had. Running purely on magic.
Several hits impacted her at once. They blew her back into the base of the platform.
The snap of multiple bones cracking sounded in her ears. Agony took over her world as she crumpled to her belly in the dirt. More hits. Her body rocked. The pain was so great her mind began to shut down. Blessed numbness descended. Magic pulsed through her system, but she was too weak to use it.
Finally the barrage ended. She raised her head to look for Rhys. He fought on, taking blow after blow, weakening steadily as Kylian watched with a smirk.
Makenna caught her mate’s eyes and gave him a sad smile.
“No!” His pained cry sounded over the battle. He lurched toward her, shoving off enemies along the way. But they slowly took him over.
She sent what she was sure would be her final message to him. I’ll always love you. Thank you.
Knowing she would have to let the magic completely consume her to do it, Makenna focused the power boiling in her blood down the bond to Rhys.
At least before she burned, she could give him what he needed to fight on.
He forced the magic back to her, refusing it. He didn’t want to go on without her. She’d figured he’d do that. She gave one last shove. The magic pushed past his block and infused him.
The result was instantaneous. Added to his power, the combination gave him unheard of strength and speed. A red cloud billowed around him. His eyes blazed with fire. Her fire. The roar he emitted burst with fury and agony. He cut through the enemy soldiers like they were nothing to get to her.
Makenna gasped as her skin erupted in flame.
The numbness faded, burned away by indescribable pain. Through the crackling fire, she saw Rhys lunge for her. His face contorted in grief and fear. A shout she couldn’t hear screamed from his lips.
Brianna stood over her. Though she couldn’t hear her, she knew she was laughing. Let her laugh. One day, Makenna would see that she paid. She didn’t know how or when, but she’d come back from the grave to see it done.
Her eyes fell on Rhys again.
She mourned the life they could’ve had. Hated she wouldn’t be able to explore their bond with him. That she’d never get huge with his babies. That she couldn’t stay.
The sudden wish that they had been able to become the ravens they’d been destined to be flooded her mind. If they could sprout wings, they could’ve flown away from here. Could’ve lived to see what they could’ve become.
Her wolf, who had been mostly silent under the goddess’ fury, curled up and whined.
An impact in her chest stole what breath she had. The bond. It was complete. She felt Rhys within her, so much more than before. Now instead of just being linked, it was as if they truly were one.
Tears fell. Just her luck their mating was complete, and she was fucking dying.
Brianna leaned over her, uttering words Makenna couldn’t understand. Oh, Makenna wished she was a bird. The first thing she’d do would be to scratch the bitch’s eyes out. She laughed at the thought, then choked on her own boiling blood.
Suddenly, the red glow consuming her brightened and pulsed. Her bones cracked and popped. A different kind of pain raced through her. The same pleasure pain that came when she shifted into her wolf.
But the wolf had faded. Another form took its place.
The flame on her skin receded. Lustrous black feathers took its place. She gasped as her bones shrank and reformed. The feathers covered her skin.
The next thing she knew, Brianna had jumped back.
And Makenna sat on talons.
Her exclamation came out as loud squawks. Her wings stretched out and flapped in her excitement. Not sparing the time to revel in the joy of her new form, she turned hate-filled eyes on her sister.
The woman covered her face with her arms as Makenna flew at her with a vengeance. Razor sharp talons tore at the flesh of Brianna’s arms and face. For good measure she pecked her head viciously before taking to the air.
Her mate needed her.
Descending on the open mouthed and wide-eyed fighters surrounding her mate, she attacked. Aiming for their eyes, she unleashed her fury at those harming her mate. Those vicious, razor-like talons clawed at the soft flesh, pulling eyeballs from sockets. Tearing skin from bone and leaving muscle and nerve hanging. She landed on every head near, leaving havoc and blood behind.
When she’d scattered the crowd, she landed on Rhys’ shoulder and leaned against the side of his head.
Rhys grinned through his pain. His elation blasted through her. If she could’ve right then, she would’ve smiled at his next thought.
He held his fingers up for her to crawl on to and held her to his chest as he looked at a befuddled Kylian. “As much as I would love to rip your head from your shoulders and dance in your blood, we have to be going.” Rhys’ face hardened. “Know this. I will destroy you. Whatever it takes.”
With that, he tossed Makenna in the air. She circled his head as magic pulsed around him. By the time she’d circled the crowd again, he’d joined her. Free and beautiful and deadly as his raven.
With their bond fully functional, their change was complete.
Makenna looked down at the bewildered army as they circled. She landed on the peak of a building and stretched out her wings. Letting her power blaze in her eyes, she flapped and released a powerful cry. Part screech of rage from the raven, part warning from the goddess. She let her fury echo until every soldier in the vicinity had bowed their heads, hit a knee, or backed away in terror.
Then she
joined her mate and took off on the wind.
They landed beside Rhys’ bike hidden in the woods. Within seconds, they were both back in human form.
Makenna’s knees buckled, and Rhys caught her. They sagged against a tree. For long moments, they simply held each other. Bloody and battered. Thankful they were alive and together.
Rhys pulled back. His face was a mask of anger. “Don’t you ever try to sacrifice your life for me again!”
He pulled her to him and a sob wrenched from his chest.
She held him tight. Both winced from their wounds but holding each other was more important than the pain.
“I can’t promise that. Just like you can’t.”
“There is no life without you.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her so deep she swore she felt it in her soul.
When he released her, they moved to the bike.
Makenna sighed as the weight of the day crashed into her. “How many do you think we lost?”
Rhys straddled the bike with a wince and tugged her on behind him. “Four.” The word seemed to take all his energy.
“I’m sorry.”
She wrapped herself around him, praying Amanda wasn’t among them but too afraid to ask. In that moment, she was glad she wasn’t as tuned into the pack link as Rhys. She closed herself off from it for the moment, too weak to face what she might find.
“It’s not your fault. It’s Kylian’s. And he’ll pay for each one. Soon.” He started the bike then turned to her, kissing her again. “Let’s go home and take care of our pack.”
Makenna nodded.
Our pack.
The words echoed in her mind as they flew down the highway.
She could only hope her sister was still part of that number.
CHAPTER THIRTY─FOUR
Never Tear Us Apart
Rhys watched the pyres burn with a heaviness in his soul.
Four warriors gone.
Kylian was still alive.
His people had died for nothing.
At least they were at peace and no longer fighting what he was beginning to think might be a doomed war.
He tightened his arm around Makenna. She curled in to his chest. Her hot tears soaked the front of his shirt, echoing his pain. Her relief that Amanda wasn’t among those dead coursed through him. He kissed the top of Makenna’s head.
Sleeper (Rise of the Fianna Book 1) Page 35