{AURORA'S POV}
The witch hunters advanced, their black armor glinting in the firelight, swords raised.
My hand shook as I stretched it out toward them. "Stay back!" I screamed. "I SAID STAY BACK!"
But they kept coming closer. Each step, careful and deliberate. The villagers were gone now, scattering like frightened birds, slamming their doors, shuttering their windows, locking the square into a graveyard silence.
"Careful," one of them muttered. "She's powerful."
Then his voice, cold and commanding, cut through the stillness. Vice-Commander Darius. "Surrender now, witch, and perhaps your death will be swift."
Rage and terror tangled in my throat, but before I could speak, a familiar voice snapped.
"Back off, you assholes!"
I spun around to see Vivienne was at my side, anger blazing in her eyes.
"She's not surrendering to any of you," Eris smirked, stepping forward.
"If you want her," Kai growled, planting himself in front of me, "you'll have to go through us first."
Eris's voice dripped with venom. "Why don't you surrender, hunters? Save us the trouble. If not—well, then we'll just have to teach you a lesson."
Vivienne cracked her knuckles. "And we're going to make it hurt."
The air thickened, with the crackling tension and magic about to explode. My lungs were tight with fear. The hunters fanned out, circling us. My back pressed against my friends', my heartbeat hammering so loud it drowned out the world.
"Get ready," Vivienne murmured, drawing her blades.
"Kill them all!"
The Vice-Commader's command ripped through the square and the hunters attacked.
Vivienne muttered sharp words in the old tongue. "Myrathin Ill'usar!"
In an instant, her form fractured into a dozen shimmering doubles. The illusions darted like wolves, attacking the hunters. Confused hunters swung wildly as her doubles slashed from every angle but some of them were able to counter, cutting through the illusions that burst like smoke, while the real Vivienne slid behind one man, driving her dagger into the gap in his armor and twisting until he dropped with a scream.
A second hunter swung at her, but she ducked low just in time. The blade passed inches above her head. She rose and slashed her dagger across his throat. Blood sprayed, his body collapsing into the dirt.
To my left, Kai's fists ignited—one blazing molten red with flames, the other glittering with ice. He met a charging hunter head-on, fire fist smashing into the man's faceplate. The crunch and the stench of scorched flesh made my stomach lurch. Another came at him with his sword raised. Kai shot a volley of icicles from his frozen palm. The hunter spun his sword in rapid arcs, shattering each projectile, then pressed forward. His blade clashed against Kai's frozen arm, sparks hissing. Kai barely ducked a slash, but the edge kissed his bicep, cutting deep. He winced, staggering back, blood dripping onto the cobblestones.
"Aurora, behind me—NOW!" Eris barked.
I stumbled back just as she dropped to her knee and slammed her hands against the earth.
"Thorns'kar Splintrith!"
The ground split open. Roots burst upward, jagged and barbed, spinning rapidly and wrapping around two hunters like serpents. Their bones cracked as the roots twisted, impaling them. Their screams cut off in wet gurgles. The others hacked through, pressing forward.
Eris lifted her face to the sky, chanting louder.
"Nystragar–Skyrendr'al Orvannon!"
Storm clouds swirled overhead, darkening the village square. A spear of lightning split the heavens and struck, followed by dozens, forcing the witch hunters to protect themselves with their anti-magic shields, deflecting each strike in blinding flashes.
My pulse raced. I threw my trembling hands up, whispering the words I'd just heard. Power surged through my veins—raw, wild, and unsteady. Lightning tore from my fingers, blasting forward. It slammed into a shield and ricocheted straight back.
"Aurora!" Eris dove, throwing a glowing barrier over me. The blast smashed into it, scattering sparks across the square, igniting stalls and rooftops. Soon after we were surrounded in smoke and fire.
She hauled me up, panting, sweat running down her brow. "Be careful! Their shields don't just block, they multiply and repel whatever you throw at them!"
I nodded, chest heaving, guilt burning in my gut. I'd almost killed us.
Meanwhile, Vivienne danced around a hulking hunter wielding a double-edged axe.
"Too slow," she taunted, ducking his swing. Another whistle of steel cut past her head. She grinned. "Honestly, I think you really need to lose some weight."
The hunter growled and swung again. The axe came faster, fueled by rage. Vivienne turned too late. The axe tore into her side, blood spraying. Vivienne staggered, choking as blood spattered from her mouth, her eyes wide in shock.
"And you talk too much," the man sneered.
But then, Vivienne's lips curved into a smile.
She shimmered, then vanished.
The man froze at a tap on his shoulder. He turned slowly, until his gaze locked into her merciless blue eyes just before her daggers drove through his helm and into his skull. He screamed, dropping his weapon, and she wrenched her blades free with a spray of blood. Without missing a beat, she spun around and threw her dagger into the throat of another charging hunter. He dropped instantly, clutching at the gurgling wound.
Blood sprayed, bodies dropped, the battle kept on raging around me.
But there were still too many.
"There's too many!" Eris shouted over the chaos, hurling another bolt of lightning that shattered against a shield. "We have to end this now!"
Vivienne parried another strike, yelling at the top of her voice. "Got any ideas, Kai?"
"I'm a little busy!" he roared, smashing a flaming fist through a hunter's armored chest.
I spun around, desperate, smoke choking me. The clang of steel and shouts were all I could hear. My vision blurred, until I saw him.
Darius Fane, emerging through the haze of smoke and flames.
My breath hitched.
His armor gleamed black in the firelight, his sword dripped red with blood. And his helm turned toward me.
Fear iced my veins. I stumbled back as he slowly started to walk toward me.
Then he charged.
With a growl, he swung his sword at me.I leapt aside, his blade splitting market a stall in half. Another swing came so close I felt it slice the air against my cheek.
Panicked, I ran deeper into the market place. I found a stall and quickly went in, pressing against the wall as I hid behind a curtain of hanging fabrics. I pressed my hans over my mouth to smother my ragged breaths so he wouldn't hear me.
I heard the heavy thud of his bootsteps as soon as he entered the stall.
I heard the sound of his sword, slice through fabric.
Then came the footsteps again. Slow and heavy before the sound of his blade slicing through another curtain of fabric.
I thought to myself, "He's going to find me if I don't do something."
With each slow and careful step he took, panic rose in my throat.
The shadow of his helm spilled across the cloth in front of me. I quickly backed away, accidentally knocking over a pile of folded fabric with my shoulder. It tumbled with a muffled thud.
At that moment, my eyes widened and my blood went ice cold.
Then the boots again, faster now. I saw his shadow stretching over the curtain I hid behind and my pulse thundered in my ears. My breath caught in my lungs.
I shut my eyes tight and burst out in blind panic, slamming into him. We tumbled, crashing down to the ground. His sword fell away, clattering across the cobblestones. His helm also slipped free, rolling until it came to a stop
I landed on top of him, chest heaving, my heart almost tearing out of my ribs.
And there I was, staring into the eyes of Darius Fane.