Princess of Fire (The Light-Bringer Trilogy, #2)

Nineteen

The messenger's skin blackened and rapidly turned to ash.

"Holy gods," Matias cursed from beside her.

Cal slowly turned to look behind her. Lance was as pale as the clouds above them, his eyes wide in horror and despair. Luna held out a hand to where the messenger once stood. Violet and black flames-shadowfire-flickered on her hand, her expression cold and distant.

Screams and musket fire from the south end of Soturi arose and rapidly approached.

Luna's face contorted into a snarl, the shadowfire consuming her hands. Cal shoved Matias away from her and met Luna's corrupted magic with her fire. A thunderclap split the air and Cal slid back a few feet.

Dark figures ran up the street, muskets and swords in hand.

Luna pulled the shadowfire back and blew out the cobblestones under Cal's feet. Cal flew through the air and landed on the cobblestones. She got to her feet and raised her hand to the sky. She reached out to the sunlight and brought it down towards Luna. Luna dove out of the way and charged at Cal. Luna raised her fist. Cal caught her wrist, stepped aside, and kneed Luna in the stomach. Luna kicked Cal's legs out from under her, sending them to the ground. Luna got on top of her and raised her fist. Then the blows rained down. One, two, five, seven-until she lost count.

"Why. Are. You. Doing. This," Cal got out between blows. She hated how small and weak she sounded.

Luna's eyes were full of hatred as she snarled, "Because I hate you." She leaned in close to Cal. "And do you want to know something, Light-Bringer? I poisoned Matias, and I cured him."

Rage filled Cal and burned hotter than the sun.

Kill her.

Shadows grew deeper and Luna shielded her eyes as she looked to her right. She scrambled off of and rolled away from Cal as the beam of sunlight came crashing down and narrowly missed Luna.

They got to their feet again, their flames dancing in their hands.

"One more thing, Light-Bringer," said Luna. "I wasn't sent just to find you. I was sent to break and retrieve you."

-

Matias stole the sword off of a fallen Tenebrarum soldier. Musket fire and the now explosions of canons filled the air. Soldiers ran past him, Akaljot, Lucas, and Lance. Akaljot and Lucas fought to hold back the onslaught of Tenebrarum soldiers. He and Lance were fighting to get to the women they loved.

Matias raised his stolen sword and impaled a soldier approaching him. He swung and severed another's spine.

Get to Cal, get to Cal, he repeated in his mind. Over, and over, and over.

His vision began to darken at the edges, and his fingers and toes grew numb.

No, no!

Pain lanced through his skull and he fought to keep it together. The sword slipped from his grasp and he fell to his knees. Matias crawled and pulled himself forward inch by agonizing inch to his wife. His mind fogged over and he couldn't remember his name. He reached his hand out towards Cal, her name on his lips, as darkness swiftly and savagely came down on him.

-

I was sent to break and retrieve you.

Cal sent a barrage of magical attacks at Luna.