Threads of Fate

Chapter 19 ~ If They Would Only Listen

    Tissaia whirled and her eyes flew wide at the sight. Kaius was pinned on the ground by the Lion she'd seen earlier. His hands were stuck down by brutal talons and there was nothing she could do as the beast's jaws lashed towards his throat. Kaius's head bashed into the Lion's nose, dazing the beast enough to spare his neck.

    One of its back legs came up and planted on Kaius's middle. He gave another pained holler as talons gouged through his flesh, but still he wedged his foot between himself and the Lion. He slammed his boot into the beast's gut, managing to wrench its claws free of his abdomen, but blood soaked his shirt and the ground around him.

    Before Tissaia could let another arrow fly, her brother was there. Talarion threw himself off his horse and onto the Lion's back. His dagger flashed before it disappeared into the nape of the beast's skull. The Lion gave a bloodcurdling roar and Talarion sliced his blade through its thick pelt and down its spine. The creature shrieked again, falling to the ground and going still as its golden fur was stained crimson.

    He rushed to Kaius and hauled the male to his feet, healing magic already shining at his fingertips, but more snarls were coming from the trees. There were other Blood Fae moving in. "Split up!" Talarion ordered. "We'll be able to lose them faster and separate their numbers! Meet at Oriana's Pavilion as soon as it's safe!"

    Tissaia gave a sharp nod and Talarion pushed Kaius onto his own mount, then swung up behind him. Tissaia rounded in search of Azael's horse, but found it already galloping towards her with the Prince on its back. More Wolves broke from the treeline with furious howls, but Tissaia didn't spare them a glance.

    Azael hung down from the saddle and she caught her arm around his neck as he thundered past, his own arm snagging her by the waist and hauling her up in front of him. She had an arrow readied the next second and fired at the closest Blood Fae, plunging the arrowhead straight through the beast's eye and downing it.

    She kept firing while Azael guided their mount through the forest, and pushed the fear from her mind when she realized she could no longer see Talarion and Kaius. Her brother's plan was working. The Blood Fae had split up to follow them, and that left two for each group. Talarion and Kaius could handle themselves.

    She would have to take down the Wolf and Panther still following her and Azael, and soon. She could feel the warmth of Azael's blood still seeping through his clothes and into her own, and her own wounds had left her head heavy and pounding from pain and blood loss.

    But she couldn't heal them until they were safe. Tissaia drew a steadying breath and twisted, angling her bow across Azael's shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, and she let the arrow fly.

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    Azael kept one hand clutching the reins in a death grip while his other arm was locked around Tissaia's waist, keeping her secure in the saddle while she fired at the Shifters chasing after them. He'd heard a few pained yelps and knew she'd hit her targets, but apparently not in the right spots to kill them.

    He blinked swiftly as the forest blurred into a smear of green, then cleared again. That wasn't a good sign. He had moved his belt up and it was as tight around his waist as it could be, keeping one of his spare shirts pressed against the worst of his wounds, but there were still the gashes in his chest and fire blazed through his neck and shoulder.
   
    He'd lost a lot of blood before managing to staunch the worst of it, but even now he could feel it seeping into the cloth. Not to mention he and Tissaia's clothes were still soaked, and he could feel her shivering from both cold and exertion. She was panting hard as she raised another arrow to her bow.