I spat a curse and planted my feet, swallowed the bile burning the back of my throat and nose. It tasted sour. I drew deeply on the Source until I thought my body would burst from the pressure bubbling my blood. Focusing my energies on what I wanted was hard. Each of Devlin's punches on Breandan's body was like a blow to my own. I molded the mass of chaotic energy I summoned into a fist of air, panting under the strain.
Breandan lost concentration; eyes darting to mine they filled with concern. Victory flashed across Devlin's face as he struck with fatal precision.
Releasing air, I reached to fire. A ball of light appeared before me and grew. Larger, and larger until I realized it was more than I could control. Breandan would be too close to use the damn thing, so what did I do with it? The flames stared to burn blue then whips of white started to flash across its surface.
"Rae, hold very, very still and do not let it go."
I looked up to see Breandan and Devlin had stopped fighting. They stood side by side, and the alarm on their faces terrified me.
My lip trembled and the fireball bloated slightly.
Breandan took a hesitant step toward me. "Rae, love, please stay calm."
"I think I think it's a little big," I said nervously. "At least you've stopped fighting."
"It was either stop or watch you kill us all," Devlin said angrily.
A ferocious hate blazed across Breandan's face as he looked at the fairy-lord, but he schooled his expression and focused on me. His face was blank, but his eyes were tight. "It's going to be fine. I want you to do exactly what I say, alright?"
I nodded manically. The ball of fire hovered in front of me, rolling, expanding and collapsing in on itself slightly. What would happen if it exploded in my face?
"I have courage and I can do this," I said out loud.
Devlin rolled his eyes.
"Yes," Breandan agreed. "You are very brave. Now, I want you to think of the fire ball as the wind."
"Like a tornado?"
"No!"
The fireball lengthened, and spun into a cyclone of flames. A face flashed into my mind and then it was off, sucking Devlin into its centre. Consumed in wildfire he bellowed in anger. The fire swirled into a glowing ball leaving him singed, but unharmed. He bounced the bloated sphere of death in his palm then hurled it toward Breandan.
"Stop," I cried and reached out to call the power back.
The fire winked from existence, but the heat of it enveloped me. Falling to my knees, I batted at the small fires that erupted on my clothes, and watched in confusion as the fist of air I'd conjured hurtled toward the fairy-boys, who had returned to their fight. I was powerful enough to conjure two spells at once? Even as I realized something was wrong with my conjuring, my eyes widened at the glow surrounding them, and I understood too late they used magics of their own.
The casting broke with such impact the ground shook.
Shields conjured for protection bent and exploded. Both boys were flung back and carried by an unstoppable force. The churning energy of their spells rent apart fanned out, like ripples in a still pond. I vibrated as the force encountered my mass and hammered it. I was thrown from my knees, and kicked across the floor at breakneck speed. Each ripple slammed and beat at me until all I could do wait for it to end. A wall was in my way and as I crashed through it the stone dragged at my skin. I lay dazed. Unable to move, think or breathe. Black spots danced across my vision and my ears filled with a high note of sound. I scrunched my eyes shut. There was blood in my mouth and dirt rammed to back of my throat. I couldn't smell anything, my nose felt thick and throbbed. Amulet of protection my left butt cheek. I gasped, my chest expanding to suck in air in heaving gulps. The busted up thing known as my body was numb.
A hand pressed on me, checking I was whole.
"Breandan," I sobbed. "It hurts so bad."
Coughing up speckles of dirt, I lay a hand on my chest and brought it away to see dark red.
"Lie still."
The voice, familiar yet unwelcome caused bizarre dread to gush through me. It was not the voice I wanted to hear.
"Get off me," I said, breathless. "Don't touch me."
Despite the pain I wrestled and twisted and attacked with my hands but Devlin deflected me without difficulty.
"Let go." Breandan loomed above, not a scratch on him. His blade bit into Devlin's jugular drawing blood that trickled to soak his collar. Yet he hesitated to let me go. I glared up at him like he was a mad man. "Now," he snapped.
Breandan clasped my extended arm and pulled me into him, keeping his eyes deadlocked on Devlin. On his knees, Devlin's hair and eyes were half crazed. My blood stained his hands, and his clothes were singed and smoking at the edges.
If I were a were-cat I would be roaring.
My heart battered my chest as I reached the conclusion the fight had ended. Breandan had won, and I saw in Devlin's face he was facing something nasty. The defeat at the hands of a younger and weaker enemy, something a tribal leader could never live down. Sweat slicked my palms, and I rubbed them on my jeans. I thought it through quickly, if I wanted to suggest something extreme. I mean, reverse the situation and Devlin would kill Breandan without hesitation. Was his life Breandan's to claim? The fairy culture seemed deeply steeped in honor and tradition. Lochlann was the rightful leader of the rebels, not Breandan. If he killed the tribal leader I didn't know what it would mean. It could cause more damage to the fairy hierarchy than leaving him alive would. My eyes travelled down to a puddle of my blood dripping in steady plunks to the floor. I swayed, but before I staggered, I was in his arms.
"This is your own fault for not minding your own business," Breandan said and looked down his perfect nose at me. "Our shields were only conjured to protect. If they had triggers attached you would be dead. Using magics on a whim is beyond irresponsible, Rae. It puts you in danger. You must not go beyond your capabilities."
Tossing my head back in defiance was a bad idea, the forest rolled.
"He was going to kill you," I said petulantly.
The look he shot me had me cowering in his arms. "Such little faith you have in your mate."
Breandan glanced at Devlin, who was still frozen like stone; decided he was not a threat and turned his back to set me down on a fallen log.
Devlin shifted, coming back to himself after the shock of losing. Pressing a hand to his temple then threading his fingertips through his white-blonde hair, his hand kept travelling down until it swept around his neck and chest. His eyes widened, went wild as they darted around the ground. His gaze fell on me, and I met it with cool indifference. Swallowing at the look of expectation on his face, I couldn't help but slide a hand over my pocket. Devlin followed my gaze and then grinned.
He moved onto Breandan, "One would think you want to kill me, boy." Smiling impishly, dimples appeared on his cheeks.
Breandan growled; a low rumble that darkened his expression and heated my blood. A hiss seeped from my parted lips, and I placed a hand on his stomach, scrunched my fingers together so my talons pierced his skin. The pain was intentional to ground him. His hand slipped into mine as he regained control.
"You will both pay for this," Devlin said and smiled. "In ways you could never imagine."
Breandan made a small noise, but remained still. The smile slid of Devlin's face and his eyes narrowed.
"Breandan," I began wearily. "What-"