Chapter Five

“Leave her alone.” Damion growled, pressing his palms against the shield. She expected it to throw him back, but instead sparks flew from where he pressed in on the magic. Fury deepened his emerald eyes to a forest green. His comforting friendliness gone, buried behind a ferocity that left the smallest glimmer of hope coursing through her. Hope.

The Council Members stared in shock as a black hole rippled through the shield, and the member holding the protection grunted under the strain on his magic. An animalistic sound reverberated through Damion. His muscles rippled with the strain as he forced the shield open with not only the dark magic boiling over the shield, but pure brute strength. A white fracture blazed where he cracked through the shield with his hands, but as he ripped it open, a large black hole appeared.

Volencia’s heart pounded as his head pushied through the darkness. His eyes were now nearly black, and thin dark viens streaked from the corners of his eyes toward his ears.

“Impossible.” She heard Lock, but couldn’t see him. Every one of her attackers watched in slack-jawed amazement.

“NO!” Volencia tried to fight against the others, and wiggled free just in time to run toward him. But Larkisis used his magic to restrain her before she got too close. “You can’t! Get out! You’re not part of this.” The last words trickled to a whisper as the magic holding her squeezed her so tight, she could barely breath, “Please…”

Damion surveyed their opponents, “You know Hero, when I promised to help ease your mind, I was thinking more along the lines of a nice chat.” His hand hovered over the hilt of his sword as his eyes came back to meet hers, “You really better give me that honor I asked for earlier after this.” He flashed her that debonair smile of his.

“Do you have any idea who you are up against?” Larkisis laughed, taking Volencia from Claven. “I hope you have more than steel up your sleeve, but I have no doubt, whatever you think you’re going to do, won’t be enough.”

Snapping his fingers, all the other members looked toward Claven, “I want him, unmarred if possible. Let’s get this show on the road. I’m eager to get home to play with our new, scrumptious toys.”

Damion dropped into a fighting stance, as they escalated on him. Pulling the sword at his side free, it sang upon release. Gasps went up from the crowd that gathered now. It was no normal sword. The blade was fully rendered coursebine, one of the rarest magical elements in the world; usually used to make enchanted jewelry, as it looked like multicolored-glowing-from-the inside opals. The element was incredibly rare, especially these days, because they all suddenly went white. Beautiful, but not capable of holding magic. Not since the Temple of Ephira was destroyed in the War of the Magi. The blade twinkled every color between blue and purple.

“Where the hell did you get that?” Lock pushed past Larkisis. Every eye stared at that sword like it were a loaf of bread being waived before folk dying of starvation.

“That’s not really important. But I will make a deal with you. It’s yours if you let the young lady go.”

Lock, Claven, and Larkisis all looked over at her. Her heart pounded in her chest; if they agreed she would be free. Then Claven winked, “Well, what in Ephira did you do to this poor fellow to make him want to trade such an exquisite piece for… you?” His last word filled with revulsion, like she was a disgusting thing. “Not that I blame you for it, he is delectable.”

“Contain yourself, Claven.” Lock scoffed.

Larkisis’s hand squeezed her arm, pulling her back. “Don’t you even think of trading my kingdom for a shiny sword, brother.”

“Of course not. Why give her up when we can just take the sword instead.” Claven laughed. “Now.” He flourished his hands. The others ran forward to attack. Five Council Members all wearing those grey hooded cloaks advanced. All worked different spells, not meeting him in hand-to-hand combat. As the spells came to fruition, the first to meet him was a stream of fire. Damion raised his hand calmly, even with vine ropes coming in from behind him, meant to hold him.

“Watch out!” Volencia yelled. Afraid he wouldn’t see the vines. Larkisis punched her in the face and she fell to her knees. Her stomach rolled from the pain pounding in her skull. Her eye swelled shut, making it hard to see what was happening.

She did her best to watch and see what he was doing, and Lock cried out in anger as Damion’s magic swallowed all the others, consuming it and spiting back nothing but smoke.

Raising his hand toward one of them, the cobblestones opened beneath his attackers swallowing one up to the shoulders in dirt and stone. Reniza, the fairy King, the smallest member went to him, trying to free him with his magic, and the other three pulled their swords. Volencia missed half the fight as Larkisis kicked her side. Volencia wreathed in pain and she sobbed, rolling herself in a ball on the ground, several her ribs likely broken.

“Make her scream.” Lock demanded, “It’ll distract him. Then we join in the fight.”

Larkisis just kicked at her for a moment. At her legs, shoulder, hips. She did her best to swallow the screams, but she had no idea how well she was doing. “Stop you idiot.” She heard Claven hiss. “There are better ways to make someone scream.” Claven was surprisingly gentle as he lifted her to standing. Facing her toward the fight. “If you fall to your knees or try to cover yourself, I will personally take you right here in front of your people, claiming you for the Empire. Do you understand?”

Volencia’s whole body shook with fear and pain, she didn’t think she would be able to stand for long. She kept her eyes on Damion, who was holding his own against the others. She focused on not screaming as cold hard steel pressed against her cheek.

“I asked you a question.” The blade traced her jawline and down her neck just hard enough for her to feel its prick but not to draw blood.

“I heard you.” Her voice shook, barely a whisper. Her skin slick with tears.

Damion pushed away his largest attacker with a kick to the chest. Worry shone in his eyes as he spared her a glance. They turned darker and fiercer as he watched them. Even the whites of his eyes disappeared until they were nothing more than inky wells. They charged him again before he made it three steps in her direction. The clanging of their swords singing out. Still, he tried to press through the battle. Claven’s dagger ran a line of fire down her shoulder and over her breast, coming to hover at the center of her chest. Slowly the fabric ripped away and she was sobbing, closing her eyes, begging herself not to try to cover up, despite how her body warred against her mind.

“Please, stop.” She couldn’t do this.

“Scream for your friend.” He whispered. Damion, she knew, was aware of what was happening. Though he tried to press through them, they were able to keep him at bay. The blade ran down her belly, cutting away her petticoat, which floated down to her ankles leaving her last line of defense nothing but her slip, which he had already cut through from the neckline to her waist. He didn’t slit it in half, instead, lifting the hem and running the blade up the inside of her thigh.

Damion slashed at one of his opponent’s knees, cutting him down. He swung again, jabbing another through the middle, dropping him in a heap at his feet.

Volencia couldn’t keep it in any longer, panic winning as the blade slowly progressed higher. “NO! No, stop! I can’t—" her screams broke into complete panic as the blade nicked her skin and her body started to fall.

Damion stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing into dark holes at what he saw. Reniza took the opportunity to fly up above him dropping on his back and getting him in a head lock. Plants shot out from the cobblestones wrapping around his arms and legs until he dropped to his knees. His eyes now completely black as he struggled against the vines. The dark web around his eyes intensified, crawling down to his jawline, and running up over his ears.

Claven pulled the dagger away from her, smiling at his brother as he pushed her toward him. “And that is how it is done.”