Oblek’s one good eye went wide with terror as my magic hit him and his guards at full blast, flinging all of them like rag dolls against the far wall. I could hear skulls crack as they crumpled to the ground in sprawled heaps.
“Nice one,” Brandon commented, coming up to me, his eyes twinkling as he dusted off his jacket. “Now I understand why everyone is so scared of you.” He grinned.
I scowled. I didn’t find it funny. I didn’t like hurting people.
“Come on, it’s not over yet,” said Captain Gerard, getting up and briefly glancing at Oblek and the unconscious guards. “We need to get you to the ship before the archmage comes back.”
Captain Gerard led us down a path to the docks, where Rafe and Santino were waiting for us.
I ran to them and Rafe caught me in his arms so tightly he nearly knocked the breath out of me. “I was so worried Lucian had hurt you.” He looked me over, checking for injuries.
“I’m fine.”
Rafe turned to the captain. “Thank you—I am forever in your debt, Gerard.”
Captain Gerard nodded. “You need to get out of here now, Your Highness. Before the archmage realizes he’s been tricked. He could return at any time.”
Just then there was a shout, and I looked back to see Santino’s pirates battling Lucian’s guards. The Archmage of Avalonia had arrived, and he was not pleased.
“He’s here,” said Santino, taking out his knives and twirling them in his hands. “Let’s go.”
Four guards ran at us from the other direction. Santino shot past me and engaged two of them, whirling around and slashing the throat of one, then stabbing the other behind him without looking. Rafe knocked one off the docks with a push strike and stabbed another in the leg with his sword, kicking him to the ground.
“We need to get to the ship now,” Santino shouted over the sound of swords clashing.
Santino’s men were flung out of the way as the dark figure of the archmage came into view. His magic swirled like a menacing shadow and clawed its way toward us.
I turned, terror consuming my senses. I couldn’t think clearly until Rafe caught my hand, jolting me out of my fear. “Keep your shield up and run!”
“Go!” said Captain Gerard, flinging lightning strikes at the archmage. The sky crackled as Lucian easily deflected them and kept coming at us.
“This way!” Santino called out, and we followed his lead, sprinting down the wooden quay to a little boat that stood bobbing at the docks.
“You want us to escape on that?” I said, horrified. We didn’t stand a chance.
“Only to get to my ship,” said Santino. “I’ve kept her ready to sail.”
In the distance, I could see a dark pirate galleon waiting on the open sea. Kalen was already there—we just had to get to it.
Easier said than done. The archmage was gaining on us.
Lucian raised his hand, and a shot of red fire blasted through Captain Gerard’s shield. The leader of the palace guards screamed and fell to the ground, his uniform in flames. I faltered, and Rafe steadied me. But there was no time to grieve for the fallen. I fortified my shield and ran for my life.
Lucian raised his other hand and a powerful fire strike hit my shield as I ran. I felt a jolt and a slight dent in it, but it held. I tried to gather more power, but I was tiring. Lucian’s dark magic had weakened me.
A cry shot through the air and I glanced back for a second to see Captain Gerard, launch his burning body at the archmage as he passed. Lucian was knocked to the ground. The captain’s valiant last stand had the element of surprise, giving us the seconds we needed, and we took them. Captain Gerard had given his life so his prince could escape.
Running as fast as we could through the coiled ropes and nets, we jumped over wooden crates and sacks to reach the ladder leading to the little boat where Santino’s man was waiting to row us to the ship. Santino went first and I followed suit, descending the ladder, my feet slipping on the wet rungs. I practically fell into the boat, but Santino caught me before I went overboard.
“I knew you would fall for me eventually.” He grinned, setting me down gently and picking up the oars.
I gave a nervous laugh while Rafe untied the ropes. How could Santino joke in the midst of this?
The sky crackled overhead as Lucian shot lightning strikes in our direction. Santino and his man started rowing furiously toward the ship, along with Rafe and Brandon.
Rafe’s eyes narrowed. “He’s trying to sink the boat.”
I strengthened my shield and pushed it outward to protect the others too. The chill spray of the water drenched me as wave after wave crashed into the little boat, sending shivers through my body while I struggled to hold the shield in place. The archmage sent out another lightning strike that hit the sailor near Rafe. I felt the tear in my shield as it struck. The sailor screamed in agony and fell overboard.
The little boat lurched on the choppy sea, and I grabbed the oars, helping them to row toward the waiting ship. I patched up my magical shield as best I could, but my powers were waning. The archmage’s magic could still reach us as we rowed frantically toward the pirate galleon. I could see him and his guards readying boats to follow us.
We were still some distance away from the ship when a fire strike hit one of the oars I was holding. It went up in flames and I dropped it into the churning sea.
“I will shield the boat, Aurora,” shouted Rafe. “But my magic cannot reach the docks, it is too far.” I could hardly hear him over the din of the waves and the crackling
