Vail engaged Bleu, drawing him away from Kordula and Thorne. The red lightning struck Thorne in the thigh and he bellowed in pain and growled as he clutched it. Sable gave a war cry and attacked Kordula with her two long knives, using close quarters manoeuvres to hinder her ability to attack with magic. She landed several blows with the wicked blades, ripping through Kordula’s black dress and tearing through flesh beneath. The dark witch slammed the flat of her hand against Sable’s chest and she hit the gravel, spraying it everywhere.
Thorne bared huge fangs at Kordula and attacked, swinging his broadsword at the woman’s head as she raised her hands to fire a spell at Sable while she was down. Kordula shifted to aim the attack at him and huge leathery wings erupted from his back and he shot upwards, dodging the spell. It blasted into the ground and threw gravel high in the air, leaving a smouldering crater behind.
A male cried out and Olivia’s gaze darted back to Vail and Bleu.
Bleu pulled his spear from the side of Vail’s chest, spun it in the air and brought it down again, aimed directly at Vail’s head. Vail barely managed to block the attack with his twin black swords and the force of the spear clashing with his blades drove him to his knees. Bleu grinned, victory flashing in his eyes.
She had to stop him. Her gaze darted around and landed on a small blade with a ring at one end on the gravel just a few metres from her.
Olivia pushed away from Loren, launching forwards towards the small throwing blade. She scooped it up in her right hand and threw it with everything she had at Bleu, sending it shooting towards him at incredible speed.
She really hoped her aim was as bad as she thought it was. Loren would hate her if she hit Bleu.
The knife zipped harmlessly over Bleu’s left shoulder but it did exactly what she had planned. He paused and frowned at her, forgetting his attack. Vail used the distraction to escape from Bleu’s reach.
Loren snarled and grabbed Olivia, dragging her back against him on the ground. “What in the gods’ names do you think you are doing? Have you gone insane?”
“Saving your brother,” Olivia snapped and jerked out of his grip. “I’m not crazy... Vail is. Kordula has done things to him that have... he isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to live, Loren. Kordula is making him do this. Can’t you see that? You said he acted weirdly sometimes and seemed to be different. This is why. He’s fighting her hold over him, but sometimes he isn’t strong enough. Sometimes he can’t stop himself from doing terrible things.”
Olivia turned on Loren, her anger getting the better of her. She wanted to hit him and rail at him until he listened to her and saw that she was telling him the truth.
Loren stared beyond her, his eyes wide, filled with conflicting emotions that ran through her. She knew she was asking a lot but she also knew in her heart that Vail hadn’t lied to her.
“Vail is being controlled by the witch, Loren. You have to believe me. Your brother is fighting her but she’s too powerful,” Olivia said, loud enough that she was sure everyone must have heard her.
Vail broke past Thorne and Bleu and ran at them.
Loren pulled Olivia onto her feet and faced his brother.
Olivia curled her fingers around Loren’s hand, drawing his attention down to her, and couldn’t stop the words from leaving her lips, even when she knew they would wound him. This was her last chance. Vail couldn’t withstand another attack. Loren would grant his wish and then he would discover that she had been telling the truth and he would hate himself for what he had done.
“He wants you to kill him, Loren. He brought us together because he wants to die... and he didn’t want you to be alone when that happens.”
Vail ground to a halt, dropped his blades and threw her a pained look as he clutched his head, curling his black claws around it. He tossed his head back, forcing his elbows high into the air as he held the sides of his head, and snarled, baring his fangs. Fight it. She knew he could. He was weak from the blood loss but he could still fight Kordula’s spell. He had to.
His purple eyes shifted down to Loren and he mouthed something.
“Brother,” Loren whispered and took a step towards him, and then shoved Olivia behind him when Vail’s demeanour changed again, his eyes growing dark with violence.
Vail lowered his hands and his blades shot back into them, but he made no move to attack.
He stood before them, his chest heaving with each hard breath, his head still tipped back and eyes on Loren. The lights from the generators cut across him from behind and his left side, forming two shadows on the gravel.
“Kill him, Vail.” Kordula’s voice rang out over the sound of her battle against Bleu, Thorne and Sable.