Read Online Feudlings In Smoke (Fate On Fire Short Story) by Wendy Knight - Free Book Online
Authors: Wendy Knight
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your parents, Dani! You have to stop using them!”
He heard her sharp intake of breath behind him, but he couldn't answer as he picked up his phone.
“Will? Ari's in Adlington! And–and they say the Carules Prodigy is there. She and Richard had a fight and he won't pull her out and I can't do a saldepement and no one—”
Behind him, the front door slammed shut. Will spun around, but Dani had left without a word. “Mom, slow down. How did Ari get to Adlington? I talked to her earlier today—”
“There isn't time to slow down!” Vivian sobbed. “She's in trouble, Will! She's alone and the Carules Prodigy and his Guard are both there and Richard won't let me go to her. I used to be able to do a saldepement but I can't anymore!”
Ari needed him. Will knew he was shoving his existence into Death's face and waving a white flag, but he would not let her face this alone. “Don't worry, Mom. I got this.”
“Will! You can't go, either. They'll all kill you! I can't lose you both!”
Will was already pulling on his gear, his blood roiling at the thought of a fight. He might have refused the war, but the love of a battle had never left him. First and foremost, he was an Edren sorcerer, created to protect.
“You won't lose either of us, Mom. Not tonight.”
It was time to be what he was born to be.
Dani met him on the dirt street outside his house. “I'm going with you.”
“No, Dani, you aren't.” His voice was curt, much sharper than he had intended it to be. With herculean effort, he softened his tone. “I need you to stay here so I have a way back. If I can get to Ari, I'm dragging her out of that battle, even if I have to knock her unconscious to do it.”
“Will, I—”
“ Please, Dani. Please watch my back. I need you here or I have no way to get her out of there.”
“They'll kill you, Will.” Her voice broke. “I can't let you face this alone.”
He took her face in his hands, memorizing every detail, just in case. She was so beautiful, even as tears streaked her cheeks and her lips trembled. “Dani, this is what I was born for. I have the strength to face this. I can save Ari, but I can't bring her back without you.”
She sobbed once, and he kissed her, trying in those few short seconds, to tell her how much he loved her and how much he would always love her.
But it was time to go.
The door shimmered open behind him and he had to release her. He had to let her go and walk away knowing he might never come back. “You just hit send, Will. As soon as I hear it ring, I'll start counting,” she called as the door started to shut behind him. “Will, wait!”
He turned at the last second and a shroud blasted through just as the doorway was gone completely, with her words caught on the air and carried to him. “I love you, Will.”
“I love you, too, Dani.”
The shroud fell across him like a warm blanket, enveloping him in a false security. They might not be able to see his face, but one spell and they would all know who he was.
And he would be fighting not only frenzied Carules, but angry Edrens as well.
“Are you ready for this?” Ward asked next to him.
Will looked up in shock. “What are you doing here?” Here was an outcropping of trees just beyond what had once been Ada Aleshire's home. The Carules boy she'd scorned had burned it to the ground, killing everyone in it except the Duke of Adlington, Ada's father. By the time Ada had arrived, it had been too late to save anyone. Now, there were the ancient bones of a stone structure and charred, broken trees that seemed frozen in time. And covering it all were warriors from both sides, locked in a desperate fight. If there was such a thing as a battle to end all battles, this seemed the place to have it.
“I'm here to fight with you. I can't defeat my own Prodigy, but I can get you to Ari.” Ward, who hadn't fought in a battle in over a decade, looked mighty confident in his abilities.
“It's too
He heard her sharp intake of breath behind him, but he couldn't answer as he picked up his phone.
“Will? Ari's in Adlington! And–and they say the Carules Prodigy is there. She and Richard had a fight and he won't pull her out and I can't do a saldepement and no one—”
Behind him, the front door slammed shut. Will spun around, but Dani had left without a word. “Mom, slow down. How did Ari get to Adlington? I talked to her earlier today—”
“There isn't time to slow down!” Vivian sobbed. “She's in trouble, Will! She's alone and the Carules Prodigy and his Guard are both there and Richard won't let me go to her. I used to be able to do a saldepement but I can't anymore!”
Ari needed him. Will knew he was shoving his existence into Death's face and waving a white flag, but he would not let her face this alone. “Don't worry, Mom. I got this.”
“Will! You can't go, either. They'll all kill you! I can't lose you both!”
Will was already pulling on his gear, his blood roiling at the thought of a fight. He might have refused the war, but the love of a battle had never left him. First and foremost, he was an Edren sorcerer, created to protect.
“You won't lose either of us, Mom. Not tonight.”
It was time to be what he was born to be.
Dani met him on the dirt street outside his house. “I'm going with you.”
“No, Dani, you aren't.” His voice was curt, much sharper than he had intended it to be. With herculean effort, he softened his tone. “I need you to stay here so I have a way back. If I can get to Ari, I'm dragging her out of that battle, even if I have to knock her unconscious to do it.”
“Will, I—”
“ Please, Dani. Please watch my back. I need you here or I have no way to get her out of there.”
“They'll kill you, Will.” Her voice broke. “I can't let you face this alone.”
He took her face in his hands, memorizing every detail, just in case. She was so beautiful, even as tears streaked her cheeks and her lips trembled. “Dani, this is what I was born for. I have the strength to face this. I can save Ari, but I can't bring her back without you.”
She sobbed once, and he kissed her, trying in those few short seconds, to tell her how much he loved her and how much he would always love her.
But it was time to go.
The door shimmered open behind him and he had to release her. He had to let her go and walk away knowing he might never come back. “You just hit send, Will. As soon as I hear it ring, I'll start counting,” she called as the door started to shut behind him. “Will, wait!”
He turned at the last second and a shroud blasted through just as the doorway was gone completely, with her words caught on the air and carried to him. “I love you, Will.”
“I love you, too, Dani.”
The shroud fell across him like a warm blanket, enveloping him in a false security. They might not be able to see his face, but one spell and they would all know who he was.
And he would be fighting not only frenzied Carules, but angry Edrens as well.
“Are you ready for this?” Ward asked next to him.
Will looked up in shock. “What are you doing here?” Here was an outcropping of trees just beyond what had once been Ada Aleshire's home. The Carules boy she'd scorned had burned it to the ground, killing everyone in it except the Duke of Adlington, Ada's father. By the time Ada had arrived, it had been too late to save anyone. Now, there were the ancient bones of a stone structure and charred, broken trees that seemed frozen in time. And covering it all were warriors from both sides, locked in a desperate fight. If there was such a thing as a battle to end all battles, this seemed the place to have it.
“I'm here to fight with you. I can't defeat my own Prodigy, but I can get you to Ari.” Ward, who hadn't fought in a battle in over a decade, looked mighty confident in his abilities.
“It's too
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