Wylde Magic | Book 3

Fourteen: Uninvited Guests

My heart pounded in my ears as I looked around the pavilion.

When the first crash of magic blasted into the gardens next to us, Thain and Spaulder shuffled the rest of us between them, except for Eberon who ran to his mother's table to watch over the flock of ladies who were now near panic. 

"Nassir!" Schula hissed. "What do you mean he's here?"

"He is near enough for me to feel," Nassir clarified. "But not so close that I think we can find him easily, I fear."

"We need to see who's attacking first," Thain said. "Whoever it is, they aren't close. These are long-ranged attacks-"

His last words were nearly cut off by the sound of another blast. This one was filled with ice, and shards flew across the ground, slicing into tables, dishes, and in a few cases, flesh. I sucked in a sharp breath as a tiny shard nicked my hand, causing a delayed trickle of blood.

"I am not standing here as the enemy attacks," Spaulder said.

"I am with you," I stood from my crouched position.

"Wren..." Thain started.

"We're triquetram," Schula interrupted him. "If one of us stands, we all stand."

I smiled at her grimly, then turned to Thian. "We aren't the same people you knew last year. We can handle looking at the front lines, you take care of things here."

Thain gave me a hard look for a brief moment. A soldier's assessment. He nodded sharply, and we split up. 

Schula was already bunching up her skirts and tying it up. The end result looked a bit ridiculous but would allow her to run. I wasn't able to follow how she did it, but when she was finished with her own skirts she turned to help me with mine.

Spaulder, Schula, and I ran out of the pavilion. Behind us, I heard Eberon and his mother give orders in turn.

"Noncombatants, to me! Lord Arceval, flip the tables into a barricade." The Lady of the estate cried out. "Vanalae, gather the unbroken bottles of alcohol. The rest of you, begin ripping the linens for bandages."

"Nassir, Thain, we're together here," Eberon called. "Able fighters, to the front! Nassir, can you erect anything from stone?"

As we left the sounds of the pavilion behind, my heart was lighter knowing everyone back there was being taken care of. Now the only ones we needed to watch out for, were ourselves. 

There were really three parts to the estate. The fields of horses, the cluster of buildings, and the expansive gardens. I could see the damage already done to the gardens, and it looked as though the attacks came from the direction of one of the fields. 

Spaulder ran ahead. He was faster than Schula, and even a little faster than me. My eyes widened, I hadn't been outrun since growing into my elven speed, and it was a shock to encounter it now. 

We passed frightened horses. They were doing their best to stay in a far corner of the fenced-in field, but they wouldn't stop moving and a few of them were pushing and kicking against the fence.

"Sorry, Eb," Schula mumbled, and she threw out some of her ice to take out the base of a fencepost. 

Schula's magic startled the horses all over again, but one brave mare pushed her way to the now broken post and tried to move it. The horses were able to push it over now, and they began streaming out of the field.

"We owe Eberon a bunch of horses," I said.

Schula shrugged. "Most will wander back. This place means food and those were tame mares."