A hand landed on her shoulder. “Focus.”
Grace glanced back and saw Noah. “I hate that they are willing to die to protect their cowardly leader.”
Gritting her teeth, she reinforced her shield and swallowed hard when she felt Noah’s energy soothe her anger and strengthen her resolve. Was he aware that he was offering his vital force to her, or was it unconscious?
“We need to attack,” Michael said. He was always impetuous.
“You’ll be incinerated if you leave the safety of our shields,” Grace warned.
“It takes less energy to protect than to attack,” Ewan muttered without looking back. “But I have to agree with the hunter. We need to do more than just protect ourselves.” He turned to look at Aaron. “It’s your call.”
“He seems reluctant to attack,” Kaye noted.
“Not reluctant. I’m just assessing everybody’s powers,” Aaron claimed. “Grace,” he paused as if he was pondering what to say next. “They are casting angelic seals. Are you able to break them once we deal with the wizards?”
“I noticed.” She spread her hands and created a second shield that engulfed the princes and the hunters. “I can deal with the seals, and I’m strong enough to protect us all. You should use your attack powers.”
Grace noticed that the wizards in the front row stepped back with widened eyes when she intensified her powers. She didn’t understand why, but they seemed to fear her the most. Usually, that happened when her wings came out, and they mistook her for a full angel. If they believed that her power was great, they were up for a surprise. The dragon princes were equally great, if not more powerful than her. Darren had proven more than once how incredible his powers were. Aaron had been a top student in the year he went to her academy. Kaye and Ewan were equally great fighters and wizards. Not to mention that Ewan was an elf. He liked to glamor himself to look human, but his skills went beyond any of the wizards.
“We have no idea how many wizards are inside the other chamber. Use your powers sparsely, but let’s end this.” Aaron’s hands moved, and his magic snaked around them and his arms. Tendrils of power spread around him. “Hunters, follow close behind the dragons and me. Use your knives to protect you from the magic.”
Without further delay, they stepped outside the shield and unleashed their powers. The shock of surprise in the wizards’ eyes was anticipated when their companions began flying left and right, and their attacks had no effect on the dragons.
The hunters rushed behind the princes and fired their stun guns at the wizards. Their raised knives created a temporary shield to absorb the glowing orbs that were shot their way.
As trained, each hunter teamed up with a dragon and watched their back. Grace felt proud of her friends.
Noah remained beside her. “Are we joining the fight?”
Grace watched the wizards being thrown around like rag dolls while the dragons’ magical tendrils surrounded their wrists and restrained their hands, putting them out of commission. The hunters threw blows when their guns didn’t knock out their targets. The enemy bodies fell to the ground, unconscious. The screams and yells echoed in the chamber and were ignored by the trained ears.
Dropping the shield, Grace lunged forward with Noah and stopped the wizards from running from the central chamber into the maze of corridors. Everybody should be captured. The Celestials were planning to bombard the mountain once the enemy was transported out of there. Leaving anyone behind was condemning them to die.
Noah’s aim was spotless, and his blows precise. The wizards’ personal shields were useless against Grace’s magic. Her glowing shards left her hands and pierced against the wizards’ shoulders. Instead of injuring them, her magic fused with their clothes and spread down their arms, restraining their hands and leaving them powerless.
It didn’t take long for all of the wizards to be neutralized and tied up.
An eerie calm fell on the central chamber as the princes and the hunters looked around and made sure all the enemies were restrained.
The cries of pain and the tears falling down the wizards’ faces shook Grace to the core.
Why were they crying? What was going on?
She twirled around, hearing the mumbled prayers of their enemies. They all had the same request to their gods:save my family. Please, protect my family from them.
A hunter shouldn’t cry or show vulnerability, but tears began falling down her cheeks as if their pain was her own. Images of frightened children holding on to their mothers inundated her mind. Their fear and pain became a part of her.
“Grace, are you okay?” Noah’s hand on her arm and his fingers brushing her chin brought her back to the now. She realized that she was kneeling with her hands holding her stomach.
“Is she hurt?” Aaron asked, standing beside her. “Grace?” He touched her shoulder.
She couldn’t reply with the lump that formed in her throat and the unsettling feeling making her stomach lurch.
Swallowing hard and breathing deeply, she shut her eyes and willed herself to control her emotions. Her attention resurfaced when loud bangs reached her ears.
“Aaron, we need your help. The protective spells are bouncing back our powers, and the doors don’t open.”
“Give her some water,” Aaron said to Noah before leaving to help the other dragons.