Emalynn POV

The plan seemed simple. Rory and I do as much damage as possible to those horrid enslavers while trying to separate the kids from danger. Braxton and Silas would jump in if needed or when the kids were safe. Our intel was incomplete. There were more of these scum in the woods. Mercenaries to protect their precious products. It was maddening how many lives I had to end today. My attention was split between keeping the vermin from getting too close to Rory while the hidden scum was trying to get me out of the trees.

Braxton had come to help me, but there were so many. I would watch him momentarily before Rory would snap back into play on the forest path below me. Braxton would use tree branches like a hammer in a slingshot in between utilizing his brute strength. I watched this guy slam a few of them into the tree trunk like the rocks beating on an old target. He wasn’t fast like most of my companions have been. Instead, he had perfect timing. Braxton would study, assess, plan, and humiliate his opponent easily. Every strike was brutal and angry. His entire being was fuming with anger. Blood would splatter on his face, and I would swear the look in his eyes was one of satisfaction. Did he thrive on war?

I didn’t have time to waste on such thoughts, so I released arrow after arrow on the vermin below. They kept running their mouths, trying to piece who the blur was disrupting their march to Solis—stupid humans with their lax slavery laws. Myrra made Gleaca seem like it was past the time when enslaving other races without any debt was an illegal practice. She must not have been in Solis much. How can enslaving three hundred people for fun be legal there? These vermin should be enslaved instead, but right now they were guessing Rory’s identity, and they were getting too close for comfort.

Braxton was scrambling below to keep the mercenaries in check while Silas was off somewhere getting help, I hope. There was a moment when all the slaves shrieked, which turned out to be the turning point of this rescue. Rory had her back against the wall when the vermin went after the children. None of us could jump in and save the day as slaves had begun to riot. I saw her brain process her options for half a second before she thrust her magic into the ground. She built a terrain tower to keep the vermin from reaching the children. I tried to use my arrow to keep the magic blasts from hitting her, which is when everyone shrieked in fear for the children. Rory blew her cover right there by unleashing her lightning.

A few slaves escaped and helped Braxton in his fight. The one orc among the slaves, Yuli as Braxton called her, had broken free. She was helping others get loose while motivating others to fight back. Rory’s magic was keeping the kids safe like a web of electricity, diffusing every magic blast in its path. She was stuck on a tower among vermin who would happily see her dead because she defied them, and she had her revenge when she fried those wearing metal armor. Her control over each spark of electricity was impressive.

Braxton wrestled with a few of the scum along the forest floor. His shirt was ripped off by the ground, revealing Braxton’s torso to the world. All eight of his abs were visible and well-defined like every muscle in his body. My eyes were glued to his form for a moment, taking in each curve of his muscles. How the hell did someone get that well-defined? It was like he walked out of a damn art gallery. My whole being came hot just from watching beat the scumbag to a pulp. Why was such violence so attractive? I shared a few hot kisses with the man, and now I am drooling over him in battle. When did I turn into such a pervert by watching a brute in the heat of battle?

Steps crunching through the forest floor caught my attention. Silas returned with a platoon of elf soldiers behind him. How had he gotten them here so fast? Another male orc stood proudly behind him. I wondered if this was another orc who had served with Braxton in the Orc Freedom Wars. Was he the mysterious Captain Onyx Yalton that Silas sent a message to? None of my questions were answered, however, Silas’ arrival with the soldiers ended the conflict altogether. I saw two of the vermin try to escape, so I followed them.

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Jumping from branch to branch along the interconnected treetops, I tracked the two men running through the brush. The one on the left was fat and a little slower than the tiny gut on the right. I decided to take out the twig first since he had a better chance of slipping away. My quiver was nearly empty at this point. Taking my knife from my belt, I decided to go for a ground assault. Leaping from the tree, I landed right on the twig man. He collapsed under my weight. My knife made some cuts into the twig’s muscles. He yelled obscenities at me as I pulled his arm out of the socket and slammed my knife into the back of his knee. The man crumpled up onto the ground for a moment before I yanked him to march toward Braxton, but I lost sight of the fat vermin in the woods.

No sooner had an elf soldier taken the twig from me than I had walked into a scene on top of the dirt tower. Wasting no time, I made my way to the top of the dirt tower. My best friend became pale in color. Rory was scaring the hell out of me. Her whole body had collapsed from her overuse of magic, and I kept her from falling off the tower she built. Looking closer, I found cover in wounds and seeping blood from magical burns. Did Rory like to dance to the edge of death so freely?

I waved Silas over to come to heal Rory. He took her into his arms and a warm light of his magic enveloped her. It was a sight that I saw too often of Rory needing to be healed. Rory would make medicines and bandages from scraps and leaves. She heals fast, but she can only brush with death so many times. Rory watched all of us. Her eyes scanned the crowd with concern when she suddenly thrust her fingers into the ground. Red magic flared as the whole dirt tower began to sink to the ground. Her skin became paler as she forced her magic to carry us safely to the ground.

“Stop!” I begged her. There was no mana in her anymore, and it frightened me. I tried to pull her hand from the ground, but the pure follow of magic burned me. “Ro, you have to stop! Your magic is feeding off your life force now.”

The ground settled as it safely sank into its place. All eyes turned to Silas as he kept pouring his magic into Rory. Her eyes stayed open, focusing on Silas. “They are concerned for you, Prince Halestone.”

Is she hallucinating again? Rory just called Silas a prince.

Silas’ face dropped, but his magic kept flowing. “Call me Silas, Red. Please.”

Silas didn’t correct her. He didn’t laugh at being called a prince. Looking at everyone around us, it was clear they held Silas in high regard. Rory had commented on how he summoned a damn owl. This man was a freaking elf prince. Now, it makes sense how Braxton knows Silas will be able to help us in Desfyra.

Braxton stood next to me, gently caressing my arm. It was comforting and confusing since we hadn’t talked about anything. All we have done is make out several times, but they were the kind of kiss that fills you with heat until you melt into a puddle. Knowing that Silas is a prince just made things more complicated. Hell, rescuing these people has made everything more complicated since everyone here has seen the illegal hybrid in the arms of their elf prince. Will this Captain Yalton arrest Rory, or is she under Silas’ protection? Braxton could tell my mind was about to explode from questions.

“Emera, relax,” he whispered. “Rosewyn is their hero. The children call her the ‘Weird Red Lady’. Everything will be fine.”

Rory started rambling again in Silas’ arms. “You could have shown up sooner.” She held her head up using Silas to keep her steady. I could hear her whisper to him. “I don’t do well with crowds, Fuzz Face.”

A dry chuckle escaped my lips. “Did you just call a prince Fuzz Face?” The kids snickered behind me. I had forgotten they were there. All their faces looked so sad as they watched Rory try to stand up. These kids needed some reassurance that Rory was fine, so I grabbed one of her arms and pulled her to her feet. “You still have your humor, Ro, so I know you are going to be fine. Just walk it off.”

“Whatever you say, little archer.” She smiled.