24. ~Orpheus~

24

~Orpheus~

Motherfuck.

A thunderous explosion rocked the east wing of Electi Academy, devastating its structural integrity, walls blown to smithereens, windows shattering, entire chambers taken out.

All in a whirlwind of violent flames.

Talon!

Screams and cries erupted all around me, shocked chatter sounding through my army before me as everyone swung their heads to take in the destruction and then the emergence of Talon soaring into the sky in full phoenix form.

Utterly enraged.

Shrieking in phoenix tongue, he fired at Abigail’s ward, the celestial magic shuddering under the absolute full force of his power.

Completely unrestrained.

Absolutely out of control.

My IC Watch beeped and vibrated, just like it had been doing for the last couple of hours as I’d been immersed in the drills and training I’d been conducting with my soldiers.

It was my father, probably just checking in. I’d respond later once my task was complete and a good session had been had.

Well, and once this had also been dealt with.

A gust of wind whipped around me a second before Xavier was at my side, looking up with a whole lot of shock in his eyes as he took in what the rest of us were—Talon Creed at his most dangerous and devastating.

“I heard him warn me to get out a few seconds before this happened. It gave me time to evacuate everyone else in that wing too. Thank fuck.”

“How did this happen?”

“I have no idea. I left him to take his shower and get dressed for class. It was just under ten minutes.”

“We had him calmed. Something’s done this to him.”

“Or some one.”

“Perhaps.”

I unfurled my wings, intending to fly up there and try to talk him down, but Xavier snagged my arm. “No. In this state, he could burn you to ash.”

“If I don’t try, he could burn everyone here to ash. And that ward isn’t going to hold up much longer against a fully unleashed phoenix hopped up on pure rage.”

It was one of the few things that could give angel magic a run for its money.

“Oh, shit,” Xavier uttered.

“What now?” I demanded, following his line of sight to discover the answer for myself.

There, teleporting in a burst of pink smoke just a few feet from my illusion was Dean Bronson, quickly joined by Professor Esmira, werewolf, along with experienced witch, Professor Targus.

“Hell, they’re too close to the illusion.”

“I’m gonna need to drop it anyway to shore up my power in order to shield myself against a hit or two of Talon’s phoenix fire.”

“They could expel you for this. They’ll see it as a mutiny,” he warned. “It could be worse than even that, brother. It could blacklist you, a lot like what happened to your father.”

“Then so be it. I can’t allow them to stop Tal the way they clearly want to,” I said, gesturing at the iron weapons and cuffs they were conjuring as we spoke. What that awful metal did to him… I couldn’t stand it being used against him.

Motherfuck. Maybe I wasn’t the commander, the leader they needed me to be after all, as I’d thought I was prepared to do whatever it took in this war, but clearly I wasn’t, because doing that to Talon was completely off the table for me.

I was just about to drop the illusion and face the consequences when Talon succeeded in shattering the ward. A single hole was all it took for him to completely tear into it and bring the entire thing crashing down, thousands of white shards falling down all around us, my army, X, and I dodging the impact, before they hit the ground around us then dissipated into the earth.

It was just seconds when crimson smoke filled the area over by the gates and then red robed figures appeared—Constantine’s acolytes. A couple hundred of them.

They split into two units, the magic-wielders levitating up toward where Talon was, conjuring a massive brown net that I’d bet my life was made of fucking iron, while the other unit marched upon the Academy, blasting their way through the gates and coming in hot—werewolves turning in mid-run, vampires bursting forward and magic-wielders calling their power, a fucking rainbow of flames cutting through the night.

“He planned this. Constantine did this to Talon somehow.”

Yet another thing to worry about and find a way to deal with.

My watch went off again, but I pushed it aside and focused. “Immediate problems first. I’ll hold the first unit off here. You take the four best of my Light Fae soldiers and four wolves and stop those heading up to Talon. Dodge his blasts if he reacts, you can’t absorb them, not without your magic.”

“Got it,” he said.

I dropped my illusion so my power wouldn’t be expended holding it steady.

I saw Dean Bronson looking over and frowning, trying to determine what the fuck was going on.

I’d deal with damage control on that later.

I whistled, getting my army’s attention and barking orders, while X headed off with backup.

I took position on the frontlines as my soldiers quickly took formation to receive the incoming assault.

“Hold your ground!” I called out. “This is our territory. They will not take it! Give it everything you’ve got!”

I sent my wolves straight ahead, tearing through the battle lines and howling out into the night as they ripped the enemy off their feet and cut and path through.

I had my vampires intercept the enemy’s that were bursting through and threatening to use their speed to fuck us over. It worked, giving them something to chase as well.

Then I called to the Light Fae to my left, “Use the trees!”

In the next second, Isabella led the unit and roots were rising up out of the ground, snagging incoming acolytes, tree branches wrapping around them and smacking them away across the forest too.

I swept a wave of my power to my right, tearing a dozen magic-wielders off their feet and stunning them, stopping them from firing at my soldiers.

We weren’t just holding our ground, we were beating them back.

Given that there were so many, it was just the beginning.

It was going to be a long night.

Talon’s shriek tore through the night and sent a chill down my spine.

I didn’t think, I just spun right in the middle of battle toward the sound.

There he was flailing beneath the iron net the acolytes had just draped over him, while Xavier and my soldiers tore into those responsible.

I saw X giving commands, gesturing for three of them to create a distraction, while the others fanned out around them. They were working together well and he was doing well leading them.

But without his magic… fuck, I didn’t want to think it, let alone say it, but it was a major loss in battle.

Sure enough, I watched him take a magical blast from one of the acolytes.

It blew him back and he lost his footing on the rooftop.

He managed to get a hold on one of the tiles with his talons, digging them in to stabilize himself.

But then the blasts kept on coming until he was grimacing, then crying out, while his team was busy battling the others and trying to get that fucking net off Talon.

The ferocity of his phoenix fire started to fade as the damage of the iron on his body started to take a toll.

“Orpheus!” one of my soldiers on the ground called out.

I spun toward the sound of the voice, right into a lunging attack from one of the wolfed-out acolytes.

They slammed into me, the massive animal driving me onto my back, making me choke, and winding the fuck out of me.

They gnashed their teeth and moved in for the bite. I thrust my palms out, my purple fire bursting forth and blowing them off me.

But the moment I sprung back to my feet, three advanced on me, stalking and growling, fucking feral with it.

Before I could react, a blinding white light ripped through the area.

I heard pained wolf cries a moment later, and then I found myself looking at Abigail Rose standing in front of me, barring the wolves’ way to me.

She smashed her palms together, creating an insane shockwave that tore right through the battlefield, ripping all the acolytes off their feet.

With them all down for the moment, she turned to me, her face ashen. “I’ve been trying to reach you, Orpheus.”

“That was you using the IC Watch communication channel between my father and me?”

“Yes.” She grimaced. “He’s taken a turn.”

“What? What exactly does that mean?”

“He’s fading. Rapidly.”

“No, he has more time.”

“The black magic infection has increased three-fold.”

“Constantine. He’s poisoning Alena further.”

“It ends this night.”

“You cracked Taelorn?”

“I did and I have the location.” She gestured at the chaos all around—the acolytes, Talon having lost control. “Unfortunately, it cannot be I who leads the rescue. I must restore the ward immediately and protect us from exposure. A phoenix raging, as he will be any moment as your soldiers free him from that net, cannot be left unchecked. The damage would be catastrophic. I’ve sent Elliot Sabre in my stead along with an Exemplar team. Leave now and you can head them off and join with them.”

“You’re really allowing this?”

“Yes, no need for any illusions for once,” she said, pointedly.

What? How much did she know?

“You are one of the rare beings who can withstand and challenge Constantine Vale’s power. You’re needed there. Go now.”

I hesitated, looking out at the acolytes rising again, my army setting upon them, Talon almost free from the net, X being overrun.

Abigail’s hand clamped down on my shoulder. “I will see to them. Go now. My daughter needs you.”

I wouldn’t fail her. She was coming back this night. And forever she’d stay.

We were never losing her again.

Abigail uttered the address to me.

And in a burst of purple smoke, I teleported out.

I’m coming, little angel.