Forsaken (Fated Saga Fantasy Series Book 8) by Rachel Humphrey-D'aigle Page A

worthy foe in the group.
    Arnon jumped to his feet to take stock of everyone… he’d landed just inside the tent entrance and came running out, relieved he didn’t see any major injuries- a hissing dark mass flying toward them.
    His arm shot upward, a spell shooting out of his hand hitting the Grosvenor’s head on.
    It created a charge of light that crackled over them.
    Smoky masses danced and darted in between the light bursts.
    They needed to regroup, fast, if they had any hope of surviving this battle.
    “To me,” Arnon shouted. “Regroup!”
    Slowly, they worked their way back to Arnon in front of the tent.
    Eddy pulled Juliska off the ground.
    “I’m fine,” she told him. Feeling rather useless… she wanted to add, but kept to herself.
    “Stay close,” he begged her. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”
    While Juliska enjoyed the sentiment, she refused to be a useless tow behind.
    “I have to do my job. You have to let me.”
    He agreed, but the distress in that choice was obvious by the pained look on his face.
    “Help the others. I’ll be fine, Eddy.”
    He let her go by the tent and rejoined the others, who had regrouped.
    “We need to figure out what’s going on,” said Cornell. “If we just keep playing poor defense we’re not going to make it out alive.”
    “Suggestions?” Milo asked everyone.
    Kanda eyed her brother pleadingly.
    “ No. That is a last resort.”
    “Maybe it’s not your choice,” she argued through clenched teeth.
    Juliska wasn’t certain what was going on, but it was clear Nashua was trying to protect his sister. It hit her what she needed to do. Create a diversion so the others could fight. And if they were here for Kanda, and whatever she was hiding, perhaps this would give them a chance to protect her as well.
    Eddy turned and cast a quick glance at her, almost as if he knew she was about to try something and was begging her not to. But there was no other option. They’d all die. At the least, Kanda might, or she might be taken by the Grosvenor… better to just die in that case; it was a death sentence to be captured. It was a rare thing for someone to return alive after.
    Juliska refused to allow this to happen.
    Eddy had turned away but she smiled at him, a sense of peace and calmness coming over her. Her decision felt right.  
    She turned and strode around to the side of the tent. She’d draw the attention of the Grosvenor and give the others a chance to fight, and not just defend themselves. Her purposeful stride slowed, with each step the fire inside getting hotter. Dark veins rose on her skin, pulsing with fiery bursts.
    Her narrowed gaze penetrated the woods, searching out for the smoke-like movements of the Grosvenor.
    There were shouts from the front of the tent and a spell that penetrated their defensive line and shot through the tent. She ignored it and focused on her target. A shape darting between the trees… she threw her arms out in front of her, aiming at the next tree over. Flames blasted outward, connecting with her moving target just as the Grosvenor’s frame slid behind the tree.
    Bark exploded. The Grosvenor, stunned, stammered backwards. In solid form. A fightable form. A body came up alongside her. It was Arnon Jacoby. He wore a sly grin and wasted no time in attacking.
    “Good job,” he shouted back at Juliska as he ran. Nashua was right behind him, both shooting spells at the darkly cloaked form just gathering themselves from the fiery blast. It had singed the edges of their cloak, and plumes of smoke wafted off the dark cloth. A jarring sneer escaped the hood as if the Grosvenor though the whole thing funny. It wasn’t remotely worried that Arnon or Nashua would cause any permanent damage.
    More bodies slid up next to Juliska and saw what was happening.
    She ignored them, her gaze honing in on her next target. She lit out at it, but missed. The Grosvenor dissolved into the darkness in thick smoky veils. Juliska hissed, shooting