Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

until they lined the walls. Most of them were fire court, but there were plenty from the other courts. The color had drained from Orion’s face as he recognized the members of his court that had betrayed him. We were outnumbered five to one. Anger churned in my stomach. I snarled at Valac. “Why don’t you fight me for the armor?” I said, pointing the tip of my sword at him. “Show your followers what kind of a leader you truly are.”
    “Gladly,” he replied, sneering at me. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”
    I waved him over. “Take your shot.”
    The crowd of rogues cheered as we circled each other like two lions fighting over control of their pride. I had to fight the urge to charge him. Excalibur made him much too dangerous for that. No, I had to take him down with my sword. Valac and I had sparred when I was a child. Even then, he wasn’t much of a challenge. I flexed my shoulders as if I were about to lunge. He jolted in response. He might’ve had a powerful weapon, but he still feared me.
    “No,” Orion interrupted, turning both our heads to his direction.
    “What are you doing?” I barked, heading toward him.
    “You can take it, Valac.” Orion handed the armor to one of the rogue elementals. He ran it over to Valac who seemed stunned by what had just happened. “Please, just leave.”
    “You surprise me, Orion,” Valac said, examining each piece of the armor. When he was satisfied, he signaled to his followers. They headed out the door behind him. A smile danced on his lips. “See you around.”
    I stood still, dumbfounded. What had just happened? Had Orion declared defeat? Did he think he was saving what was left of his court? When I went to go after Valac, a muscular arm pulled me back. It was Orion. “What are you doing?” I asked, attempting to release my arm from his grip. “I’m not just going to let him have it. You know what this means.”
    “I had to let him go, Rowan.” He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “All he needed to do was cut you with Excalibur and you’re dead. I wasn’t going to just stand here and watch that happen.”
    I crossed my arms. “You’re assuming I couldn’t take him.”
    Shaking his head, he replied, “You’d be foolish to assume you could.”
    “I had a plan,” I argued.
    He raised an eyebrow. “Really? What was your plan?”
    I opened my mouth, then closed it. Was he right? I paused. My entire focus had been on killing Valac. But I was in such a rush to get over here I’d never actually planned anything out. Orion was right. Had he not stopped me, I’d likely be dead. “What are we going to do now?”
    “The armor was our only hope.” He strode over to the chair and sat down. His elbows were balanced on his knees, while his head rested in his hands. “It was strong enough to withstand a blow from Excalibur, giving us a chance to get the sword away from him. Now, I’m not sure what can be done.”
    A vision of Kalin floated into my head along with an idea. “What about the shield?”
    He glanced up at me. “The shield is protected by very strong magic. It has enough power to equal Excalibur. But the armor protects the entire body. Only the most skilled warrior could use that shield against the sword.”
    “I’ll carry the shield.” It made perfect sense. I finally had a way to keep Kalin safe. If I had the shield, he’d have no reason to attack the air court. My belly filled with anticipation. I clenched my fists at my sides. “Let him come for me.”
    Orion paused for several moments. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
    Until we found a way to stop Valac, we had no other choice. “It’s our best option.”
    “If this is your plan, the woodland court is with you.” He stood firmly. “What do you need from me?”
    “I must return to the air court. Kalin needs to be prepared.” I wasn’t sure if she’d go along with my plan, but I had to make her see this was the best way. I refused to sit