17. Dante
17
Dante
D ante crouched behind a crumbled stone wall, his hands steady on his knees as he studied the clearing ahead. The ley line node pulsed in the distance, its energy twisting through the air like heatwaves. Broken sigils marked the ground around it, glowing intermittently, remnants of some forgotten ritual struggling to reactivate.
Orion’s sharp gestures brought the team to stillness, his commanding presence holding their focus. He glanced over his shoulder, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “Positions,” he said, his tone measured but firm. “We wait for my signal. No improvising.”
Lucas shifted to his left, the static charge of his magic brimming just beneath the surface. He didn’t look over, but his muttered words carried a quiet edge. “Anyone else feel like we’re sitting on a powder keg?”
Ezra, perched above them on a precarious outcrop, tilted his head. “That’s because we are. Try not to make it worse.”
“Not helping, Spectre,” Dante muttered, his amber eyes narrowing as he scanned the clearing again. Pressure built steadily in his chest, unrelenting and impossible to ignore.
Orion glared at them. “Keep your focus. We can’t afford mistakes.”
Kaelen adjusted the grip on his staff, his calm demeanor a sharp contrast to the tension rippling through the group.
“Remember the plan,” Orion said. “Containment first. No direct engagement unless absolutely necessary.”
Dante nodded, though his jaw tightened at the reminder. Plans had a way of unraveling when fire was involved—especially his.
Sebastian moved beside him, his coat brushing against the rough stone as he crouched. He leaned closer, his silver-gray eyes catching the ambient glow of the sigils. “You ready?” he asked.
Dante met his gaze, his pulse steadying under Sebastian’s calm demeanor. “Always,” he said, though the word carried more determination than certainty.
Orion raised his hand, signaling for silence as he surveyed the clearing one final time. The rogue mages moved like shadows among the remnants of broken pillars and overgrown paths.
“On my mark,” Orion said. “Volt, Tide—secure the perimeter. Branch, Beacon—block off their escape routes. Spectre, keep watch from above. Blaze, Cyclone—hold position and be ready to engage if necessary.”
Dante shifted his weight, his magic stirring in his chest like embers waiting for a spark. The codename registered a moment too late, pulling his attention to Sebastian. He arched a brow, a mix of curiosity and disbelief crossing his face.
Sebastian caught the look and shrugged with self-satisfaction.
Dante snorted, his amber eyes narrowing.
“Jealous?”
Dante rolled his eyes, though a smirk tugged at his lips. “Focus, Cyclone .”
“Always.”
Lucas said through their comms, clipped but tinged with unease. “Perimeter set. No sign they’ve spotted us yet.”
“Yet,” Ezra said dryly from his vantage point.
Orion’s hand remained raised, his focus unwavering. Every muscle in his body tensed as anticipation coiled tighter with each passing second. The ley line node pulsed again, a ripple of energy flickering outward, lighting up the sigils with growing intensity.
“Hold,” Orion said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Dante gritted his teeth, his hands curling into fists as he fought the urge to act. Each second dragged on like an eternity, and whatever came next, he knew it would push them all to the edge.
***
Orion’s hand lowered, signaling the team into motion. Lucas and Tristan moved toward the perimeter.
Dante shifted into position, his amber gaze locked on the clearing. Broken sigils surrounded the ley line node, flickering erratically as though sensing their presence. Aiden and Kaelen moved to block the escape routes, their magic thrumming in the air.
“Something’s off. These wards—they’re layered. Too precise for a basic activation site,” Ezra said through the comms.
Before Orion could reply, a barrier sprang to life around the perimeter, shimmering as the sigils blazed with renewed intensity. Rogue mages emerged from the shadows as they flanked the team from multiple angles.
“They were waiting for us,” Ezra said, his vantage point providing a clear view of the ambush. “They knew we were coming.”
“Spectre, identify their positions. Everyone else, hold the line. We’re pinned—this just became a fight,” Orion said.
Dante gritted his teeth, flames flickering at his fingertips as the first volley of spells lit up the clearing. A blast of energy struck near Lucas, scattering debris, and forcing him to retaliate with a crackling arc of lightning. The flash illuminated a cluster of rogue mages advancing toward the ley line node.
“They’re protecting the node!” Lucas shouted. “And they’re not holding back.”
Dante moved quickly, intercepting a spell aimed at Kaelen with a burst of fire. His flames collided with the incoming energy, the impact sending ripples of heat across the battlefield. “They knew we’d come here,” he said, his tone sharp. “This isn’t random—they’re ready for us.”
Sebastian stayed close, his silver-gray eyes scanning the chaos as he manipulated the air to deflect another attack. “They must’ve figured out the map was taken,” he said, calm despite the storm unfolding around them.
Ezra cut through the comms. “They’ve locked us in. Wards on the perimeter are reinforced—double-layered at least.”
Orion’s commands came fast. “Tide, Volt—focus on breaking the perimeter. Beacon, Branch—disrupt their formations. Blaze, Cyclone—kick some ass.”
“You got it, boss.” Dante surged forward, his magic roaring to life as he hurled flames toward a group of advancing mages. The fire spread rapidly, forcing them to scatter, but the wards on the ground absorbed some of the heat, redirecting it into the sigils surrounding the node.
Sebastian moved beside Dante, his air magic whipping into a shield as an incoming spell hurtled toward them. The deflected energy scattered harmlessly, giving Dante the opening he needed to launch a controlled burst of flames toward a cluster of rogue mages advancing on Aiden and Kaelen.
His jaw tightened as his fire struck true, forcing the rogues to scatter. The sigils around the node pulsed brighter, feeding off the volatile energy in the air. Sebastian gestured, redirecting another attack that veered too close.
“Focus on the flank!” Dante shouted, his attention locked on the node as it reacted to the mounting chaos. He didn’t need anyone pointing out what he already knew—he just needed a clear shot to stop the activation.
Sebastian’s magic wove effortlessly to shield them both. He didn’t say a word, but his steady presence spoke volumes. Every barrier he conjured allowed Dante to keep his focus on containing the flames and preventing the sigils from spiraling further out of control.
The sigils pulsed again, their glow intensifying as the node began to react to the chaotic energy. “This magic—it’s feeding off the environment. The more we throw at it, the worse it gets!” Aiden shouted.
Dante hesitated, his magic faltering for a split second as he took in the volatile scene. The rogue mages moved with calculated precision, their spells forcing his team into defensive positions while the node’s energy only grew more and more unstable.
“Focus on disrupting that ritual, not destruction. We can’t let them activate it.” Orion replied.
Dante growled under his breath, his flames reigniting as he turned back to the fight. “We’re already in the middle of their trap.”
Sebastian stayed close as he intercepted a spell aimed directly at Dante. “Then let’s make sure it’s the last one they set.”
***
Dante hurled a stream of fire toward the advancing rogue mages, the flames roared to life as they collided with a hastily raised ward. Heat radiated outward, scorching the air, and leaving the ground blackened in its wake. He forced his magic into tighter, more controlled bursts, but the ley line’s energy pushed back, amplifying everything he threw at it.
The sigils carved into the ground glowed brighter, their intricate lines twisting as if feeding on the chaos around them. Every flare of his magic seemed to ripple through the clearing, the energy thickening with each clash of spells.
“We’re losing ground!” Lucas shouted.
Dante adjusted his stance, his focus narrowing on a rogue mage attempting to activate another sigil. Flames burst from his hands, surging toward the target, but the intensity doubled before it reached the enemy, licking wildly at the edges of the battlefield. He pulled back, trying to dampen the fire, but the energy refused to subside.
Sebastian moved into his peripheral vision, his air magic swirling defensively to block an incoming strike. “Blaze!” he called, his attention darting between the blazing flames and the growing instability of the node.
“I’ve got it!” Dante shouted, his hands tightening into fists as he tried to control the inferno spreading across the clearing. His flames had always been a part of him, a raw extension of his will, but now they felt foreign—untamed. The ley line’s volatile magic coursed through the air, feeding his power until it slipped further from his grasp.
Another sigil flared to life, its light flashing as it absorbed the fire’s energy. Dante swore under his breath, the embers swirling around him burning hotter with every second. His pulse raced as he threw another burst of flames toward the node, desperate to stop it from stabilizing.
“Stop feeding it!” Orion barked. “Pull back, Blaze!”
His control unraveled as the flames roared higher. “I-I’m trying! I can’t-it won’t stop,” he growled, his amber eyes locked on the rogue mages still pressing forward. His magic flared again, unrelenting, spilling out of him unbidden in a massive wave that scorched everything in its path. “No!”
The sigils reacted instantly, their glow reaching a blinding intensity as the node pulsed with unstable energy. The ground beneath his feet trembled, cracks splintering outward as the ley line’s power rippled violently through the clearing.
No, no, no, no, no, noooo…
“That fire’s destabilizing everything!” Aiden said, strained and urgent.
Dante staggered, the heat from his flames radiating back at him, stinging his skin and making his breaths shallow. His hands burned with the effort to pull his magic back under control, but the ley line pushed harder, amplifying every spark into an uncontrollable blaze.
“Dante!”
The fire surged again, wild, and relentless, licking at the edges of the battlefield and forcing his team to retreat further. Dante clenched his fists, his frustration, and fear feeding the inferno. He was losing it—losing control—and everyone around him was paying for it.
***
Dante
Sebastian moved swiftly, air rippling in controlled currents around him as he closed the distance to Dante. The flames whipped violently, uncontrolled bursts of fire licking toward everything within reach. The heat pressed against him, intense and unrelenting, but he pushed forward, his silver-gray eyes locked on Dante.
“Dante!” Sebastian shouted. His magic swirled outward, pressing against the inferno, and sapping the oxygen feeding it. The flames faltered, their reach shrinking as the controlled currents fought back the blaze.
His body remained tense, his amber eyes wild and unfocused. The fire continued to surge from his hands, more reactive now than intentional. His breaths were shallow, his shoulders tight as though he couldn’t rein it in no matter how hard he tried.
Sebastian stepped closer, his magic weaving tighter, and he created a shield around them both. “Listen to me,” he said, his words meant only for Dante. “You have control. Breathe with me.”
His head jerked toward him, his jaw clenched and his eyes burning with frustration. “I can’t—” Dante’s voice cracked, his fire flaring violently again. The ley line’s volatile energy seemed to amplify his magic with each passing second.
“You can,” Sebastian said, his steps measured as he approached further. “Look at me.”
His gaze flicked to Sebastian, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The inferno around them stuttered as Sebastian’s magic created pockets of calm, suppressing the flames bit by bit. He reached out, his hand resting against his shoulder.
“Let me help you,” Sebastian said.
The fire didn’t vanish immediately, but it faltered, shrinking under Sebastian’s influence. He leaned closer, his hand tightening on his shoulder. “Focus on me, not the flames. Just me.”
His breathing slowed, though his body trembled with the effort to pull the fire back under control. The flames around them flickered unevenly, as though caught in a battle between chaos and calm. Sebastian shifted closer, his other hand lifting to cup Dante’s jaw, steadying him further.
“Breathe,” Sebastian said. “You’ve got this. You’re in control.”
His amber eyes locked on his, desperation gradually giving way to something quieter. The fire’s intensity faded, retreating further under Sebastian’s unwavering calm. But it wasn’t enough—not yet.
Sebastian made a decision in an instant. He leaned in, closing the final space between them, and pressed his lips to his mouth. The kiss was firm, grounding rather than consuming. Air flowed between them, a stabilizing current that extinguished the last flickers of flame. Dante froze for a heartbeat, then exhaled, his shoulders dropping as the tension drained from his body.
The fire surrounding them sputtered out completely, leaving scorched earth and smoldering embers in its wake. Sebastian lingered for a moment, his hand still steadying his shoulder as he pulled back, his silver-gray eyes searching his face. “See?” he whispered. “You’re in control, Dante. The fire doesn’t control you.”
Dante blinked, his amber eyes unfocused as his chest rose and fell unevenly. Relief crossed his face, but it was fleeting. His knees buckled, his body sagging as his strength gave out entirely.
Sebastian caught him instinctively, wrapping an arm around his waist as he lowered him to the ground. “Got you,” he said, a flicker of concern in his eyes. He eased his head against his arm, his hand brushing against his jaw.
His breathing was shallow but even, his body limp as exhaustion overwhelmed him. His fiery glow had dimmed, replaced by a pale weariness that spoke of drained magic and overexertion.
Sebastian looked up briefly, his sharp gaze scanning the battlefield. The rogues were scattered, their ambush broken, but the sigils still pulsed in the distance, remnants of the unstable ley line’s energy.
“Cyclone, report,” Orion asked, clipped and decisive.
Sebastian adjusted his hold on Dante. “Blaze is down but alive. Overexertion. Flames are extinguished, but we need containment on the ley line node. Now.”
“On it. Beacon and I are stabilizing,” Aiden said.
Sebastian exhaled, his attention returned to Dante. He brushed a few stray strands of crimson hair from his face. “You did it,” he said. “You stopped it.”
Dante stirred, his head shifting against Sebastian’s arm, but he didn’t wake. Sebastian stayed there, waiting until the rest of the team moved in to contain the aftermath.