Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sharp teeth split the air right in front of me as I throw myself backwards. But because I was sprinting forwards mere seconds ago, the move is just barely enough to get out of reach of the first attack. The second, however…
Panic screams inside me as I hit the ground hard on my ass while the silver dragon swings its head towards me and opens its jaws again.
Calling up my magic, I summon a violet flame of pain and slam it right into the dragon before me.
A screech rips from its throat as my magic connects, and the shimmering ice flames at the back of its throat fade.
Warm pleasure explodes inside my tense and exhausted body as the side effects of my magic hit me with full force. I gasp in a deep breath.
In front of me, the dragon rears back and throws its head from side to side as I continue to increase the flame of pain in its chest.
My soul thrums and I can barely concentrate through the ecstatic emotion that fills me, but I manage to stagger up from the ground.
Shaking my head to clear it, I dart to the right and disappear in between the two houses that the dragon came from.
While still continuing to increase the pain in the dragon’s chest, I sprint down the next ruined street and towards where my friends should be.
More, more, more, my mind urges.
Animalistic cries of pain come from the silver dragon as I continue pouring my magic into that violet flame. I should release it. I will. Soon. I just need a little more.
Throwing myself around the final heap of melted stone and metal, I at last reach the open stretch of ground where we landed. Isera comes sprinting out of the ruined city from the other direction at the same time as me, and the others are already gathered.
My heart drops as I finally get a clear view of the horizon. Two massive silver dragons are flying straight towards us. There are only two of that size in this world. Bane and Jessina.
One more silver dragon is flying towards us from the left. Probably the other scout who was paired with the one I’m still torturing.
And finally, a big green dragon flies behind the Icehearts.
My mouth dries out.
Kander von Graf.
Oh fuck.
Picking up the pace, I hurtle towards my friends. Grey is moving his hands in the air rapidly, no doubt already summoning a portal.
Behind me, the silver dragon continues screeching in agony.
I need to release it.
This is draining too much magic. I’ve barely slept in the past two days and I spent twelve hours being tortured by Orion.
That’s exactly why you need this little boost, my treacherous mind replies.
While still sprinting towards my friends, I clench my jaw and brace myself to cut off the magic.
Terror crashes through me at the thought.
If I release it now, I will be hit twice as hard by the awful emotions that rush in afterwards. And I need to function. I can’t do that if I’m drowning in a black ocean of grief and regret.
I just need a little more. Just a little more so that I will be able to get through the aftereffects. I will cut it off soon. Just—
The dragon’s heart gives out.
Grief and regret crash over me like an avalanche as my magic abruptly disconnects.
The force of it is so strong that I stumble and almost fall.
Sucking in a panicked breath, I straighten as I continue sprinting across the ground while also trying to piece myself back together. Exhaustion clings to my every bone.
Goddess damn it, I shouldn’t have done that.
I should have cut off my magic sooner. Using that much, on a target as massive as a dragon, drained almost all that remained of my already dwindled energy.
I won’t be able to create an emotion from nothing again.
Not until I’ve rested a little. For now, I need to limit myself to emotions that are already there.
“Are you insane?” Orion is screaming at Draven when I skid to a halt next to him. “Malachi’s balls, we all need to get out of here.”
“No,” Draven snaps back. “I need to stay and try to kill Kander.”
My heart jerks, and I whip my head towards him. “What?”
“His memory magic is too fucking dangerous. If it hits either one of us, it’s over. But if I can kill him, it will at least buy us time to win this war before Azaroth can choose a new person to inherit that magic.”
While Isera reaches us and slams to a halt as well, Orion stabs a hand towards the two massive silver dragons who are quickly closing the distance to us and protests, “The Icehearts are here!”
“I know,” Draven growls back. “But it’s just them and one more scout.
Kander is practically undefended, and he’s not a warrior to begin with.
He’s a fucking scholar. If I can get him alone, I will be able to kill him.
” His gaze is insistent as he looks from face to face.
“This might be our only shot. I have to take it.”
I hate it. I absolutely despise this plan. But he’s right. So I jerk my chin down in a nod.
“We’ll keep the other dragons focused on us,” I declare. “Go kill him.”
Gratitude flits across his face, and he nods back. “If it gets too dangerous, open a portal and leave without me.”
“I’m not leaving you,” I snarl back at him.
He shifts his gaze to Orion.
“Understood,” the Unseelie King replies.
Draven dips his chin in thanks. “I also need your help to get past.”
“I know.”
“No, we’re not leaving—” I begin protesting, but Draven is already sprinting away. “Don’t you fucking dare—”
Smoke explodes across the ground as he shifts into a dragon. A moment later, he launches into the sky, his massive black wings beating the air hard and making booms echo across the ash-covered landscape.
I grind my teeth. “We’re not leaving him behind.”
“We move together and stay in formation,” Orion commands, ignoring me. “Grey and Hana at the back. Grey, be ready to open a portal at a moment’s notice. Hana, keep searching for the pocket reality. Isera, you’re the only one of us who has defensive magic.”
“I’ll handle it,” she replies, even though her furious eyes are staring daggers at Emperor Bane.
“Selena, you and I will keep the Icehearts distracted,” Orion continues.
Guilt and shame explode in my chest, and I have to force the words out as I admit, “I don’t have a lot of magical energy left.”
He cuts me a sharp look. But then understanding flickers in his eyes. It makes dread strangle my chest, because I don’t want him to understand. Thankfully, though, he doesn’t say anything about it.
“Then focus on that smaller dragon on the left.” He shifts his gaze back to the two massive ones ahead. “I’ll handle the Icehearts.”
In the sky, Draven is speeding straight towards Kander and the Icehearts. My heart hammers in my chest as I watch him get closer.
“Get ready,” Orion says.
Grey and Hana scramble back so that they’re standing behind us while Orion, Isera, and I form a tight line at the front.
Bane and Jessina open their jaws and bellow a challenge at Draven. They pick up speed, closing the distance both to Draven and to us with powerful beats of their wings. I barely dare to breathe.
The moment Draven is within reach, they open their jaws to breathe ice flames at him.
But before they can, the Unseelie King slams them with his full power.
Shocked screeches rip from their throats as the world around them disappears and is instead replaced by whatever horrible memory Orion is showing them. As soon as they can no longer see him, Draven ascends sharply and soars past above them before diving straight at Kander.
The big green dragon roars in panic and breathes a torrent of fire at Draven at the same time as that third silver dragon changes direction and shoots towards them.
Summoning my magic, I shove it at that silver dragon in rapid bursts, searching for emotions to use.
Anticipation pulses through me when I find a spark of tiredness.
They must have been flying nonstop from Frostfell to get here this quickly.
My own soul practically trembles with exhaustion as I drag up the final drops of energy and pour it straight into that spark of tiredness, increasing it into a wildfire.
“Incoming!” Orion snaps.
I barely have time to shift my gaze back to the Icehearts before both of them blindly open their jaws.
Ice flames shoot through the air.
It takes all of my willpower to simply keep pouring my own magic into the third silver dragon while those flames rush towards us.
Before they can hit, Isera yanks up a thick wall of ice.
Their attacks slam into it with a crack that echoes across the deserted landscape. Shards of ice explode outwards. Isera immediately dismisses her magic and then raises another wall of ice in front of the shards right before they reach us.
Ice shatters against ice and rains down on the ground.
On the other side, the third silver dragon is losing altitude. Its wings are drooping and it can barely keep its head up. I keep pouring my magic into it, trying to stop it from reaching Draven.
Lightning splits the air and storm clouds churn as Draven attacks Kander with everything he has.
The leader of the Green Clan has abandoned his attempt to hit Draven with dragon fire and is instead shooting memory magic at him.
My heart clenches in panic as streaks of green flash across the heavens, forcing Draven to swerve and duck furiously to escape them.
Jessina opens her jaws again and turns her head from side to side, breathing ice flames across the ruined city around us. Booming wings and crackling ice fill the air around me as the attack barrels towards us.
Isera yanks up another ice wall.
Loud cracks split the air, almost drowned out by Draven’s thunder.
Gritting his teeth, Orion keeps pouring magic into his nightmare visions while I continue trying to force the third dragon to pass out.
I feel like I’m drawing from an empty well, but I keep forcing my magic into the now massive flame of tiredness. The dragon wobbles in the air but continues stubbornly towards Draven.