Chapter 50 Vynsiel
VYNSIEL
I’d never fought this hard before, never pushed myself to my limits this long, but I couldn’t help it. I sensed Izzy’s pain and her flagging spirit. She was dying, and I was so damned close but too far away to help her.
I fought with everything I had, blasting dragons and defenses and anything in my path with searing beams of light over and over, an unending barrage of lasers as I screamed my fury and frustration.
I’d grown wise after the first time Hana had hit me with a mental attack, stunning me, then Neyalim had surrounded my head with water attempting to drown me.
I’d blinded them and fled, regrouping. My mistake had been having my beams originate from me, which gave them a target.
Now I launched my attacks from all over, while adding blinding flashes to disorient them and hiding behind a shield of light, of which I kept three going at all times, alternating which I hid behind.
Never before had I attempted to do so much at once, surprising myself with my aptitude and strength. Even the hard-faced titans gave grunts of approval.
Then, as I flew from one shield of light to another, my enhanced vision caught something back amongst the enemies.
The heavy grate blocking the entrance to the arena floor was open. Saldrea stood just inside. For an instant I panicked, thinking she was finished and Izzy was dead, but no, I was still in contact with Izzy’s spirit, strong but waning.
It was the other thing I caught in that quick glimpse which spiked my fear: Golana handing Myel over to Saldrea.
Fuck.
No!
Saldrea would use him to break Izzy’s spirit.
I’d seen what his torture had done to Izzy the first time, how it had broken her. I couldn’t let Saldrea take him into the arena. My life was worth nothing if Izzy died, so screw it. I braced myself for all manner of nastiness and flew straight into the enemy…
…or I would have if a hand hadn’t clamped on my shoulder and stopped me.
“Let me go! Saldrea has Myel. She’ll take him into the arena and torture him to break Izzy. We have to—” That’s when I noticed who was holding me. “Koar?”
“We’re here, we can help,” the dragon said. With him were Rook and Olinara, Lhorine and a titan woman I didn’t know but I assumed was Bayn’s sister. This was confirmed by the big titan giving her a brief hug when he saw her.
Huh.
I didn’t think titans had feelings.
That didn’t matter; reinforcements had arrived and with their help, we could turn the tide of this fight!
“You heard what I said, though, right? We need to get in there now!” I reiterated.
“We’ll break through their lines,” Lhorine said.
She looked wan, rough, drained, but her words and tone were determined.
“You need to focus on Izzy, on her spirit. Give her everything you have, support her, be her rock. She’ll need your strength to survive what is to come. Give her time. Give us time.”
She was right, but I balked at the idea of sitting back and not fighting.
“We’ve got this,” Rook said, balls of fire in his hands, which he threw at the enemy.
“The rest of us have this,” Olinara said to Rook. “You need to stay back too. Use your connection to Izzy’s mind, keep her sane, keep her going.” The nymph looked at both of us. “She’ll need both of you.”
I looked at the demon.
Not that long ago, I’d hated demons. I’d been told since birth that they were depraved and evil, vile beings.
I knew better now. Rook may not be my favorite person — he’d left Izzy for a little too long when she’d needed all of us — but I could see now that he was as dedicated to her as I was.
His eyes burned with devotion. He was all in for Izzy and I think that terrified him, but he was still here, helping, driven.
I nodded to him.
He nodded in return.
The two of us stepped back, out of the fight.
“For Izzy,” I said reaching out to the demon.
“For Izzy,” he repeated, taking my hand. The connection wouldn’t really help either of us, but it felt good to know I wasn’t alone, that we were all fighting in our different ways.
Then I dove into my spirit, seeking my connection with the woman I loved.
I found her radiant spirit floundering. So I sent her strength through our connection, as I’d done last night.
I couldn’t communicate with her, but I hoped Rook would explain what was happening.
I needed her to feel my love and support, to know she was strong enough to endure what was to come.
Because she was.
I’d seen it time and again.
That woman had taken nearly everything this world had thrown at her, trying to break her, and she’d remained standing, strong.
Her strength had inspired me to change, to forgive myself, to be a better person.
In doing so, I’d unlocked a deeper well of spirit, a font of power I’d blocked my entire life because I’d known what I’d been doing was wrong.
And I used every last drop of my spiritual strength to bolster Izzy now.
In return I felt something from her, a pulse of warmth through our link… like squeezing my hand. She knew I was here and helping, and appreciated it.
I smiled, then lost myself in spirit, giving everything I had to her. She’d need all of my power to survive what Saldrea was about to do.