by Devri Walls
A huge burst of orange rippled up from below, heading straight for Drustan. Alcander turned his fox to intercept, but there wasn’t time. “Drustan! Watch out!”
Drustan’s fox rolled to the side, trying to evade, but the orange magic flattened and widened, turning into a disk with razor-sharp edges. It sheared through the side of his fox from tail to ribs. Its thread went silent instantly. The foxes around Drustan screamed in anger and dipped down to attack, spraying acid.
The dead fox plummeted toward the ground, Drustan falling with him. Alcander thought Drustan would shift, grow wings. But he was falling straight into a barrage of magic and had to throw one of his meager shields instead.
Alcander swore. He grabbed the scruff of his fox and urged him into a near-vertical dive. The wind tore past his ears and attacks burst against his shield, obscuring his view. “Faster!” he urged.
The fox laid its ears flat and pulled up its legs, lengthening its spine. Alcander hunkered down as the wind threatened to pull him up and off. The fox swooped past Drustan, turning to come up beneath him. Drustan slammed onto the fox’s back, frantically grasping for a handhold as he slid to the side. Alcander reached and seized the collar of Drustan’s coat as the fox made a hard right to avoid a large, crackling burst of magic.
Drustan pulled himself up, swearing vehemently. “Never, never, never. Never again am I riding anything, ever.”
***
KIORA AND EMANE WERE surrounded by a ball of fire. Sweat dripped off Kiora’s forehead as the temperature inside continued to rise. The foxes were faring worse, unable to withstand the heat. Their altitude was dropping and their tongues lolled out of their mouths. Acid dripped and sizzled against the bottom of her shield.
“We can’t maintain this,” Kiora said. “Not with the attacks from below, too.”
Another flurry of magic rocked her shield.
Emane pulled his bow. “Let’s take this higher, then.”
Kiora waited until Vardon flew over their heads and the next Dragon in line was turning for another pass before dropping her shield. She directed her fox straight up. They were vulnerable until they were out of range of the magic below. She pulled wind to speed their ascent.
The Shifter-Dragons followed.
“As soon as we’re out of range,” Emane yelled over the wind that screamed past their ears, “drop the wind.”
Kiora turned her head, squinting. Her hair whipped forward, slapping her in the face. Emane had lowered himself, resting one shoulder on the fox with his body turned at an angle. He held his bow out with an arrow nocked, ready to sit up and fire.
The Dragons were gaining on them.
“Ready?” Kiora called. She dropped the wind.
Emane sat up, pulled back an arrow, and loosed it. It whistled away, burying itself in a Shifter-Dragon’s eye. The Shifter bellowed, tossing his head from side to side, but didn’t leave the fight. He opened his jaws in fiery retaliation.
Kiora pushed out a flat shield, but misjudged the size she would need. One of the foxes was too far to her left. The sound it made as it was engulfed in flames was horrific.
As soon as the flames faded, Kiora dropped her shield and threw a spinning disk of magic aimed at the weak joint in the wing. With an arrow protruding from his eye, the Shifter didn’t see it coming. It connected, and his wing snapped.
***
THE FOXES IN THE group spread into battle formation, surrounding Alcander and Drustan and spraying acid for cover. But Alcander’s fox was now carrying two and could not keep the altitude they needed. Alcander was forced to throw a full shield for both him and Drustan. The magic spattered against the outside, increasing rapidly as the army realized the direness of Alcander’s situation.
A bolt of magic, sharp and pointed at the tip, punctured the shield and slammed into his gut. Alcander grunted, falling back against Drustan before pulling himself upright. He put his hand to his stomach and looked down at his blood-soaked fingers. Another magical spear cut through the top of his shield, then another. He and Drustan ducked.
“I swear, Tavean. If I die today, I will never forgive you.”
Alcander looked back at him incredulously. “I am not the one who fell off my fox.”
The fox directly in front of them was hit and went down.
***
KIORA USED THE SAME sphere on the third Dragon, snapping his wing, and he spiraled out of the fight. Vardon was approaching, and Kiora attempted the tactic again. The Shifter angled hard to the right and her magic flew past him. He blew fire as he was coming out of the turn, forcing Kiora to shield. He turned for another pass and Kiora fired. This time, he dropped into a dive and the magic passed over his head. Vardon was proving to be a skilled aerial fighter. He attacked again and Kiora put her shield back up. Instead of flying by, Vardon hovered above her, keeping his position with slow wing flaps, and raining down a near-continuous stream of fire over her shield.
Kiora, Alcander’s thoughts came. My shield is failing. We aren’t going to make it.
Kiora’s veins turned to ice. She looked down just as Alcander and Drustan vanished beneath a barrage of magical attacks. She looked for anything she could do to help. Vardon was forcing her to continue to dump magic into her shield, and she was running low. Using what was available, she pulled at the smoldering fires around the camp. The embers leaped to life, reigniting in an instant. The flames flared up and out, rippling across the ground.
“Kiora,” Emane said, “can you get me closer to him?”
Kiora pulled her attention away from Alcander and Drustan and looked back up at Vardon’s outline, visible through the flames that rolled down her shield.
“What did you have in mind?” Kiora asked.
Emane pulled his sword from his side. “Swords work a whole lot better than magic against Dragon hides.”
***
ALCANDER’S SHIELD FLICKERED AND the pain in his stomach increased. He didn’t know what damage the magic had done, but his torso and legs were soaked with blood and he could feel the life flowing out of him, and with that, his magic.
Suddenly the campfires flared up, turning into bonfires that grew up and out—spreading, consuming everything in their path. Shouts went up and the army ran, shielding to protect themselves.
“Thank you, Kiora,” Drustan breathed.
Alcander slouched forward, leaning against his fox as they sped toward the entrance. “I’ve got one, maybe two bursts left in me,” Alcander said. “I need you to get that door open.”
They landed. The other foxes circled above them, spitting acid at any who drew near. Most of the enemy army was occupied with keeping themselves alive against Kiora’s fire, but a handful advanced. Drustan ran to the door, pounding on it.
Alcander coughed and the pain was so bad, he thought he would tear in two. He gritted his teeth and dropped his shield, spinning his staff with his good arm. A half-moon burst of magic rippled out, edged with red.
The enemy put up shields, going to their knees. The magic rolled past them.
The door behind them slid open, and Alcander backed his fox toward it. He whirled his staff again, crying out in pain. Wind burst out, picking up the enemy and tossing them back. Some cracked against tree trunks, and their backs snapped.
***
DRUSTAN BELLOWED DOWN THE hall. “Killian, Erina!” His voice bounced around the stone, carrying it toward the center of the city.
The foxes filtered in through the barrier. Alcander’s fox backed in, but Alcander was slumped forward. Drustan ran over, pulling Alcander off his fox. He tried to walk, but collapsed.
Drustan grabbed him before he fell, then lowered him to the ground. “Hold on, Alcander. If you die, Kiora will never forgive me.”
Killian and Erina came sprinting down the tunnel, skidding to a stop. “What happened?” Killian asked, moving to the side as a fox bounded past him.
“No time,” Drustan said, pointing outside. “We must defend this entrance. Kiora and Emane are still
out there. Dragons,” he instructed. “Extra scales. Follow my lead.” He leaped through the door, shifting as he went. He landed with a thud, neck and tail still growing. Killian landed next to him and then Erina. Drustan pulled back his head and filled his chest with air. Lowering his head to the ground, he ignited everything in his path. Killian and Erina did the same, sending out an impenetrable swath of fire.
Killian’s fire sputtered a moment later and he looked toward the sky.
Drustan knew what had caught his attention—his father’s thread.
Erina nudged him with her tail. Mother and son exchanged a look, and Killian rejoined their defense.
***
“WHEN I DROP THIS shield, Vardon will follow me. He is going to underestimate you—use that to your advantage,” Kiora said.
Emane’s eyes were fixed on Vardon, but he grinned. “I always do.”
Kiora opened the bottom of her shield and dove out, the foxes following tightly behind. She turned and darted across the sky, giving Vardon something to chase.
He roared and barreled after her, continuing to blow fire. The heat rolled over her back. He was too close, but her fox was pushing himself as hard as he could. Kiora put up a shield. Vardon snarled as the rest of the foxes swooped around him, spraying acid and aiming for his eyes. A fox flew in front of him and he snapped his jaws, barely missing the tail.
Kiora used the break in the attack to her advantage. She flew up and over Vardon’s head, forcing him to turn around so she could bring him back toward Emane. She then angled higher, making sure Vardon was looking nowhere but up.
***
EMANE KEPT HIS FOX back and away from the rest of the group. As Kiora turned, luring Vardon with her, he spurred his fox forward and pulled his sword. He flew straight up, anticipating where the Shifter-Dragon would be. Vardon was focused solely on Kiora and opened his mouth to fire as he passed over Emane.
Emane rammed his sword through the softer Dragon underbelly. The enchanted blade slid though with little resistance, piercing the Dragon’s heart.
Vardon’s wings jerked and his claws went into spasms. Emane yanked his sword free, and the massive Dragon began to fall. Emane realized his mistake immediately. Yelling, he pushed his fox into a dive as Vardon plummeted, nearly on top of them.
Emane tried to pull his fox to one side or the other, attempting to get out from beneath. But a Dragon wing or claw blocked them each time as Vardon’s dead body twisted and turned in the air. A huge foot with sharp claws swung toward them, and Emane ducked.
The ground was rapidly approaching and Emane realized his second mistake—he was too low. That thought came a second before the first burst of attack magic launched.
***
KIORA WATCHED IN HORROR as Emane tried to escape Vardon’s falling body. She yanked the mesh off the talisman.
The first and only shot that had been fired slammed into Vardon’s shoulder, twisting the Shifter-Dragon to one side. Emane and his fox turned and zipped out from underneath.
Breath Kiora didn’t know she’d been holding rushed out, and she urged her fox toward the entrance. Emane caught up to her and they dropped over the top of the three Shifters defending the entrance, landing hard.
Kiora dismounted and hurried the foxes through the door, telling Emane to get inside. Turning, she pushed between Killian and Drustan. “Go! Hurry.”
With the talisman uncovered, the enemy couldn’t fire any magical shots, but as the Shifters backed themselves through the door, the enemy began to advance. Kiora could feel Emane’s thread behind her and she wanted to yell at him for ignoring her, but the thwack of his bow string caught her attention. She turned her head, looking from the corner of her eye to see a Winged men fall, with an arrow in his chest, and smash into a Tavean and an Omelian.
She backed up and pushed out a sphere of magic that expanded as it traveled. The enemy had no magic to shield and they ran. Kiora shoved Emane past the door before going in herself. Once through, she slammed the stone door behind them.
***
“EMANE!” DRUSTAN SHOUTED. “GET over here now!”
Kiora turned to see Drustan kneeling next to Alcander. She ran, reaching him a moment before Emane did. Alcander leaned against the wall, his arms limp at his sides and his white shirt soaked with blood. He was unconscious and his head hung down, his hair obscuring his face.
“What happened?” Kiora yelled.
“A shot made it through his shield,” Drustan said. “I didn’t realize how bad it was.”
Emane put his hands over Alcander’s wound.
Kiora squeezed Alcander’s hand with one hand and pushed his hair out of his face with the other. Her heart pounded in her chest as she anxiously watched for any change. His skin was so pale, it had taken on a bluish tint, and she looked to Emane, confused why there was still no change.
Emane’s arms were shaking and he too had paled considerable. His eyes were closed in concentration.
Finally, Alcander coughed and opened his eyes. Kiora threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Alcander hugged her in return and then gently disentangled himself, looking at Emane. “Thank you.”
Emane had one arm thrown over his knee, his forehead resting on it. He nodded weakly.
“Emane?” Kiora said. “What’s wrong?”
Emane looked up, dark circles prominent beneath his eyes. “I have never healed someone so close to death. It took everything I had.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Out of Time
ALCANDER GOT TO HIS feet, helping Emane to his. A look passed between them, one of respect and gratitude.
“Let’s put those foxes away,” Alcander said. “If you’re up to it.”
Emane smirked, shaking his head. “You’re the one who almost died. If you’re up to it, I’m up to it.”
Alcander grinned—not his usual restrained one, but an ear-to-ear smile. “That’s what I thought.”
Kiora felt like she could finally breathe again, watching them both walk down the hall safe and whole. “Where does he intend to put those foxes?” she asked Drustan.
“Alcander had one of the tunnels converted into stables while we were gone,” Drustan said absently, looking down the hall. “I need to go check on Killian and Erina—they were outside with me when Vardon died.”
Kiora closed her eyes. “Oh, no,” she whispered. “Do you think I should go—”
“No,” Drustan said. “I will take care of it. There is someone else who is very anxious to see you.”
Kiora felt the thread a moment before the tiny, glittering Guardian streaked toward her, and she laughed out loud with excitement. “Malena!”
Malena stopped right in front of her, fluttering, and planted a kiss on her forehead. “I didn’t get to see you before you left.”
“I know. Everything happened so fast.”
“Drustan, good to see you again,” Malena said.
“Likewise.” Drustan held his arms behind his back, giving Malena a rather formal nod of acknowledgment. “I will leave you two alone—I have some things to attend to.” He turned on his heel and left to find Killian and Erina.
“How was everything while we were gone?” Kiora asked, walking toward the center of the city. Malena flew beside her at shoulder level.
“Very well. The rebels are equipped with swords as well as daggers. A few have begun training with bows and arrows, but we don’t have many constructed yet.”
Kiora and Malena stopped at the top of the stairs and looked over the city. Shifters and Taveans, Domats and Omelians milled about. Some were training, while others were still eating breakfast. Most who noticed her offered congratulatory smiles and nods—she assumed on her safe arrival back.
The barrier Lomay had blackened was once again transparent. Kiora’s breath hitched in her throat for a second, expecting to see a horrible, bloated creature float by, but there were none.
The lake shimmered with sunlight that filtered through the water. It had always
been a beautiful sight, but now, with Lomay’s additional barrier, the view was overlaid with a golden mesh, intensifying the colors and adding the beauty of magic.
“When did the barrier change back?” Kiora asked.
“Alcander restored it before they left for Tave—” Malena was interrupted as the water above them lit up. A ball of flame and magic streaked down, slamming into the barrier with a bang that shook the walls and chandelier.
Kiora flinched, stepping back. But the crowd seemed unfazed.
“The attacks started after you left,” Malena said. “So far, they seem to have had no impact on the barrier.”
Kiora remembered now. In her vision, Enzo told Jasmine that they had started attacking the city with Dragon fire wrapped in magic. She had been confused as to why Jasmine hadn’t told him how useless that would be. She understood now. Jasmine didn’t care, as long as they all destroyed each other in the end.
“Kiora!” A Winged man pushed through the rebels in the city’s center, heading for the stairs. His face was vaguely familiar and she knew she had felt his thread before, but she didn’t recognize him.
Kiora glanced back over at Malena, who looked at him lovingly, a faint smile playing across her lips.
The man reached them. He swooped Kiora up and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her so tight that she had trouble breathing. Her arms were pinned at her sides and her feet dangled a few inches above the ground.
Alcander and Emane came up behind them. “Niall,” Alcander said dryly. “She can’t breathe.”
Niall set her down, his massive hands resting on her shoulders. He looked down at her with tears in his eyes.
“Niall?” Kiora said, exhaling.
He looked so different from the first time she had met him at the rebel camp on Lake Everleen. Then he had been filthy, downtrodden. Now he wore a crisp white shirt with slits in the back for his wings. His wings! They were no longer dull and dingy, but a brilliant white. And his hair that had once hung in long and tangled strands was now trimmed shorter than Emane’s.