Brand turned to see an argent streak racing in an arc across the field, his cousin’s trajectory taking him straight to the bottom of the incline, the dreadbeast close behind.
“Damn it.” Brand lunged to scoop the two remaining talons up with one arm, grabbed Luna with the other, and jumped.
They landed with a thud beside Magnus, who was already issuing commands. “Spikes in the ground, Brand. Have the earth grip them upright.”
Understanding dawned, and Brand did as he was told. They embedded the talons in a triangle and cleared away just as Thad soared from the top of the ramp.
“Slaughter it,” Mag growled.
He couldn’t agree more.
As the dreadbeast followed, Brand sent out his power. He tracked it as it plummeted, commanding the rock and stone to move with its body, aiming the spikes beneath its concave belly. The earth built like a mighty wave, the beast’s own severed arms leading the swell. With a final push, he forced the trap upwards to meet the monster midair and the talons embedded themselves to the root, blood raining down while it screamed.
He released his power and let the beast fall. Bones cracked and dirt sprayed as it landed with a boom, skidding to a stop across the field.
Brand’s ears rang, the sudden silence deafening. The others drew up beside him, only their labored breaths filling the unnaturally still air as they waited to see whether it was finished.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,”Mag sighed, throwing his hands up when it started twitching.
The dreadbeast reached out twisted limbs and jerked itself somewhat upright, but unable to find its balance. As it struggled, slipping to the ground, Brand let the tension in his shoulders melt away.
Moving like that… No longer a threat. They just had to find a way to end it for good.
“Now what?” Thad asked, shaking his hair out as he completed the shift back to two legs.
Brand sifted through their limited options. “My sword is useless,” he admitted.
“Aye, and there’s no fucking way I’m biting into it again.” Mag crossed his arms, as if to dare anyone to suggest otherwise.
Luna cleared her throat and another talon appeared, plopping down in front of them.
“Where did you get that?”
“That would be the one I pulled out of you in the chasm.”
The dreadbeast cried out again. Looking down at that talon, the one that’d beeninside of him…
Without a word, Brand bent and swiped it up. He let all control go as he moved, his battle rage rushing to the fore. Red flooded his vision, seething aggression pumping freely through his veins. His muscles bulged even further and he ground his teeth against it, every step making him angrier.
It screeched weakly as he came upon it, shoving itself away as best as it could. The talons from their trap were lodged snugly between its forelegs, blood pumping out in steady streams from the jagged puncture wounds below the glowing crimson hole in its chest.
If it had a heart, that fiery spot was it, and it was begging to be skewered.
Never mind what it had done to him—an entire village was slaughtered. The piece of shite had taken Faldir, and nearly got Mag and Luna. Only the Sisters knew what other atrocities it had committed.
Brand didn’t feel sorry as he drew back and slammed the spike home with a roar.
The dreadbeast seized up on a scream and teetered precariously above him, refusing to fucking die. He snarled back, daring it to deny this fate. One breath, two…
It tipped away, crashing to the ground with a wheeze that freed the last, putrid dregs of its life-force, finally still as the death that had claimed it.
Done. It was done.
The rage washed away, replaced with dizzying relief. With a heavy sigh, he let go and reverted back to himself. He welcomed the exhaustion, the pull on his overworked muscles and the weight in his limbs, glad to be rid of his berserker for now.
“Please tell me this counts as my first battle,” Thad said, flicking a chunk of something out of his hair as Brand stumbled back to them. “I’m ready to be marked. Being bait was dragonshite and I’m tired of walking around with the glowing, pasty skin of a wee babe. Look at me. I am ridiculous.”
“Yes, um… well…” Luna coughed and raised a hand. “I’ll just…”
