I looked up just in time to see Shayde tear the tungsten choker from his neck and toss it aside.
Then time slowed.
The dragon unleashed the flame. It came for us in a tidal wave of silver heat, vaporizing everything in its path. Shayde threw up his arms—and a wall of searing red-orange fire erupted around him.
I dropped lower, pressing my palms and forehead to the ground. The roar of flame swallowed the world. The heat pressed down on my back like a living thing. I held my breath and waited for my skin to burn…
But the agony never came.
I could feel the heat roaring over me like the winds of an angry tempest—but there was no pain. Cautiously, I turned my head, cheek in the dirt, and risked a glance. Silver fire mixed with red and orange surged above me, a roaring inferno skimming inches away—yet something held it back. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded me, parting the flames in a perfect arc.
My gaze snapped forward.
Shayde stood in the middle of the blaze with his back to me, his gear still intact thanks to the Hollow’s battle leathers. One arm stretched behind him, palm open and facing me. The other hand moved in sharp, deliberate motions, orchestrating a storm of fire with terrifying precision.
But it wasn’t just fire. He was using air, too.
Wind surged around him, feeding the flames, turning them into weapons—whips, spears, tendrils that lashed the gray dragon from every direction. They struck with explosive force, knocking it off course mid-flight. The ground shook as the dragon crashed into the thick woods on my right.
Within two heartbeats, Shayde was at my side, yanking me to my feet. We sprinted for the cabin. My lungs burned under my ribs, my legs moving on instinct alone.
Shayde leapt onto the porch and flung the door open, revealing the ancient runes I’d painted across the wall.
For one precious second, I thought we’d made it.
In the next, the world exploded.
I hit the ground face-first; the air punched from my lungs. Dirt filled my mouth. My ears rang, and I coughed violently, struggling to breathe, to understand what had happened. Pain flared hot across my chest. I tried to push up—but couldn’t. That’s when I saw it.
A thick tree—one of the massive oaks from the perimeter—had crashed down right behind me.
And trapped me in its fall.
The trunk pinned my left leg, and a panicked scream tore from my throat. I shoved at the bark, clawed at the earth, fought with everything I had—but the weight was too much.
We wereright there. The portal wasright there.
And now I was trapped.
I threw up my mental gates to block Scarlet out. The rush of Tyrian troops blurred at the edges of my vision as I clawed at the earth, desperate to free my leg. Tears streamed as splinters pierced my palms and skin split beneath the bark.
Suddenly, another pair of hands shoved against the trunk beside mine.
I didn’t think—I drew my dagger in one breathless motion, ready to slit the throat of whoever dared touch me.
But it wasn’t the enemy of my people.
It was the enemy of my heart.
Shayde braced against the massive tree, teeth gritted, muscles straining as he heaved with everything he had. A roar tore from his throat as he pressed harder, sweat beading across his brow. The thunder of boots grew louder as Tyrian troops closed in.
“Go!” I shouted, shoving him with what little strength I had left. “You can make it!”
His warm brown eyes snapped to mine. He hesitated, gaze flicking between me and the advancing threat—utterly torn and frantic.
A sharp gust burst from his palm, slamming into the fallen tree. It shifted—but with it came a searing pull against my trapped leg. Pain ripped through me, and I screamed as the bark scraped deeper into my skin. The wind stopped immediately.
Both of us were out of breath. Our chests rose and fell in frantic rhythm. The fight with the tree paused, replaced by the war drumming in my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to collect myself.
