I concentrated, hard. But my strength was waning. Soon it was clear that I couldn’t do this, even with Lorenzo’s help. Despair flooded me. All traces of my magic disappeared as hope slipped away. I gasped fromexertion.
“Lorenzo,” I muttered. “Please, stop… It’s not goingtowork.”
Hepaused.
“Let’s just go back to Cinderhollow,” I said. “I’m sorry I dragged you out here fornothing.”
Lorenzo sighed, then dropped the half-dome barrier. “I’m sorry. Maybe if I wasn’tinjured…”
“No!” I cried. “Don’t blame yourself. This is all my fault. Dante was right. I should have listenedtohim- “
Something snapped behind us. A twig breaking. Instantly, every hair on my body stood on end. Lorenzo tensed, lifting his head and squaring his shoulders. A deep growl rose up from histhroat.
“Something’s coming,” hegrowled.
He didn’t have to tell me. This time, Isawthem.
Inside the dark thicket, dozens of pairs of eyes.Humaneyes.
My bloodrancold.
No,I thought.I can’t do thisagain.
“Lorenzo, fly!” I shouted, slapping his scales. “You have to get outofhere!”
“Oh, please,” he muttered. “I’m an alpha dragon, for gods’ sake,Gabriel!”
He braced himself on all fours and dug his claws into the earth. In the next breath, he shot out a white-hot stream of fire. I flinched away from the heat as embers flew from his mouth. The humans yelled in surprise, trying to dodge the flames. The fire scorched the front of the tree-line and flushed the humans out. They came into the open with their faces scowling andfurious.
Lorenzo reared back and let out another air-rending roar. Even though he was injured, he wasn’t playing around. I underestimated his power as an alpha dragon - and not just any dragon, but Dante’s olderbrother.
“Get behind me,”Lorenzosaid.
I did, and a moment later he created a half-barrier between us and the humans. It gave us enough time totalk-fast.
“What are we gonna do?” I said breathlessly. “The barrier around Stoneheart isn’tworking!”
“I’m sorry,” Lorenzo growled. “I can’t concentrate enough to be of assistance. I cannot use magic, protect you, and hold off attacks from either side at thesametime.”
I wanted to yell at him to stop apologizing, but it wasn’t the time for that. We needed solutions, not this back-and-forth.
“I have an idea,” I said. “But you’re not going tolikeit.”
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes. “Tellme.”
I spoke quickly. “I can be a distraction. I’ll run towards the humans and taunt them from behind the barrier, while you create one around Stoneheart. That way you won’t bedistracted.”
“Gabriel,” Lorenzogrowled.
“You can put that one down,” I said, pointing to the clear magic wall between us and the raiders. “I’ll take over from here. Please. My pack doesn’t know how much they need thisprotection.”
Lorenzo didn’t look pleased with my suggestion, but he also didn’t turn it down. His tail lashed in frustration. Finally, he said, “Fine. But stay behind the wall at all times. If they get through itsomehow,run.”
I gasped in relief. “Thankyou.”
“I’ll try to be as fast as I can with Stoneheart’s barrier,” hepromised. “Go.”
I didn’t waste any time in taking off. I ran towards the silver glittering wall - the only thing keeping the raiders from getting their hands on me once again. I suppressed a fearful shudder. This wasn’t like last time. I wasstrongernow.
