Gabe’s eyes furrowed and he groaned in frustration. “What happened? Where’ditgo?”
He turned around, eyes flickering back andforth.
“Did you feel that?” Lorenzo asked me,stunned.
I nodded. “Yeah, I did. There’s no way the barrier just disappeared. Iknowsomethinghappened.”
“But where is it?” Gabriel askedfrantically.
From up ahead, close to where the humans first attacked, the omega named Otis called. “Uh…Gabriel?”
We all approached him, and allgasped.
The humans had all turned to stone. Lorenzo approached one cautiously and tapped it with his claw. Instantly it dissolved into ash and blew away in thebreeze.
“Stone and ash,” I muttered. “Earthandfire.”
Gabriel and I exchanged a knowingglance.
“Didwedo that?” he asked,shocked.
“I supposewedid.”
Dustincried, “Look!”
We followed his gaze. Then I knew exactly what hadhappened.
Far beyond us, nearly two miles away, stood an enormous barrier. It was both translucent and thick, with a shimmering surface that shone with beautiful red, green and black iridescence. When I turned to look back, I saw the other end of the barrier - miles away,again.
Gabe’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. “Holyshit.”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Holy shit is right!Gabe,look!”
Every single raider had turned into a statue made of ash. Their weapons were still raised - although now useless - against the Stoneheartwolves.
“Did we really do that…?” Gabriel asked again in disbelief. “Make this huge barriertogether?”
“We did.” I grinned at him. “Your pregnancy must have been enhancing your magic way more than Ithought.”
He shot me a wry smile back. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have been able to do it withoutyourhelp.”
“Fair enough.” I walked over to Lorenzo, who was hunched over in exhaustion, and I clapped him on the side of his scales. “And we couldn’t have done it without you,either,bro.”
“It was nothing,” he said humbly. “I’m just glad we could do it, intheend.”
Everyone exhaled a collective sigh of relief. The humans were gone - at least all the ones who happened to be trapped inside the barrier. I had a feeling every raider outside the barrier would think twice about entering it, lest they also be reducedtodust.
“Marlowe!” Gabecried.
The elder grey wolf from before approached us, his head bowed. A few other elder wolves stood by his side. They all shifted and similarly dipped their heads inrespect.
“Please, elders, there’s no need to do that,” Gabriel said, waving hishands.
“There is,” the one named Marlowe said. “You have saved us all, Gabriel.” He glanced at me. “And you, too,dragon.”
“His name is Dante,”Gabesaid.
Marlowe shook my hand. “Dante. Thank you. And the silver dragon,aswell.”
