“Shit,” I muttered, feeling stupid and angry.
While I was thrown off guard, Zenon sent his clawed hand sprawling. He backhanded Kass in the face, and my mate cried out as one of Zenon’s claws caught his eye. He flew back into the cavern wall, grasping at his face.
“Kass!”
I tried to rush to his side, but Zenon cut me off. “You’re mine, Halo. You belong tome!”
He grabbed my shoulders. Instinctively, my body set itself on fire, but of course that wouldn’t work. But as Zenon laughed, I took that time to try something else. I summoned the earth beneath his feet and wrapped his lower body in hard rock.
Zenon shook his head. “You’re losing your edge, Halo. Don’t you know earth ismyelemental affinity? How do you think I turned Silas to stone?”
I didn’t care about his stupid monologue. As he spoke I quickly grabbed Kass and pulled him out of the way. Blood poured out of his left eye, which swelled shut.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“No,” Kass admitted, gritting his teeth, “but I can handle it for now.”
Disoriented by the bloody wound in his eye, Kass struggled to get up. I couldn’t let him get hurt anymore - not Kass, not the foxes, and not my child. I had to finish this fight.
I snarled, flaring out my wings and facing Zenon. “Come, then. If you want to own me, prove it.”
Rocks exploded from Zenon’s lower body as he freed himself. I was already gone, shooting out of the cavern’s mouth and into the open sky. I knew Zenon would follow. With a quick glance, I confirmed it. His huge form was slower than mine, but he was right on my tail. His eyes were crazed.
I took a sharp turn. Zenon barrelled ahead, swatting at the air, growling in frustration when he caught nothing.
The evening turned even colder in the sky. Magic sparked in the air, like the calm before a storm.
A storm! That’s it!
I remembered what happened last time. Zenon had been immune to fire, but only before I struck him with lightning.
All I needed was a big bolt. Air and water magic twisted together in my blood, and the energies began to form in the sky.
I climbed higher, pumping my wings hard. Zenon hurled curses at me as he followed.
Storm clouds darkened and thunder rolled.
“Give up and return to me, Halo!” he snarled. “I treated you right, unlike that weak alpha!”
I’ll show you who’s weak,I thought angrily. Fury surged through me as I thought of Kass’s eye, bloody and injured. I wanted my revenge - for Kass, and for everything Zenon put me through.
“You want me so bad, Zenon?” I taunted. “You can’t even catch me!”
Thunder rolled louder now, booming so loud it shook the trees.
Something grabbed my ankle. I shrieked as claws dug into my scales and I was pulled downward.
“I just did, Halo,” Zenon sneered, a cold grin on his face.
Now!
Lightning struck. Bright, colorless light consumed everything. The thunder cracked a moment later, like the sound of the earth breaking in two. It wasn’t until the sound of the thunder died that I realized Zenon was screaming.
He was on fire again - the magical force of my lightning had stripped his immunity away, leaving him ablaze.
But his claws were still wrapped around me. As as he fell, so did I.
I screamed. The ground neared at a breakneck speed. I couldn’t get out of Zenon’s grip. He was too strong, and too heavy.
