I summon my magic. But right before I can release it, a terrifying sight catches my eye.
Outside the storm clouds, Galen, Lyra, and a third black dragon have been surrounded by a mass of silver dragons. Ice flames shoot through the air towards them from all sides while Alistair, Orion, and Isera, who are seated on their backs, desperately throw magic in all directions to protect themselves and their dragon shifters. Galen, Lyra, and the third dragon that Isera is seated on are breathing constant streams of real dragon fire to block the ice flames while also trying to fight their way out of the massive ring that now surrounds them.
The six red dragons crash into Draven from the right. He roars, slashing his claws and snapping his teeth and breathing fire while at the same time shooting lightning and storm winds at them to force them back. On the left, the two white dragons speed towards us while the three silver ones open their jaws. Ice flames shimmer at the backs of their throats.
Panic screams inside me.
If I don’t attack them, Draven is going to get hurt.
But if I don’t help the others, my friends are going to get hurt.
I only have two seconds to make a decision. Draven. Or my friends.
Rage roars through me, so intense that it could’ve burned the world down. I don’t want to fucking choose. I wanteverything. I want Draven. I want my friends. I want power and freedom and love and happiness. And I am going to fucking get it.
Drawing on every ounce of my power, amplified by Draven’s own through our union bond, I summon bone white flames of fear around me like a ring of burning swords.
Then I shove outwards.
Magic explodes out of me like bolts of lightning.
They shoot through the air and crash into our enemies so violently that they jerk backwards in the air.
Pleasure, the likes of which I have never felt before, washes over me like a massive tidal wave as the thirty flames of fear I created out of nothing smack into my targets. I gasp, almost blinded by the pleasure. But the usually insistent urge for more doesn’t reach the same intense levels because Draven is still taking half of those cravings.
Dragons scream in pure terror as I thrust my arms upwards, increasing the fear I have shoved into their chests until their minds almost shatter.
The twenty-five dragons that surrounded my friends thrash in the air in their haste to flee. Fire and ice magic shoot towards them as Alistair and Isera attack while Orion blinds the ones whowere too slow to flee. Galen clamps his jaws through the throat of one of the silver dragons and rips it out while Lyra slashes her claws across another one’s wings. And suddenly, the tide has turned. They break out of the massive ring of enemies that surrounded them and shoot forward to attack instead.
To my left, the five attackers who had aimed for me and Draven screech in terror and crash into each other as they try to flee in a panic.
Magic is draining rapidly from me, and I sway slightly on Draven’s back.
I have never created this many emotions out of nothing at the same time before. I’ve only ever done it to one person at a time. Or two, if I actually used my magic on my parents, but I will never know that for certain. But doing it to thirty people at the same time? And not just people. Thirtydragons. This wouldn’t even be possible if I didn’t have Draven’s magic amplifying my own through the union bond.
At last, the five dragons who were attacking us from the left break and flee in terror.
I immediately cut off the flow of my power, and then sever those final threads as well, removing the magic completely so that it doesn’t drain my energy further. My vision swims, and I grip Draven’s spikes harder.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re fucking terrifying?”Draven says into my mind.
An exhausted laugh escapes me.
Possessive pride pulses from Draven through our union bond. It’s mixed with a slight hint of stunned incredulity.“I can’t believe you’re mine.”
Clutching his spikes to remain upright, I drag in a deep breath while a wide grin threatens to spill across my mouth.
But before I can reply, a huge white dragon shoots up from the rows of enemies before us. Dread washes through me as Istare at that dragon while it hovers there in the air above the others. Whilehehovers there.
Mithran Sunweaver.
The leader of the White Dragon Clan.
“Close your eyes!”Draven screams into my mind while bellowing out a roar at the same time.
Blinding white light explodes across the battlefield.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
