Everyone on the ground throws their arms up to protect their eyes as the blazing torrent of fire turns blue. Heat washes down over the ground. The silver clan soldiers scream as they cut and run from the sheer terror that fills the sky. Black panthers hunt them with merciless fury.
The blue fire crashes over Gremar Fireclaw.
He screeches.
Draven pulls me into his arms and spins us around so that his back is to the fire. Darkness envelops us as he wraps his wings around us protectively. It helps block out the worst of the light as well as the heat and allows me to see what is happening in the sky through the gap between his wings.
The huge red dragon thrashes in the air as the blue torrent of fire consumes him. But the screech of agony is quickly cut off as his entire body is incinerated.
Still standing atop Lyra’s back, Alistair is screaming his lungs out while that massive torrent of fire roars through the heavens. The very mountains themselves seem to shake before the intensity of the rage that he has been carrying in his soul all his life.
Goosebumps spread across my skin at the primal sound.
Draven pulls me tighter against his body, his wings still wrapped protectively around us as waves of heat roll down over the landscape. I press a hand over my mouth as Gremar’s huge dragon body melts, still kept in the air by the endless torrent of fire.
Lyra hovers in the air, keeping her body steady while Alistair burns Gremar until there is nothing left but bones.
Then the fire stops. The intense heat fades and the blinding light dies as Alistair’s magic runs out.
Charred dragon bones fall from the sky and crash down on the burned grass below.
A ruthless smile spreads across Alistair’s face.
Revenge at last.
Then he sways to the side.
And his unresponsive body falls straight off Lyra’s back.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The Red Clan erupts in rage. Across the battlefield, the red dragons who were trying to break through Galen’s disciplined lines roar in fury and charge right into our forces in blind rage. Ice flashes there in the distance as Isera no doubt tries to push them back, and Galen lets out a roar. Rows of black dragons surge forward, crashing into the attacking red dragons.
Above us, dark smoke explodes in the sky as Lyra shifts out of her dragon form. Her smaller black wings beat the air hard as she speeds through the heavens in a half-shift, racing towards Alistair’s plummeting body.
Draven sends a blast of wind at him from below, slowing his fall enough for Lyra to reach him. Alistair doesn’t even react as Lyra wraps her arms underneath his shoulders and pulls him up right before he can hit the ground. Flying the final few strides, she gently sets him down so that he is lying on the grass instead.
“We need to take out Empress Jessina!” Diana yells while black panthers are still racing across the landscape, tearing our enemies apart before they can shift into dragons. “All of this is meaningless as long as she hides there at the back!”
Rin Tanaka tosses her long black hair out of her face as she runs towards Alistair and Lyra. “I’ll take care of him and all the other wounded.” She flicks her gaze over the injured fae and dragon shifters who survived the attack before looking to me and Draven. “Go kill that fucking bitch.”
Draven nods and then turns to Diana. “I need you to take charge of the other clans and hold our defenses so that their army won’t break through. I’ll take parts of my clan and rush them. If we can just create an opening, we should be able to get through to Jessina.”
“Got it,” Diana replies. Then she turns towards the edge of the forest and yells, “Fenriel! Time to go!”
Fenriel comes rushing out of the woods while his hawk Talon sweeps down from the sky where he was no doubt surveying the area for more enemies.
Dragging in a deep breath, I turn back to Draven.
His expression softens as he turns to me, almost looking regretful. “I know you have no more magic to give, but I’m going to ask for it anyway. I need you, Selena. The extra boost of strength, speed, and storm magic that I get from our union bond will be crucial. This will never work without you. So I hate to ask it, but are you up for one more push?”
A smile blows across my lips, and I draw my fingers along his jaw. “You never even need to ask, Draven. I’m always with you.”
Love shines in his eyes as he looks back at me.
From the front of our armies, Galen roars as the rows of furious red dragons try to break through to avenge their fallen clan leader. Both of us snap our gazes towards him and heave a synchronized sigh.
“Let’s do this,” I say.
