Draven nods.
Shoving his sword back in his scabbard, he runs a short distance away so that he won’t crush me when he shifts. I slidemy own dagger back in its sheath as well while smoke rolls across the ground. Storm winds wash over the grass, clearing the smoke and revealing Draven in his massive dragon form. He turns his head towards me.
“We’ll join you as soon as he wakes up,” Lyra calls from across the grass, where Rin is now working on Alistair.
Her healing magic won’t be able to refill his magical energy, but it will at least make him recover physically after that massive exertion, which in turn will help his magic build up quicker.
I give her a wave in acknowledgement and then run up along Draven’s tail and spine until I reach the spot where his neck meets his shoulders. After sitting down, I grab the spikes tightly and open our union bond. Draven has already opened it from his side, so the connection establishes immediately.
He launches into the air.
My stomach lurches as we shoot up into the sky and speed through the battlefield. All around us, our allies are fighting waves of red, white, and silver dragons while our front ranks are desperately trying to push deeper into the enemy army. Teeth snap and claws flash through the air as the dragons battle. Ice flames stream through the air, crashing into dragon fire so violently that it sends explosions shooting out around us. The fae dragon riders throw attacks back at our enemies, filling the heavens with crackling and sizzling magic.
Keeping my head down, I grip the spikes tightly as Draven maneuvers through the battle, dodging enemies that try to focus on him instead. But our allies quickly press the advantage and attack with merciless fury, allowing Draven to fly through the battlefield almost without interruption.
Once we draw closer to the front lines, Draven opens his jaws and lets out a bellowing roar.
Black dragons immediately untangle themselves from other battles and fall in behind him. I draw in deep breaths as we speed towards the front lines. Since the union bond doesn’t actuallyrequire any magic from me, it just boosts Draven’s own magic like an echo hitting a rock wall, my energy at last starts to build up when I can just sit there on his back. I know that he is going to need my help to break through once we reach our enemies, but until then, I preserve as much magic as possible.
Up ahead, Isera is throwing spears of ice at the furious red dragons from where she still sits atop the soldier from the Black Clan. Even without a union bond, Isera’s magic is insanely powerful, and she hammers the red dragons with attack after attack.
A short distance from them, Galen slashes at the wings of another enemy before turning to roar at Draven.
“Galen says that Orion will hit them with his magic the moment we reach the front lines,”Draven says into my mind.“The memories will cause fear, and he wants you to back him up.”
“Will do,”I reply.
“Selena.”
I can hear the worry and the question in his tone. He knows that I’ve been using too much magic too quickly. But this is it. We need to break through their ranks. If we can’t even reach Jessina, this war will never end.
“I can do this,”I tell Draven.“Trust me.”
“I always do.”
Galen and the black dragon that Isera is seated on break away from the onslaught of red dragons as Draven closes the final distance. Our enemies immediately try to surge forward through the gap. Lightning crackles along Draven’s wings as they boom on either side of us, and dark storm clouds gather around him. I summon my magic and then hold my breath.
We crash into the front lines right as Orion hits them with a blast of his nightmare magic.
Dragons screech in fear and throw their heads from side to side as their vision is drowned out by whatever nightmarish memories Orion is showing them all. I don’t hesitate a second.Slamming my magic at them, I latch on to those bone white flames of fear and blow them into infernos.
The rows of dragons jerk back in fear.
And Draven barrels into them.
Galen and Orion, Isera and her dragon, and fifteen members of the Black Clan with Unseelie fae atop their backs crash right into the terrified ranks of enemy dragons. They scream in pain as claws slash across their wings while they’re still blinded by Orion’s magic.
With a roar, Draven throws a massive lightning storm out in front of him. The other dragons screech in panic as wind and rain and black clouds slam into them while lightning splits the air. I release my grip on the front lines we have now passed and hit the rows farther in. They twist and thrash, trying to flee in fear, but only crash into their own companions.
Dragon fire shoots through the air as the entire front line of Draven’s clan opens their jaws and breathes torrents of flames at the enemies. Isera shoots spears of ice at the wings of dragons blinded by Orion’s magic while the Unseelie fae behind us throw attacks of water and stone and fire at the mass of enemies as well.
Another black dragon surges up next to Draven.
“Malachi’s balls, you’ve gotten strong, kid!” the Unseelie fae atop that dragon yells.
My mouth drops open as I find Jocasta sitting there. Her white hair billows behind her and her pink and gold eyes glitter in the light of the sinking sun as she grins at me. I laugh.
Jocasta. The owner of the Black Faction that plays in the Great Games in the Unseelie Court. The one who trained me and the only other person with emotion magic that I have ever met.
