Fenriel smiles through the tears and draws his hand over the hawk’s feathers. “So let’s make the afterlife our greatest adventure of all, yeah?”
Beside him, Trevor drags in a choked breath. “I just wanted to open up a bakery. Oh Goddess, I wanted that bakery so badly.” Tears slip down his face. “I wish I could’ve tasted at least one of those pastries I’ve been reading about all my life. Just one.”
Wings boom through the valley as the dragons draw closer.
“At least I will see my mom soon,” Isera says softly. Her face is stoic, but she swallows thickly as she adds, “Do you think she will forgive me?”
Kevlin sucks in a desperate breath. “I regret?—”
“No regrets!” I scream. “Our friends will carry on this battle after our deaths. Our memories will live on through them. They will make our hopes and dreams reality in our stead. And when we see them again in Mabona’s evergreen garden, we will all raise a drink together and they will tell us all about it!”
A surge of determination pulses through our ranks.
I yank out my dagger and point it straight towards the death that is flying right towards us.
“No regrets!” I bellow.
“No regrets!” they all scream back.
“CHARGE!”
We surge forward.
Boots thud against stone as we sprint right towards the row of dragons. Their booming wings echo between the mountains, beating in tune with my hammering heart and our pounding feet.
They speed through the air, closing the distance rapidly.
Gripping the knife tightly, I scream in rage and fury as I run towards my death with my friends next to me.
Everything inside me tastes of blood and iron.
My magic roars as I summon it.
One last time.
All ten dragons open their massive jaws. A pale shimmering starts at the back of their mouths.
“DEATH!” I bellow.
Ice flames shoot through the sky.
Juliette and Isera yank up shields of water and ice while Kevlin sends a blast of light magic right at them. They screech, twisting their heads to the side. But the magic is not enough to stop the dragons or the attack.
I throw myself to the side as a torrent of ice flames crashes down over the ground. Juliette screams. Rolling across the stones, I whip my head towards her as the sound is abruptly cut off.
Pain sears through me as Juliette’s entire body disappears into the stream of ice fire. Kevlin screams as his left leg is caught in it as well.
Summoning my magic, I slam a flame of fear into one of the dragons while leaping to my feet. It jerks back right before it can bite Fenriel in half. But the other nine don’t hesitate.
Cries of agony rip from my companions as the dragons swoop down over us and slash their claws. I throw myself sideways right before one of them can slice my chest open. Ice shoots through the air, smacking into another dragon as Isera dives and throws a shield up at the same time.
Blood sprays into the air as a dragon’s claws cut right through Kevlin’s chest where he’s still lying trapped halfway in ice. I scream as his lifeless body crashes back down on the ground, his vacant eyes staring up at the sky.
The dragons swoop around.
My pulse pounds in my ears as I try to run from the next wave of attacks. But the dragons barrel forward mercilessly. Talon screeches and swoops through the air, trying to distract them while Fenriel desperately tries to hack through the ice that is trapping Trevor in place. I shove another blast of fear at the dragon at the front. It jerks back, causing the others to bump into it.
The move buys Fenriel enough time to get Trevor’s foot free.
