“We move together and stay in formation,” Orion commands, ignoring me. “Grey and Hana at the back. Grey, be ready to open a portal at a moment’s notice. Hana, keep searching for the pocket reality. Isera, you’re the only one of us who has defensive magic.”
“I’ll handle it,” she replies, even though her furious eyes are staring daggers at Emperor Bane.
“Selena, you and I will keep the Icehearts distracted,” Orion continues.
Guilt and shame explode in my chest, and I have to force the words out as I admit, “I don’t have a lot of magical energy left.”
He cuts me a sharp look. But then understanding flickers in his eyes. It makes dread strangle my chest, because I don’t wanthim to understand. Thankfully, though, he doesn’t say anything about it.
“Then focus on that smaller dragon on the left.” He shifts his gaze back to the two massive ones ahead. “I’ll handle the Icehearts.”
In the sky, Draven is speeding straight towards Kander and the Icehearts. My heart hammers in my chest as I watch him get closer.
“Get ready,” Orion says.
Grey and Hana scramble back so that they’re standing behind us while Orion, Isera, and I form a tight line at the front.
Bane and Jessina open their jaws and bellow a challenge at Draven. They pick up speed, closing the distance both to Draven and to us with powerful beats of their wings. I barely dare to breathe.
The moment Draven is within reach, they open their jaws to breathe ice flames at him.
But before they can, the Unseelie King slams them with his full power.
Shocked screeches rip from their throats as the world around them disappears and is instead replaced by whatever horrible memory Orion is showing them. As soon as they can no longer see him, Draven ascends sharply and soars past above them before diving straight at Kander.
The big green dragon roars in panic and breathes a torrent of fire at Draven at the same time as that third silver dragon changes direction and shoots towards them.
Summoning my magic, I shove it at that silver dragon in rapid bursts, searching for emotions to use.
Anticipation pulses through me when I find a spark of tiredness. They must have been flying nonstop from Frostfell to get here this quickly. My own soul practically trembles with exhaustion as I drag up the final drops of energy and pour it straight into that spark of tiredness, increasing it into a wildfire.
“Incoming!” Orion snaps.
I barely have time to shift my gaze back to the Icehearts before both of them blindly open their jaws.
Ice flames shoot through the air.
It takes all of my willpower to simply keep pouring my own magic into the third silver dragon while those flames rush towards us.
Before they can hit, Isera yanks up a thick wall of ice.
Their attacks slam into it with a crack that echoes across the deserted landscape. Shards of ice explode outwards. Isera immediately dismisses her magic and then raises another wall of ice in front of the shards right before they reach us.
Ice shatters against ice and rains down on the ground.
On the other side, the third silver dragon is losing altitude. Its wings are drooping and it can barely keep its head up. I keep pouring my magic into it, trying to stop it from reaching Draven.
Lightning splits the air and storm clouds churn as Draven attacks Kander with everything he has. The leader of the Green Clan has abandoned his attempt to hit Draven with dragon fire and is instead shooting memory magic at him. My heart clenches in panic as streaks of green flash across the heavens, forcing Draven to swerve and duck furiously to escape them.
Jessina opens her jaws again and turns her head from side to side, breathing ice flames across the ruined city around us. Booming wings and crackling ice fill the air around me as the attack barrels towards us.
Isera yanks up another ice wall.
Loud cracks split the air, almost drowned out by Draven’s thunder.
Gritting his teeth, Orion keeps pouring magic into his nightmare visions while I continue trying to force the third dragon to pass out.
I feel like I’m drawing from an empty well, but I keep forcing my magic into the now massive flame of tiredness. Thedragon wobbles in the air but continues stubbornly towards Draven.
