Ice flames stream towards us.
We leap backwards as Isera shoves a massive shield of ice towards them to block it.
“Back!” she screams. “Or we’ll be hit by the shards!”
Running backwards, we scramble to get out of the way as the two attacks crash into each other. Chunks of ice fly through the air and smack into the melted ruins around us. Isera immediately dismisses her ice to stop the shards of it from hitting us, but the remains of the ice flames still rain down around us.
Up in the air, winds howl and lightning crackles as Draven attacks Kander furiously while at the same time trying to evade the barrage of memory magic that the panicked leader of the Green Clan is throwing at him.
The Icehearts shoot towards us.
My heart leaps into my throat as they fly straight for us while opening their jaws again. The backs of their throats shimmer as they get ready to breathe more ice flames at us.
Next to me, Orion’s leg buckles. I whip my arm out and grab him around the waist before he can collapse, but his weight is almost too much for my own exhausted body.
“Your Majesty!” Grey calls from behind us. “We need to get you out of here!”
Ice flames rush towards us.
“I’m not leaving Draven!” I scream back at them all.
Isera yanks up wall after wall as Bane and Jessina continue pushing us backwards through the ruined city. My vision swims and I can barely keep myself and Orion upright.
“Isera?” Orion asks, his voice laced with exhaustion.
“I can keep going for a few more minutes,” she replies while throwing another shield up to block more ice flames.
Booms echo between the melted buildings as the attacks smack into her defenses. But we’re losing ground. Fast. Ash swirls around our legs as the Icehearts’ wings slam down towards the ground while they keep pressing forwards.
“Then we give him all the time we can,” Orion says as we keep backing across the city. “Draven will?—”
From one second to the next, Bane and Jessina go completely feral.
Ice flames shoot towards us in such rapid succession that Isera barely has time to yank up her walls to protect us. Bane breathes bursts of ice fire at us while dread descends on Isera’s features when she can barely keep up.
Then Jessina attacks.
Suddenly swooping downwards, she shoots towards us with claws and teeth flashing.
“Get down!” Isera screams.
We throw ourselves down on the ground right as Jessina sweeps past above our heads.
Winds from her wings boom down over us, clearing all the ash from the ground.
And my connection to my magic… breaks.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Cold iron burns against my palms. I gasp as it blocks the connection to my magic and drains the strength right out of my body in a matter of moments. Panic clangs inside my skull when I try to push myself up but my body simply refuses to obey me.
The unexpectedness of it all stuns me so much that my mind can’t process what just happened. For a few seconds, all I can do is to lie there on my stomach, with my cheek resting against my upper arm, while iron burns against my bare palms like cold fire. I don’t even have enough strength to lift them off that awful iron.
My head is ringing and panic screams inside me.
What the hell just happened?
The ground underneath me shakes as two huge silver dragons land right in front of us. I can’t even muster enough strength to lift my head, so I desperately flick my gaze back and forth.
