My heart slams against my ribs as Orion and I barrel straighttowards Jessina. Her gaze darts to us for a second, and genuine surprise pulses across her face. But to my shock, she doesn’t stop her attacks on Draven.
It takes me another second to realize why.
And by then, it’s already too late.
Bane has seen what we’re doing, and he is protecting his mate instead.
Sharp ice spikes shoot straight towards me and Orion from the left. I didn’t see the attack because I was so focused on Jessina. So sure that our charge would cause her to turn her attention to us. And Orion didn’t see them because he has no peripheral vision on that side of his face anymore.
Time seems to slow to a crawl as I watch those ice spikes shoot through the air. Jessina is hammering Draven with attacks that he barely has time to shove away with his storm winds. Isera is staring at Bane with a sudden burst of victory on her face, because his attention is now fixed on me and Orion, leaving him entirely open to attack.
Grabbing Orion by the arm, I yank him with me as I dive to escape the ice spikes that he still hasn’t even seen.
But I already know that it’s going to be too late. They’re too close and too wide for us to evade them. And when they hit, we will not survive it.
I keep my gaze on Bane, hoping to at least see Isera kill him in that final moment before I’m speared through by a hail of ice spikes.
A pale wall shoots through the air right in front of us.
Ice cracks as those sharp spikes smack into the thick ice wall instead of our bodies.
Orion and I hit the grass, our bodies rolling across the ground with the force of our momentum. I jerk my head up and stare wide-eyed at Isera.
Emperor Bane’s attention is now back on her, and shields shoot up in front of him as he blocks her attacks.
My heart pounds.
She had a clear shot at Bane. A chance to finally kill him. But she gave that up. She gave up that perfect chance at revenge in order to saveus.
“I’m done playing with our food,” Empress Jessina snarls while she keeps attacking Draven with unending fury. “Hana, order Severin to raise a shield around us. We’re?—”
Trees and vines shoot up from the ground.
Panic flashes across Jessina’s face as they almost manage to ensnare them. Leaping backwards, she pulls Hana with them as she and Bane barely manage to evade the twisting branches. Grey sprints towards Draven.
The moment Jessina’s attacks stop, Draven whips around and yanks off Grey’s iron collar.
“Now!” Jessina screams at Hana.
For a moment, Hana just looks out at all of us with wide eyes. Then she turns her gaze to Severin. I can’t hear her soft voice from over the sound of howling storm winds and creaking branches, but her eyes begin to glow and Severin Godblessed forms a shield that surrounds them like a massive bubble.
“Open a portal to the Unseelie Court,” Orion yells at Grey while leaping back to his feet.
Scrambling upright, I sprint after him as we run back towards the others.
Trees and vines crash into the shield around the Icehearts while Draven at last unclasps the iron collar that only a dragon shifter can remove and yanks it from my neck. A sob of relief rips from my lungs as my connection to my magic is restored.
While Draven does the same to Orion, I whirl towards the Icehearts.
There are so many branches in the air that I can barely see them through the furious onslaught, but I still create a massive violet flame of pain and slam it straight towards Jessina.
My soul practically vibrates with anticipation. After so manydays without it, I will finally feel that comforting pleasure again. In just one second, I will finally feel it. Just one second.
My magic smacks into the shield around them with such force that I could almost feel it physically. Staggering back a step, I blink against the sudden abrupt end. And for a moment, my mind can’t seem to catch up. I was so certain that I was about to feel that wonderful pleasure. But then it just… didn’t come.
“Oh, you little traitor,” Empress Jessina says as the branches, which can’t get through the shield either, sink back into the ground again. “You will regret working against us.”
When the tangle of vines and trees disappears, two figures become visible on the grass between us and the Icehearts.
