The land shook and then the mountain roared again.
The fog raced towards us, gathering speed and energy as it sped across the Dead Valley. The mountain disappeared from view once more, swallowed up. The merciless, roving wall of red would consume us all in meremoments.
“Rowin!” came my wife’s cry again.
When the fog hit us, I was blinded by it.
All I saw was red.
“Rowin!”
Then came the screams of my horde, horrible and gut-wrenching, filling the night sky as the fog consumed it too. And even as my horde suffered, even as I began to feel my strength leave me, all I wanted to see was Mina. To make sure she was safe.
I felt a buzzing. Iheardit crawl across my skin, sliding up my arms, and trailing through my hair.
A blue glow came from within the red fog, small at first and then growing in intensity.
And just like what had come from the Dead Mountain, I felt that ripple of energy as itburst.
That blue orb grew and grew until the blue was stretched so thin that it became colorless.
And then Mina’s barrier crashed against the fog.
It was violent and sudden but my mate’s power was merciless. The barrier grew and grew, more rapidly and quickly than it had done on the plains when she demonstrated her power for the horde.
And I knew the cost of it.
The fog lifted from my eyes.
The fog lifted from the clearing, from the Dead Valley, from the Dead Mountain, from thehorde.
But when my eyes immediately snapped to myMorakkari, I saw what I feared. Her hair was whipping wildly, her dress a tangle around her legs, billowed by an unseen force.
Red blood was already beginning to drip from both of her nostrils and her expression was contorted into one of extreme pain, though she didn’t make a single sound.
“Nik,” I breathed before sprinting towards her.
When I reached out to touch her, she bit out, “No. D-don’t try to take it from me.”
She meant the pain. I had channeled a portion of it into me before, giving her a small relief.
Vok, Ineededto spare her from this! Didn’t she understand that?
“Go!” she breathed. “Go quickly. I’ll hold it!”
“Nik,” I growled.
“You must, Vorakkar!” she cried out. I flinched at the title. She was reminding me of what was at stake. My eyes flicked towards the horde, then to Hukri and Riva and Natevik, who were all close to theirMorakkari’sside. “Trust me. Trust in me. And go save them!”
The pain was right there in her eyes. Blood dripped over her lips.
Torment speared through me and I nearly roared with the fury that was building in my chest.
Tears began to pour down her cheeks. She was giving this to the horde. She was making a sacrifice for the horde, for me. I would not squander it. I would not keep her in pain longer than was necessary.
A rumble ofpyrokisshook the earth and I saw mydarukkarsracing towards us. Swords in hand.Ready.
Before I thought better of it, I kissed Mina, and some of her pain funneled into me. I tasted her metallic blood as the pain nearly brought me to my knees, as it roved and swarmed andate, however briefly. And yet, she was standing strong. My braveMorakkari.
