“Focus on the kill, not on the wolf,” Fenrir told him.
Patrick raised his middle finger at the god before turning his attention on the Unseelie fae and the gods who led them.
A large shadow drifted over where he stood. Patrick looked up in time to see Wade stretch out his leathery wings as wide as they would go before folding them down against his back. Wade sat back on his haunches in his fledging fire dragon form, smoke drifting out of his nostrils. His molten golden eyes with their black slit pupils glinted in the light of the rising sun. He gnashed his teeth, a hint of flame sparking on his tongue.
Gerard strode up to Nadine’s shield and planted his feet wide, holding theGáe Bulgat the ready. “Is this how you keep your word, Medb?”
Medb guided her steed forward, the rest of her fighters following in her wake. “I kept my word.”
“Bullshit. Where is the Morrígan’s staff?”
“Give me Órlaith and I will tell you.”
“And use me to take the Seelie throne?” Órlaith retorted, holding up her short swords. “I would rather die than let you rule my people.”
“Hey now,” Patrick said. “Don’t give her any ideas.”
“Too late,” Keith said as the Sluagh dove their way.
Fenrir let out a roar through Jono and easily passed through Nadine’s shields, veering left and aiming for the horde of spider fae trying to flank them. His body was haloed in fiery white light, the god’s aura burning bright around him.
Patrick swore and made a sweeping gesture with his left arm. He sent his mageglobes flying forward, filled with strike spells. He wasn’t sure what fae defenses were like, but they were about to find out.
His mageglobes slammed into Medb’s central fighters and exploded upon impact, sending dirt and snow and body parts flying into the air. The lesser fae couldn’t counter his magic, but thedaoine sídheshielded against the attack easily enough.
Balor strode across the wintery field, every step the giant took shaking the earth. Wade launched himself into the sky through Nadine’s shield with a fiery roar, clearing himself a way through the Sluagh as he flew toward the giant. Balor seemed to sense Wade’s approach, the god’s head turning to look at him.
“Wade!” Patrick yelled, heart pounding in his chest as he caught a glimpse of ugly fire peeking out from between Balor’s eyelids.
That deadly eye opened, and a searing beam of light erupted from it. Wade let loose a burst of flame that met Balor’s attack head-on, wings flapping hard. Patrick expected the worst—that Wade would be cut in two by the giant’s eye of destruction—but Wade’s dragon fire kept the god’s power at bay.
“I like that kid,” Keith said, taking careful aim at a horde of goblins racing their way. He switched his rifle to burst mode and pulled the trigger, letting off a couple rounds through Nadine’s shields.
Patrick grabbed the magazine he’d saved from Gerard’s rifle out of his back pocket and tossed it to Keith. “For when you need to reload.”
Keith grabbed it with his left hand. “You give the best presents.”
A boulder slammed into Nadine’s shield overhead, making them both look up. The stone shattered, sending violet light rippling over the front expanse of the shield. Another boulder flew through the air, tossed by a troll. A third was tossed at Wade, who managed to dodge the attack but very nearly took a hit from Balor’s eye while doing so. The Sluagh took advantage of his split attention and tried to force Wade to the ground.
Patrick let magic pour out of his soul and into a blast of raw magic that cut through some of the Sluagh harassing Wade. They scattered, allowing Wade to flap his wings and gain altitude, spewing fire as he went.
Balor turned his head their way, that eye of his opening once more. The light shining out of it was as bright as the sun and hot like a scorching day in the desert. Patrick knew Nadine’s shields wouldn’t be able to stop the god’s attack, but she wasn’t the only one working their defenses.
Órlaith raised one fist over her head, the short sword in her grip flashing with magic. The earth in front of Nadine’s shields rose upward and turned to stone. Órlaith poured her magic into the stone wall she’d created as the destructive power of Balor’s eye slammed against their defenses. The goddess pulled up more and more earth and turned it all to stone, one layer after another, as fast as she could, but it wasn’t going to be enough.
Then Gerard vaulted into the air and threw his spear, the weapon burning bright as it passed harmlessly through Nadine’s shield and flew toward Balor like a heat-seeking missile. The giant tried to twist out of its way but wasn’t quick enough.
TheGáe Bulgslammed into Balor’s right shoulder, and the god roared in agony as the notched spearhead exploded outward upon impact. Patrick could see bits of metal sticking out of the god’s shoulder as thick blood flowed from the wound and down his arm. The god’s destructive eye slammed shut, but not before carving a deep furrow in the land beyond them. Balor crashed to his knees, then to his side, the earth shaking from his fall—down but not out.
Medb let out a furious scream that was taken up as a rallying cry by the banshees with her, and it echoed in the early-morning air like a death knell.
It was challenged by the baying hounds and furious cries of the Wild Hunt.
A storm spun up over the mountains with a sudden ferocity, thunder and lightning crashing through the clouds that came out of nowhere. A heavy wind blew across the valley, making Patrick’s teeth chatter. Breaking free of the clouds came the ghostly riders who had carried them west across Ireland. Patrick squinted at the lead rider, realizing it wasn’t Nerys at the front, but Gwyn ap Nudd.
Seemed the god was done standing on the sidelines.
The Sluagh broke away from fighting Wade to meet the new threat, screaming all the while. Several got a face full of dragon fire that seared them black, whatever magic that existed in dragon kind capable of affecting the dead. Wade flapped his wings some more, gaining altitude. Then he flew after the Sluagh with a roar, fire flickering around his teeth. Part of Patrick wanted to yell at him toget back here, but he knew Wade would ignore him.
