She’ll be all right. She has to be, Caden thought.
Iolaire murmured its agreement, but there was worry there.
C’mon, we have to focus. Chione would want us to focus and ice the Horde down!
Iolaire assented eagerly and turned their head towards the fleeing naked butt of what could only be Landry’s eldest brother. His feet slid on the loose dirt in the canyon that the Behemoth had created.
Let’s give him some ice weights to keep him where he is, huh, Iolaire?
Iolaire twittered.
They sent a blast of ice that wound around the young man’s body. When the frost cleared, Landry’s brother was surrounded in a cocoon of ice up to his neck. The Behemoth stared up at him in rage… and fear.
Your time is done, Behemoth, Caden said.
The Behemoth’s eyes narrowed. Not yet. Not done yet.
Their head whipped around at the scream of fear from a child’s throat. Landry’s other brother held a little boy in front of his naked body. A cruel smile on his lips that had never been there when a human soul was inside that body. One of the Behemoth’s hands curled cruelly around the tender throat. The Behemoth’s hand was so large in comparison that its fingers touched at the back. The little boy’s tiny hands scrabbled at that big hand as the child fought to breathe.
Iolaire, we need some surgical precision here! Can we do it?
Yes! We are one. We can do much, Iolaire answered.
In his mind, Caden saw ice forming between the Behemoth’s palm and the child’s neck, forcing those fingers apart, but not hurting the little boy.
Let’s do it!
There was no need to use their breath. Ice formed where they willed it. And the Behemoth gave out a startled shout as it lost its grip on the little boy. The child fell down on the ground before the Behemoth, blinking in confusion, as he dragged in frantic breaths.
Go, little one! Caden commanded.
Though the child shouldn’t have been able to hear him--or at least people had not before--this time the little boy did. He nodded and scrambled to his feet. He ran as fast as his little legs would take him.
Let’s shut this one down too, Caden said.
Once more, one of Landry’s brothers was encased in ice.
Two more. Landry and Jasper’s forms, Iolaire told him.
Of course, it would be them, Caden thought and they closed their eyes for a moment. All those people in the Horde and the Behemoth only need four to contain it?
Four with purpose. Four with great desire in their hearts. Four with nothing left to lose, Iolaire explained.
Yeah, Jasper, because he wanted power and respect more than anything. Landry, because she thought by betraying me she had no other place to go. And her brothers, because they love her more than anything and would go wherever she does, Caden realized.
Yes, know now the mistakes they made. Know now that the Behemoth is only death. Soon they will get to repent their choice, but we must not let them cause more death before then, Iolaire said.
Listen to you! Sounding all wise and sage-like. Most I’ve ever heard you say! Caden laughed.
Iolaire then merely twittered, all worded out, but with pride.
Where are they? We need to suit them up with ice, Caden said as they swooped back up into the air.
The wind from their wings caused people to shrink down onto the ground. The humans covered their faces with forearms and hands. But they still peeked up at them. Despite the danger, the people couldn’t seem to stay away from them. Under other circumstances, Iolaire would have been excited because more people meant more pets. But now it just meant more danger to them. Humans were fragile and they didn’t want them getting hurt. They were also giving the Behemoth plenty of potential victims. Caden suppressed a sigh. They were really going to have After School Specials about what to do when there’s a Dragon attack and how not to run towards the fight.
There! On the roof! Iolaire called.
They turned their head towards the top of the Emporium. On the roof stood Landry. She was standing on the edge, holding two people, one in each hand, with their feet dangling off the edge. If they did the same trick they’d done with her brother the humans would fall to the ground, crushed, broken, dead far before they could swoop in and save them.
