A trap, indeed.
All of the pieces come together within my mind while heat waves shimmer across the air between us and the dragon.
I don’t know if Erik has come to the same conclusions that I have, and there isn’t time to find out. Graviter Rex is prowling toward us, his head low and teeth bared. He’ll reach us within seconds.
“Graviter Rex won’t stop,” Erik says quietly, and I’m shocked by the resignation now settling across his features. “I know the pain he’s feeling. It only ends with death.”
Sudden panic threatens to overwhelm me. Even with all the power in my hand, all the cruelty I’ve overcome, I’m weak compared to this dragon. “My power won’t work on him,” I say. “Dragon scales are a shield against Blacksmith power.”
“Malak’s son did it somehow,” Erik says.
“Even if I knew how, his way can’t be my way.”
The corners of Erik’s mouth hitch up. He reaches across to me as heat waves drift around us and cause the snowflakes on the leaves above us to drip onto our hair.
He pulls me close, his lips brushing mine.
“Fight until you can’t fight anymore, Asha.” His voice grows more intense. “But if you see a chance to run, take it. Don’t look back.”
With that, he turns toward the heat, launching himself across the melting snow, kicking up water as he sprints toward Graviter.
“Go,” Milena whispers, her dark eyes wide as she looks up at me from where she slumps beneath the tree.
I don’t hesitate another moment, breaking into a run, following Erik’s path.
Ahead of me, he darts across the ground, feinting left and right, before he leaps at Graviter’s neck, his claws outstretched.
Graviter is breathtakingly fast, following Erik’s movements before his front paw snaps out, his talons cutting across the air right in front of Erik’s chest.
Erik twists midair, narrowly evading being shredded into pieces.
I’m mere seconds behind him, taking advantage of the distraction to jump toward the exposed side of Graviter’s neck.
As I leave the ground, I send a command to the axe to transform again.
Chain!
A black chain instantly extends from my hand, sailing up and over the back of Graviter’s head.
Latch!
The far end of the chain forms a hook, swinging under the dragon’s chin and back to the rest of the chain, forming a tight noose—the end of which I’m holding as I soar toward his head. I command it to shorten and, at the last moment before I would hit his neck, I kick out my feet, propelling myself backward.
I pull as hard as I can on the chain.
Graviter’s focus whips to me, right before he would have closed his teeth around Erik’s torso.
The new distraction allows Erik to land on Graviter’s back, but now the dragon’s attention is on me and—damn—I don’t like being this close to his teeth. Or the flames I can now see licking around them.
Erik doesn’t slow. Landing on Graviter’s upper back, he drives his claws down against the dragon’s neck.
He slices right through Graviter’s scales.
Right across his spine.
Graviter screams, his legs buckle, and for a second, I think he’s going to drop to the ground, but then he thrashes wildly.
I try to hold on, but it’s impossible. I’m flung into the air.
