As he lands on Graviter’s neck, he rams both sets of his claws down through the dragon’s scales and into his neck.
Graviter jolts, his eyes fly wide, and his head snaps to the side. Whatever nerve Erik must have hit along Graviter’s neck, it seems to have forced Graviter’s body to respond reflexively.
The wall of fire rushes toward me?—
And then off to the left.
The edge of it is so close to my position that its heat beats into me, stealing the breath from my chest and making it nearly impossible to draw air.
Too hot. So hot.
I use my already-coiled muscles to jump back from the edge of the fire, every hint of moisture on my body evaporating in theheat, my skin burning like a hundred suns are beating down on me.
Every rational thought leaves my mind.
All I have at this moment is the instinct to escape and survive.
I thump into a warm body behind me.
I recognize Thaden’s scaled right arm as he wraps it around me, pulling me close.
My head was tipped back, my focus on Erik, but I caught only the barest glimpse of him as Graviter veered away from us. The briefest moment to take in Erik’s anger and fear before golden magic blasts around me.
Aroundus.
Thaden, Tamra, and me.
A cascade of runes forms within the wash of light, every symbol Thaden was creating somehow appearing in front of me before they’re consumed within the rush of magic he created.
It grips my body, tearing at my chest, and then everything goes black.
Part Three
The Quiet Knife
ERIK THE VANDAWOLF
Chapter 25
ERIK THE VANDAWOLF
The dragon king’s blood spills around my hands.
Graviter’s fierce roar sounds in my ears. But it’s his fire that I fear.
Only moments ago, Asha stood in the path of his flames, her hammer gripped in her hand as if she would defy the inferno that was coming for her.
Now, she’s gone. Vanished in a burst of lightning so bright, my vision swims with golden spots.
I couldn’t look away from her. I can’t shake the fear I saw in her eyes before she disappeared. But I also can’t deny the certainty that she wasn’t afraid for herself. She was afraid forme.
The connection between us is unbreakable, but that makes it dangerous.
She will stop at nothing to keep me alive.
Just as I would give everything for her.
I wrench my claws from Graviter’s back and leap to the ground before he can throw me off, risking being trampled in the process.
