I rise upward with her, and the dragon follows me, circling back, its wings whooshing, parting the clouds as it flies.
Mother Kadris gives me a wicked grin. “That’s more like it, Tansy.”
She spins, pouring her power through the bear and stallion and into the dragon, no doubt trying to break it before it breaks her.
Alexei is safe from her for now, but I don’t let up.
“Stun my heart. Feel my pain.” Crimson light pours from me, hitting her ribs just as the dragon explodes in a whoosh of light that sends us both spinning to the ground.
I regain my balance, flinging light at her in stunning blows. She struggles to shield herself, a glistening barrier forming around her body before she retaliates.
Lightning streams my way. The two beams of light merge, my power racing along hers, meeting in the middle in an explosion of energy and thunder.
I dig my heels in and absorb the impact. The explosion is like a whisper across my skin, barely shifting me, while she screams and stumbles backward, nearly falling into a sunken couch full of frozen supernaturals.
Just then, Alexei darts from the cloud cover, running straight at Mother Kadris. He smashes both of the glasses against the edge of the nearest table as he runs so he’s left holding the jagged stems.
I gasp with surprise, because he shouldn’t be able to break the glass like that.
He leaps, one weapon punching toward her throat, the other clutched low.
At the last moment, Mother Kadris jolts out of his path, narrowly avoiding being impaled.
She snarls at Alexei as he ducks and rolls. “You missed!”
He dashes across the nearest tabletop and lands on his feet. “No, I didn’t.”
Still holding the jagged stems, he points at her waist.
She glances down. Her pants pocket is slit across the bottom, the material flapping in the wind.
Alexei raises his fist, the rubies glinting in his fingers.
Shock rages across her face.
He darts across to me, his hand outstretched. “Tansy, take them!”
Mother Kadris flings her free hand wide, screaming at him. “Pain!”
A bolt of green light spears at Alexei, striking him in the back. He jolts and drops to his knees, roaring out his agony.
His eyes squeeze closed, blood streaming from his nose. “Tan-sy!”
Bracing for the torture, I throw myself into the emerald light. Pain spears through me, burning my skin.
I gasp, scream, push against it, trying to shield us both.
He meets my eyes, his own widening. Maybe he didn’t think I would step in front of him. Maybe he thought I’d use my power first, but there isn’t any pain that I will let him suffer alone.
I don’t have time to wipe the blood streaming from my own nose.
Shield.
Power flickers around me, a protective shield forming, but not fast enough.
With a roar, Alexei twists and flings the glass stems at Mother Kadris, one aimed at her shoulder, the other at her neck.
She tilts her head, her power flares, and both stems rebound.
