There’s a cry from the dais and both Astrid and Skylar jerk their heads toward the sound. The soldiers, they’re attacking the Ulvene. Attacking her mother. Spells fly as the witches battle cast, her mother ensnaring groups at a time in her Gift before cutting them down. Veronica moves like a dancer, bodies falling where she steps, and Fionnhas the queen’s back, shield raised and hand outstretched. The king and queen watch, surrounded by the black-cloaked Primes who are staving off the Ulvene, now on the offensive.
So, this is what the king had planned. To kill Astrid and her mother, whatever happened.
“Those cowards,” Astrid seethes. “YOU GODDESS-DAMNED COWARDS.”
“I agree, Little Witch—” Skylar ducks as an arrow flies for them, and another, her power incinerating them before they can strike. Astrid castsForsvareonce again to shield them all. “But now is not the time for bellowing up at them when we’re being herded by hundreds of fucking Vatran soldiers.”
Astrid takes her claw, the other still somewhere at the edge of the arena, and loads herself with a vial—one of her flesh-eating potions, which she’d prefer to save for the Vatran king, but she’ll have to owe him.
Tendrils of Skylar’s power roll across the ground, forming a circle around them, the sand billowing up where it flows, and it seems to be the only thing holding the soldiers back. Astrid delves into her Gift, feeding it to her mate, but it’s draining for Bastet, to take so much magic from him and pour it into Skylar, and it’s tiring for Astrid to battle cast and fight at the same time.
Arrows are arcing for them and they bounce harmlessly off Astrid’s shield, but she can feel it weakening every time. She casts over and over, chanting the shield until it sounds like the song of midnight prayers.
Skylar is turning on the spot, eyes everywhere. “You need to get out of here. Get on Bastet, take Kaida, andgo.” Astrid is about to tell her to get on with her, that Bastet can carry them both, but Bastet answers for her.
EVEN IFKAIDA WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO FLY INDEPENDENTLY FOR LONG, ORISTRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY HER, WE ARE NOT LEAVING MY SOUL-BONDED’S MATE HERE TO DIE.
He launches for a Physick who’s strayed too close through a gap in the barrier Skylar created, tearing his larynx out. Blood sprays across the dusty ground. Bastet tosses the lifeless body away. He’s movingmore slowly, she can tell, so she pulls back a little on her Gift. Kaida is trying with all her might to conjure fire, but the baby dragon can only manage small sparks.
“Can’t you just turn them all into husks?” Astrid asks, throwing another of her potions, casting to carry it farther. It lands and she hears a few of the soldiers scream.
Skylar unleashes another burst of power. “As much as I’d love to, I don’t really want to reduce my dragon, my mate, and her familiar to husks along with these two hundred soldiers.” She grunts, the fatigue evident in her voice. “Even me, the most powerful and mighty Chosen Heir, Mother of Fire Dragons and Death Bringer, being powered up by you, can’t exercise that kind of control on that scale.”
Astrid would laugh if it wasn’t so dire. What are they going to do? The barrier Skylar is maintaining to keep the soldiers at bay is getting smaller and smaller, and the four of them are pressed up against one another, turning slowly as if on a wheel, watching as the Blooded get closer and closer.
Goddess, they’re going to die. They survived the duel just to die at the hands of the traitorous king. She carries on casting until she feels lightheaded. Until her voice breaks and her throat aches. Bastet’s breathing is labored.
They’re going to die.
Then the sky erupts as thunder explodes above them.
53Skylar
“Mjolnir is coming!” Skylar shouts over the sound of thunder.
Where have you been?she demands, but although she can sense his presence, he is either too far away to hear her, or he is distracted by something.
“Thank Sqaõi,” Astrid murmurs, laying her hand on Bastet’s back as he comes forward, eyes darting as he watches the soldiers, who are closing in on them from all angles. Kaida paces nervously between Bastet and Skylar, while the sounds of screaming and running footsteps rises over Mjolnir’s thunder, the crowd in total chaos as they try to escape whatever is happening here.
Skylar grins. “Bet you never thought you’d say that about a dragon.”
Astrid—her fuckingmate—lets out half a laugh, which is stemmed at the sight of a soldier lining up to take on her mother. Next thing, the soldier is on his back, clutching his head, so clearly Gwen is using her Gift on him, but Astrid steps forward anyway.
Skylar flings an arm out to stop her. “No you don’t. We’re leaving—you said it yourself.”
“I need to help,” Astrid says, more and more Vatran soldiers joining the fray. They were never letting anyone out of here, were they?
“No. You need to stay safe. And I’m pretty sure your mother would say the same.”
Astrid doesn’t get a chance to argue, because two arrows, coming from Arach knows where, fly straight for them. Astrid murmurs something under her breath and the arrows turn to leaves, scattering harmlessly on the ground. Kaida growls, sending sparks onto the leaves so that they shrivel further.
Skylar whips her head around, rage building. That’s the second time someone has tried to kill Astrid, right in front of her.
“Astrid,” she says, and she’s surprised how calm her voice is, “I’m going to ask you again—get on Bastet and take Kaida out of here. Mjolnir is here—I’ll follow as soon as he lands.”
There’s a roar, and she thinks it’s the witch queen’s bear, agreeing with her. At Skylar’s side, Kaida brushes up against her—and surely it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to take her.
Astrid hesitates. “What are you going to do?”
