The witch spins, slashing out with razor-sharp claws. The rabbit hybrid dodges as their partner slashes at the witch’s ankles. The witch rears back as the hybrid drags his fire-imbued scabbard across her neck. She drops to the ground. A cambion races toward the duo, but they down it with a singular burst of ice.
A scream pulls my attention away. A Canis hybrid goes down, overwhelmed by two witches. I watch in horror and frustration. The hybrid is too far away for me to help. Anything I fire will likely result in someone else getting hit.
An enormous black bear sprints toward the hybrid. It swipes its paw at the back of the closest witch. The witch shrieks and fires, striking the bear and sending it staggering. The hybrid, still on the ground, hurls a ball of flames at the witch, striking her in the back. She drops to her knees, and it’s all the hybrid needs to sink their sword into her neck.
Small, measured wins. This is how you win a battle.
I look back to the two witches leading this army. No, the witch and the goddess. The undead bears remain where they were, milky eyes staring vacantly at the battle before them.
But Cora and Thera are gone.
I scan the crowd, but there’s no sign of them. Asmo is still on theground beside me, calling out orders and surveying the battle scene in front of us. Elle watches Marik’s unmoving body with something like fear and disgust.
I lean down. “Did you see where Cora went?” I ask Barrett.
He shakes his massive head once.
The sky darkens, the clouds growing thicker and blackening. Just like my wedding night. I rub the mark over my heart as I remember Cora’s storm clouds and their lightning. I wave my arms at Asmo, but he’s too busy shouting orders to notice me. I bang on Barrett’s shoulder. “Let me down!”
He obliges and I hop from his back. I hurry back to Asmo. “Did you see where Cora and Thera went?”
His frowns. “No.” He turns his gaze to the undead bears and his frown deepens. “You didn’t see them from up there?”
I shake my head. “You don’t think she just went home, do you?” I smile nervously.
Asmo’s smile is full of pity.
A drop of water lands on my forehead in warning. The sky opens, and rain begins to pour in thick sheets. Lightning strikes overhead. My heart rate quickens.
Asmo steps closer to me. “This is intentional,” he murmurs into my ear. “Don’t let her rattle you.”
But it’s hard not to. It’s hard not to think about all that was stolen from me the last time this happened. And now, despite being a queen without a throne, I have so much more to lose this time around. I have a mate. I have two sisters. I have a family of sorts, a family that I created. And it would kill me to lose them.
This time, there is so much more on the line.
Rain pelts my skin, streaming down my face and into my eyes. The salty taste of sweat and rain stings a cut on my lip I didn’t even know I had. A powerful gust of wind sends hybrids stumbling, cutting a path right through our army.
Cora stands at the other end, her raven hair and aura writhing all around her.
“Remember the objective!” Asmo yells. “Go!” His hair is plastered to his forehead. He shoves it back, water spraying with the motion. Heunstraps an obsidian dagger from the holster around his hips and fists it in his left hand, splaying his right hand. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.” His voice promises death.
He strides toward her. My heart slams into my chest as they stare each other down, the battle raging around them.
She gives him a wicked grin.
He attacks.
His flames writhe as they reach for her, but she deflects them with a flick of her wrist. A bolt of lightning flies toward him. He ducks, but I throw up a shield to absorb the bolt and prevent it from striking anyone else. It shatters but does its job. Nobody was hurt, at least not by that bolt.
More lightning bolts land haphazardly, striking witches and hybrids without mercy. Asmo and Cora are locked in a whirlwind, a tornado of magic and fury as they attack and block and dodge. Asmo is a force to even be able to meet her blows. But he is just one person.
I know this battle won’t end unless I help send Cora back to whatever hellhole she crawled out of. I sprint toward them, sending a controlled burst of wildfire toward Cora. The flames struggle against the downpour, but I summon more fire as the rain attempts to extinguish them.
Cora eyes the incoming wall of fire, and another gust of her wind forces the flames toward Asmo. I yank the magic back, and the flames die. Okay then. Asmo slashes at her with his shadow sword, forcing her to jump away from each invisible blow. How she can sense it, I don’t know.
As she tries to dodge Asmo, I send another burst of wind and fire racing toward her. I grit my teeth and use my other hand to grow ivy. I’ve grown branches, but never ivy. It comes easier but feels wilder. I pull it back before it can close around her ankles, then urge my flames faster.
Asmo presses her, blow after blow after blow. All Cora can do is dodge. He slices a lock of her hair, and she hisses. He delivers another blow, and just as Cora tries to leap out of the way, I snap the ivy over her ankles and surge my fire. She trips and falls into it with a scream.
