Tears fill his eyes. He swallows hard. “I'msorry. Shaye,I'mso sorry. I nevermeant foryou to get hurt.”
The creatures are gaining onus. I feel their feet tremoring in the sand.
I glance down atBastian,his eyes are wide. “Your hair.”
I slide my locks in front of me and nearly yelp when I see white. “My magic is back,” I whisper in wonder butthen furrow my brows.
“Shaye,” his voice comes out as a wheeze, “what are you doing?”
“They will feel my wrath.” I drag myself to my feet.I’mweak, bleeding, hungry, and exhausted. But more importantly, I am angry. And Iwon’tbe goingdown without a fight. I lift my hands and with the waning strength Ipossess,blast light at the creatures.
It shoots out sofast,theydon’thave time to dodge my attack. Some of them are killed by the blast, but most of them survive. Sweat pours down my back, and sand scrapes my burns. I refuse to give up now.
I scream,clutching toall the power humming beneath my fingers, and launch the largest blastI’veeverprocuredat the creatures. None escape my wrath. The desert is littered with dead bodies.
My knees giveoutand I drop to the sand. My eyes are heavy, mymuscles ache.
Hoots over the dune draw my gaze. A second wave is coming and I don’t have anything left to give. I’m drained.
I glance at Nyx, then Bastian. They need me right now. I shakily stand, my knees rattling beneath me.
I hold my hands up. This might be my final stand. Stars above and seas below. Let me fight untilmydying breath.
They’reclose. But I might only have one good blast left in me.They’llhave to be right on us for me to make it count.
Arrows launch, stabbing into the sand inches in front of me.They’restill out of range, but not for long.
Screeches from beyond the sandy dunes behind me echo. I twist to find what made the sound.The underlings stop, staring into the pitch-black sky.
Suddenly, two gold dragons spear over the horizon with alarming speed. One roars and blows through Drogon's forces, clutching creatures in its claws and ripping them in half.
The second dragon follows suit, but the rider slides off the beast's back and lands in the middle of the creatures.Abeige hood falls from herheadandIwatch in awe as thestrangewoman whips her arms in a circular motion over her head, causing the sand around her to funnel like a tornado.Itenvelopes the creatures whoremain, tearing them to shreds, scattering their limbs across the sand. Just as quickly as the sand tornado appeared, itdisappears, leaving the sand wielder in the middle of dead bodies.
My mouth drops. “They’re alive." The sand wielders and dragons Atlas told me about –they did surviveafter the Great War.
The first dragon anditsrider, a male, come back around afterdestroying the creaturesattemptingto escape back to the portal. His dragon lands near us, whirling sand like smoke. Heslides down the dragon's back asIfall tomyknees in exhaustion and relief.The strange manwalks up tome and pulls his hood over his head to reveal a warm face.
He kneels before me. "Are you friend or foe?” His voice is husky, but not one to fear.
"That entirely depends on who you are,” I narrow my eyes, silently holding my ground.
He smirks. “I like a woman with spirit.” He reaches formebut Iflinchand he retracts his hand. His brown eyes soften, as if he can see into my thoughts and feel exactly what I endured. "I mean younoharm.Comewith me sowecanget you to safety andtendto your wounds.”
The womanjoins us, but when she takes in the three of us, her eyes stay trained on Bastian in his beast form and she frowns. She grabs the man’s arm, preventing him from helping me up."Helios."
Heliosglances overmyshoulder. I twist and find Bastian shifting from his beast form back to his human form. Arrows still pierce his body, but I avert my gaze whenI realizehe’slying naked in the sand.
“Please, we don’t have much time,” I mumble, feeling sick from the energy I exerted. “My friends are dying.”
Helios frowns atme. "You are friends with the Beast of Midori?"
Shit.
I swallow hard.Glancing at the womandoesn’thelp my case.She’smore pissed than he is. “He helped me and my friend escape Malvolio –”
“The portal is open?” The woman’s eyes widen. “How is this possible?”
Iliftmy palm for her to seethe slice. “My blood opened it.”
