The remaining harpies screeched in fury, banking hard to regroup. Three of them formed a flying V formation, with strange shadows rippling across their twisted wings as they drove toward us.
Idris laughed, twirling her flaming spear so the fire spiraled up her arm. “Finally,” she rasped, “I was starting to worry Minaeve had left this fight.”
I couldn’t believe I overlooked it. Minaeve might not be in the midst of this battle, but she was reaching out with her magic to reinforce her armies with the Heart of Valdorstill in her grasp. Even with Istar gone, she could still overpower us all with the Heart.
The first harpy darted for Idris, talons outstretched, and jaws open wide. She shifted her weight, and her pegasus veered sharply, allowing her to thrust upward. The spear met the creature’s chest with a burst of flame, sending it tumbling backward with a howl.
I dove after the second, heat rolling across my feathers as I released a blast of fire. The harpy shrieked and swept her wings forward to shield herself, but the flames caught the tips, forcing her off balance. I seized the moment, slamming into her with all my momentum from a steep dive. With a crack of her bones, she spiraled downward, vanishing into the smoke.
Turning, my breath caught as I released a warning song,Behind you, Idris!
Idris didn’t even look. She spun the spear in a flawless arc, and the blade caught the harpy across the neck, sending her reeling with a screech. I rose beside Idris, smoke curling around us as the last harpy beat her wings wildly, trying to escape.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Idris growled.
She kicked her pegasus into a charge, and the mount launched forward with a powerful stroke of its wings. Idris’s spear flashed one final time in a merciless pursuit, and the harpy fell, her tan feathers scattering like dust.
Silence rushed in behind the battle, broken only by our breathing and the distant growl of monsters on the ground.
Idris flipped her braids back and shot me a cunning grin. “Not bad, Sky. But next time, try not to let them get so close.”
I huffed a plume of embers her way in reply.
She laughed, catching the flames and spinning them around the tip of her spear. And then, we turned back toward the valley where more enemies were already stirring below.
Chapter Fifty
Daxton Aegaeon
“Daxton!” a familiar voice shouted.
I spun to a mess of brown hair slicked with sweat and blood, bright green eyes locked on me.
“Magnus!” I grabbed him under the arms as his legs buckled. Gods, he was wounded. “I need a healer!” I called out. “Magnus, let me call Skylar, and—”
“Don’t… Don’t you dare.” He shoved my hands away with more strength than he should’ve had. He raised his gaze to mine and said, “Do you still swear to protect her?”
My eyes widened as my lips parted in a silent gasp. Remembering the vow I made to protect Skylar in the hunters’ lair before the war, the trials, and our bond. Before everything.
“Yes. With everything that I am.”
He nodded. “Good. Now, I’m here to helpyou.”
I stared at him, brows raised. “What are you talking about?”
I didn’t have time for this. The Labyrinth’s children were launching a full assault on the battlefield. My brother was out there—Gunnar, Zola, all of them, fighting for their lives. I needed to get back into this fight. My people needed me.
Magnus raised a trembling hand and motioned past my shoulder. “Him.”
I exhaled sharply, realizing who he was pointing at. “He is not—”
“Seamus?” a female’s voice called out.
“Neera!”
Gods-a-fucking-bove. Not now.
Seamus leaped out from behind the Labyrinth’s shadow, a doppelganger of his form, as Neera came into view. Gravel scattered under Seamus’s boots as he raced toward her.
