Fuck.
I tightened my circle of flames, heating them to their limit. Metal couldn’t survive extreme heat. It melted. Hotter.I needed to burn brighter.
My chest heaved as I funneled every last ounce of energy into my power, heating to a blazing, invisible inferno. Tears formed in my eyes, and my breath began to hollow out. Their silvery hands turned orange as they inched closer.
A crumbling thought cut through my mind…This was the end. My power was draining. I couldn’t defeat them. I’d learned as much on Kayj. But at least Kresida and Lida got away with the pups.
I anchored myself to that thought as Ganmira and Renova closed in. Their iron forms melded from silver to red to a burning orange. My flames siphoned back to my body, and I poured every last ounce of power into the inferno licking off my skin, my final defense.
Hot, orange claws stretched out to me, and I wrapped my arms around myself as I fell to the ground in a ball of fire, preparing to die.
I waited for the slice of their singeing claws, for the stab of their teeth, but none came. Silence stretched before a deafening screech ripped through the air.
A sob escaped my lips as Aquila’s love poured down our connection.
I snapped my head up in time to see the outline of massive wings before white flames rained down from above. Two lines of fire ripped from Bayne’s arms, an ungodly amount of power streaming down from him.
Ganmira and Renova howled, their iron forms quickly blazing too bright, the tips of their claws beginning to soften. Aquila landed in front of me, his talons gouging into the mud.
Let go, Nerissa.
My flames eviscerated the tears pouring from my eyes as his ancient voice echoed in my mind. He was my conscience, my light in the storm, my anchor to everything good in life. He was something between friend, father, and comrade. He was part of me, and he’d found me.
I loosened the grip on my power. The Soleia flames winked out as I staggered to where my caeluma stood with wide, proud wings.
I reached bloodied hands for his coppery feathers, stealing a quick glance to where Bayne stood, and my mouth fell open.
The king of Lotrennia stood tall against the retreating Embodied, white flames spiraling from his hands with little effort. Power emanated from his body. Guilt hit me in the chest.
This is why he soulbound himself to the queen.
To amplify his power to this level, to easily chase away the Embodied who were after us. This was the reason for his sacrifice.
He paused as their glowing forms slipped into the shadows of the trees. Bayne turned toward me as he cut off the power, white flames dancing in his eyes as he gave a firm nod.
“We need to get the others,” I said through ragged breath. “They’ll be back.”
Bayne climbed up Aquila’s back, and our caeluma beat his strong wings, lifting us to the air.
The Embodied howled in rage in the distance, a massive blast of golden power detonating through the trees as we eclipsed the canopy.
Wind whipped tears from my eyes as Aquila raced over the forest. I risked a glance back, and my hand slapped over my mouth.
Bayne followed my gaze and swore, as hundreds of giant, winged pixies rose to the air, their faces twisted into hard snarls. A dark, sinister golden aura haloed their silvery wings as Ganmira and Renova’s rapidly formed army chased us back to Ayla.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
DRYSTAN
Final passage sits at the center, beneath the water and lights.
– High Priest Helmar’s Journal.
Drystan – Borva, Votruvia
“What’s wrong?” Lyvia rushed to my side as I caught my footing in the sitting room of Eghan House, and I took several deep breaths as I relayed the situation in Lotrennia. A familiar determination drew her brows together, and she nodded, clearly communicating with Tiberius.
“We need rubellines and the rest of the múritinne rings,” she signed as we rushed from the room and to Astraeus’s armory. “I’ll get Kellan, and we’ll be ready?—”
