Page 116 of Dragon’s Rebel

Chapter 50

She plunged through the spell net, taking Corwyn by surprise. Down, down, down she fell, the stone-hard frozen lake of Vyrkos’ tomb rushing up to meet her.

Blaze was using all her magic to hold the tomb together. Zane was on the floor, bleeding. There was no one to cast a spell to break her fall.

It was what she had counted on.

She landed the way she’d been taught to land when falling from a height. Feet first, tuck the head and roll forward to diffuse the force and protect the vital organs.

It didn’t help. The impact broke the bones in her legs, and she felt the hips go too. She still managed to roll, but the pain when her pelvis hit the stone almost made her pass out.

She felt like fiery knives were stabbing through all her bones.

She’d landed next to Tempest, who was unconscious. Underneath her, she heard the cracks in the tomb expanding. Looking up, she could see Corwyn descending towards her, and feel Thorne’s anguish.

She could still move her arms. She grasped Tempest’s hand, and then, with her last remaining bit of strength, she slammed the Seal down on the tomb.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, white light shot out from the Seal, illuminating the cavern with a light as bright as the sun. It lanced through her, hurting her eyes and her torn flesh and her splintered bones.

Rebel screamed in agony.

Suddenly, life and vitality poured through her. Bones set and healed, bleeding stopped, torn skin and muscle knit together, smooth and whole.

Beneath her, the cracks in the tomb knit together as well. Rebel felt the light spread from her to Tempest, and then to Blaze and Zane.

Then, abruptly, a black tentacle slipped around Tempest, and she was lifted off the ground. Corwyn! Rebel reached for her sister, but she was too slow.

The white light shot toward Corwyn, and he screamed as it burned him. The tentacle dropped Tempest and snaked up to the edge of the portal, high in the side of the cavern. As Rebel caught Tempest, the tentacle pulled Corwyn and his baraka up through the portal and out of sight.

The portal closed behind him.

The white light swirled over to the sigil and coalesced into the form of a woman. She gazed at Rebel and inclined her head gravely, and then the light funneled into the rounded space on the lower left point of the star.

The second Seal was in place.

There was a stunned silence, and then everyone moved at once. The net spell had vanished, and so had the enemy sorcerers. The remaining hellhounds were dead.

Tyr dove down from the ceiling and Changed, landing in front of Tempest. He enfolded her in a huge hug. “I can’t believe you took on Vyrkos. You’re Wonder Woman.” She hugged him back.

Blaze and Zane were sitting on the floor by the sigil, holding each other, not saying anything.

Thorne landed in front of Rebel and wrapped her up in his arms. “You crazy thief,” he said. “Jumping to your goddamn death.” His hold was so tight she almost couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t mind. She was hugging him just as hard.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he added. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

Rebel managed to loosen his hold and get her breath back. “I’d like to say I was thinking about saving the world. But mostly I was hoping Maia would take pity on me, like she did with Blaze, and not let me die.”

“Wait,” he said. “Are you telling me you trusted in the kindness of a stranger?”

She laughed. “Maybe. That, or I was planning on going out a hero, and your hoard would sing my praises for centuries to come.”

Thorne took her in his arms again, more gently this time. “I’m going to tell my hoard you are the most amazing, beautiful, brave, badass woman in the world.” He paused. “Will you be my forever mate?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Always. And for the record, you are also amazing, beautiful, brave and badass. And I love you more than I can tell you.”

It felt good to say it. No deflecting, no holding back. Just the truth.