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I went around, helping the others and making sure all of our friends were a good distance from the backyard.
Then I stopped and turned to the center. It took everything in me to stand there and do nothing as Paimon grappled with Raika, trying to call his magic and failing.
My body wanted to move, to go in the circle and help her, but I knew that if she lost control of the dragon’s magic, I would be toast, and she wouldn’t. Hopefully.
More vampires arrived and dealt with the demons, while I watched as Raika jumped on Paimon and pinned him down, the flames of her body flickering high and wide.
Paimon screamed as a white light emanated from his skin and floated toward Raika. She was absorbing his magic! If she did that, if she took his entire magic, he would be a powerless demon and easier to kill.
He jerked under her paws, but somehow Raika’s fire wolf was too strong and getting stronger. Paimon was no match for her like this. She inhaled, taking the last of his magic.
Paimon went still.
Raika stepped away from him, the flames around her body higher than ever, sparking loudly. She trembled and her breathing grew shallow.
I took a step forward—
“No.” Kaz put an arm in front of me. He stood by my side, hurt and bloody, and back in his human form. “Don’t go inside yet.”
The fire grew bigger, the heat pushed against us.
She was going to explode again.
I yelped, hoping everyone understood what I meant. In my mind, I said to my pack, retreat as much as you can!
Her flames turned white and—
With a grunt, Paimon rolled to his knees, grabbed a dagger one of the Huddyriuns had dropped, and plunged it into Raika’s stomach.
No!
I ran to her as the flames extinguish and Raika fell.
Paimon laughed, the bloody dagger in his hand. With a growl, I lunged at him, knocking the dagger from his hand, and closed my mouth around his neck. I squeezed as hard as I could while Paimon fought against my grip, his energy depleting fast. Even though I knew this wouldn’t be enough to kill him, it brought me pure pleasure.
“Here,” Raika whispered. Back in her human form, she extended her hand to me. I moved my body so she could touch my leg. Her power rushed through me and burst through my teeth. It flooded into Paimon.
He screamed.
Her dragon’s magic burned him from the inside out. I opened my mouth and let him fall, his body limp, his eyes glassy.
I turned to Raika, my heart twisting. Blood oozed from her stomach and she convulsed.
No, please, dear moon, no. I scooted to her side, resting my head on her shoulder.
Under my fur, her skin heated up. I pulled back and stared at her orange skin. One second later, the flames erupted.
Wings surrounded me as the world became a sea of fire.
Then Kaz lowered his wings. The grass was gone in the witch’s circle and a dark patch on the ground was all that was left from Paimon. And Raika lay on the grass, her heartbeat growing faint.
I shifted back to my human form. “Help!” I shouted. “We need a healer, a witch, someone!” I held her hand, suddenly so cold, and lowered my head to hers. “Please, Raika, don’t go. Not yet.”
29
RAIKA
I tried holding on to consciousness but I kept blacking out. I remembered Shane shifting back to human form, yelling for help. Him picking me up and running through the remainder of the battle to the car parked on the street. Then we were inside the castle, and he raced down the hallways.
