I could see a wind tunnel above us forming as we floated higher. He meant to transport us away.
Hell no.
I was done being knocked around like a rag doll and tossed from one place to another. I was also still feeling horrible, and my body was achy and tired. I wanted to sleep. I was a fighter, but I also wanted to bake a freaking cupcake.
I pointed a finger at the pink ocean, whispering a moving spell. I chilled a section of the water, careful not to freeze it solid. The water rose in a tornado in the sky, and then I willed it at us. Water crashed into us like a monstrous wave, so frigid and biting that we both gasped for air, but the only way I could control it was to keep it cold. I focused the ice water into Nigel’s face, effectively drowning him. He let go of me, floating away, but I wouldn’t let the water stop coming for him. He blindly shot electric sparks at me, but I took the hits, still unable to move my body.
I balled my free hand into a fist, and the water surrounding and filling him froze. His eyes bulged open in terror, mouth wide in a silent scream, too full of ice. Every bit of the freezing water I controlled had now solidified. I would waste no more time. I willed the ice to burst. In one snap, shards of ice impaled him from the outside and burst out of him until he looked like a pin cushion.
He collapsed downward, and I followed, his hold on me loosening. The landing would hurt, but I needed to keep my control over Nigel until I knew he was dead and gone. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Yosef do a flying leap, catching me in mid-air.
“I have you, beautiful,” he said with a triumphant and bloodied smile.
“Thanks, babe,” I said as he put me down.
I then galloped over to Nigel, who lay writhing in pain on the ground. I conjured an ice spear and then impaled him in the heart until he no longer moved.
“Punta,”I spat before turning away from him.
A loud roar distracted me, and I turned around to see dragon Luca surrounded by several Nodoors, bombarding him with a barrage of weaponry. Behind his body and open wings were several other Prinathian soldiers. I could see tears in his wings, and he was stumbling to the side. He was protecting them and getting hurt. How much could that dragon body withstand?
He roared out a ring of fire, but the soldiers put up what must have been heat-resistant shields. Olivia pushed by them, still a walking torch, except this time, she was holding a humongous sword that had to be the same size as her body. The Prinaths ran around him to continue their attacks just as Olivia soared into the air, landing on Luca’s back and sticking her sword into him. Luca let out a soul-piercing scream, falling forward, and I felt it in my gut. The overwhelming agony of pain and darkness.
“She’s killing him!” I screamed, panic rising as I ran forward, Yosef right at my side.
When we got there, I could now see Xander in the thick of the fight. He looked like he was holding his own, battered in gore from head to toe, with a maniacal look on his face.
I tore my attention from him and surrounded Olivia in a sheet of ice, knowing it was futile with her fire, but I needed a distraction. Yosef raced up the dragon and kicked her off of him. While he focused on pulling out the sword, I sent a barrage of ice spears at her. They would melt, but they could still wound. They just had to stay sharp enough to pierce her fire body.
She floated from side to side, missing my attacks until one pierced her stomach. She cried an ear-splitting shriek, and before I could blink, she zoomed toward me in the air. Shit. I put up a ward, and she slammed against it over and over.
“You lowly bitch. I will set your soul on fire,” she cried as she hit my wall.
At that prime moment, another bout of dizziness knocked me off my feet. Yup, the poison was still there. I pushed back on my butt to clear some distance between us. My ward had to stay up, or I needed to conjure my icehouse again. Either way, having her touch me would be a quicker death than the poison. I had to hold on. I had to stay conscious.
I focused in on Luca, watching in heartbreak as the dragon struggled to his feet, locking eyes on me. One eye focused on me while the other was swollen shut. He was hurt and poisoned, and I needed him to stay down. I had no doubt that Olivia’s sword had hit a vital organ. Not to mention all the other wounds covering his body from the tank blast, firebombs, and sword stabbings.
“Stay!” I shouted at them, knowing it was useless as Luca kept moving forward.
He needed at least a moment to recover. However, that determined look on his face let me know he would not be stopped. It was heartbreaking.
You have to stop, Luca.I said in my mind.
No. I said I would be there for you, and I won’t stop.He telepathically replied.
You’re dying.
Not before I save you.
I looked on in agony as Luca continued to move toward me, bouncing to the side as Nodoor soldiers attacked him over and over again. He roared out fire at the soldiers but it wasn’t as powerful as before, more heated steam than anything. He was weakening before my eyes, yet still he refused to stop.
Yosef stayed on top of him, tending to the massive wound and deflecting attacks at the same time. I didn’t know how much he had in his own reserve. They could both topple over at any moment.
“Stop!” I cried, tears further crowding my vision.
However, my dragon kept going. His only focus was on me, barely acknowledging the many injuries he was receiving.
Bile rose in my throat, and stabbing pain cramped every part of my core. I rolled my eyes heavenward, willing myself to hold on for as long as I could. I would not die. I had to live for him. For us. My vision decided to betray me as darkness framed my sight, slowly expanding. Not now. I pounded the sand with my fist, shaking my head.
