Droga dropped his head to the ground, gesturing for Gabby to climb his antlers.Come with me, new mate. I will show you the kingdom we have made.
Gabby climbed Droga’s antlers as if under some kind of grand delusion. She swung herself onto his back, and Droga took off into the air once more.
The only thing in Dolinska that Droga had left standing was Arcanea University. He soared above it, making a hellish circle of red clouds in the sky.
This will be our home, dear wife, Droga boomed over the landscape.We shall make our palace here, and all shall bow before us.
Gabby emitted a wicked laugh from Droga’s back. She was having the time of her life. This was her revenge on the city. She blamed Dolinska for Elijah’s death, and she would make them pay for it with a thousand lives.
There was a shattering sound like glass breaking nearby. I ducked, but nothing hit me. Fear churned in my gut as I turned in place, wondering what had happened.
“Onawilke!”
Ethan’s voice echoed across the square, and I’d never felt such a wave of relief. He ran toward me on three paws, Lady Magdalina trailing at his heels.
Magdalina had somehow broken Droga’s ward around me! At the sight of her, my courage intensified, and hope returned. She was the most powerful sorceress in the world. Maybe she could stop this!
Ethan skidded to a stop, and I took his head in my hands. “You came too late,” I sobbed as my fingers buried in his fur, stroking back his ears.
“Not too late to save you,” he replied. His voice was aching and gaunt as he said, “Dolinska is gone, but you are still alive, so there may still be a chance.”
“Emmaline, give me your hands,” Magdalina said, gesturing to the iron chains on my wrists. My mouth fell open as I watched her form a spell in her hand, and use it to cut the iron stocks around my wrists and legs. They sliced open like butter, collapsing to the cobblestone and turning to dust. Beside me, Ethan looked on in shock.
I thought fae magic didn’t work on iron. What was going on? How could Magdalina overpower something the fae were weakened by? This made no sense.
Magdalina’s eyes dimmed with despair as she watched Droga surge over the university. “A portal. Emmaline, you must get to—”
Magdalina let out a great cry as a spell slammed into her back, knocking her over. Ethan and I whipped around. Lady Korva and Queen Antonia were behind us. They’d brought Lord Lucien, who was still bound in chains.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Korva snarled. She kicked Lucien to the ground, and stood before Lady Magdalina as she called battle magic to her hands.
Queen Antonia summoned a spell, though her look was far less brave than Korva’s. If anything, she looked terrified to face Magdalina in battle, even two-on-one.
Magdalina flung her hand backward to cast a shield over Ethan and I before she began her assault. Illusion spells burst out of both of her palms, in the direction of Antonia and Korva. Korva and Antonia dodged her attacks, responding with magic of their own. Spells bounced off the shield protecting Ethan and I, ricocheting in all directions.
Ethan snarled, and went to help Magdalina. When he did, I staggered forward and nearly fell to my knees. He rushed to catch me, and I slumped across his back. I could no longer stand on my own.
“Don’t leave me,” I pleaded.
“I will not.” Ethan pressed against my side, but his eyes flickered back and forth between the assault of his mother and Korva upon Lady Magdalina. Antonia was launching magical bombs at Magdalina, which my mentor flicked away with the back of her wrist. They went sailing in other directions, exploding against the pavement several blocks away.
Korva had summoned a giant whip with several red tails that were thick with Unseelie magic. She snapped the whip in Magdalina’s direction, but Magdalina dodged the blows. She conjured the illusion of a giant snake, one that slithered up to Korva’s whip and grabbed it by the ends. The snake devoured the whip, swallowing it whole.
Korva snarled. She sent out a swirling jet of magic that cut off the snake’s head. The snake vanished in an array of sparks, and Korva gave a giant cry, launching a pillar of magic at Magdalina's form.
I shouted for Magdalina to watch out, but Magdalina turned her fiery gaze upon Korva. The spell instantly died as Korva’s eyes went hazy. Korva faltered and blinked, as if she didn’t realize what had happened.
I’d spent enough training sessions with Magdalina to know exactly what had happened. If only for a brief moment, Magdalina had overpowered Korva’s mind. But she had told me that wasimpossible.What the hell was going on?!
A spell Antonia had cast slipped past Magdalina's shield and slapped her across the cheek, leaving a bleeding cut. Magdalina turned her eyes upon Antonia, who realized with horror what she had done.
“I spared you once for killing my mate,” Magdalina spat. “I will not spare you a second time.”
Antonia let out a shriek and tried to run, but it was a hopeless attempt to save her life. Magdalina hurtled a battle orb. Antonia cast up a shield at the last second, but Magdalina’s battle orb sailed straight through it, breaking the shield into dozens of pieces.
The battle orb hit Antonia’s body and smashed right through her, making a hole bigger than her head straight through the middle of her chest. Antonia gave a dying wail, then collapsed, fingers still grasping at the hole Magdalina had made.
Ethan gasped as his mother’s body hit the ground, but that was the conclusion of his grief. Lady Magdalina's magic ate away at Antonia’s form, turning it to ash that the wind blew away.
