Breyer ducked and rolled to the side, allowing the blade of her axe to slice across the skin of Helaina’s bicep.
Helaina wailed in pain as Breyer forced the sword from her grip. The scream turned savage as her shadowy force rallied, pushing Breyer away before she could do more damage. Breyer tried to deflect the ominous power, but the shadows were strong. With a strangled gasp, the fae warrior was catapulted to the ground in the middle of the arena.
Breyer stood, gathering her focus. “You want to show off your power? Fine. My turn.”
Theo held his breath as the skin changer began to shift.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
Helaina clutched her arm, feeling the seeping warmth soak her fingers. The thick material of her suit did nothing to protect her. She regretted not donning a single piece of armor.
Breyer began to change, her muscled form morphing into something red and sleek and much larger, taking up damn near half the arena. Her hands became thick claws, her skin turned to scales. A spiked winding tail sprouted from behind, the end of which resembled the tip of an arrow. Helaina recognized this creature of legend.
A fire drake. Breyer could change into a fire drake.
This was no sparring match.
Breyer was trying to kill her.
Helaina’s leg throbbed. She had pushed through every bit of pain. Her teeth clenched to the point of cracking every time her foot met the ground in a sprint. She was already at her limit.
“Ures, help me,” Helaina gasped, getting down on her knees to pat the grass, blindly feeling for her sword’s pommel. She wouldn’t dare take her eyes off the beast before her.
Breyer let out an ear-shattering roar as she stomped forward. Her long neck stretched so high up, her head was shrouded by night, no longer within the light of the torches. Her razor-sharp mouth opened wide, igniting a new form of light, molten embers spinning between those jaws.
The crowds of soldiers behind Helaina fled, leaving her alone before the beast.
She didn’t run. She doubted she would get very far.
Breathe. Just breathe. Focus.
The chilled air abruptly shifted. Heat dripped from the creature, threatening an onslaught of fire to consume her.
Focus.
Helaina held her blood-soaked hand above her face, searching deep for that burn in her chest, just like Theodon had said to do.
Breyer released crackling fatal heat from within, aiming for Helaina.
The shadows answered her call, wrapping around her.
The flames surged at her sides. The shadows held strong, protecting their master.
At first, Helaina was relieved, but the attack didn’t stop, the temperature getting worse.
She was going to boil alive in her shield of shadows.
Helaina screamed as the sweat evaporated from her skin.
The fire drake stomped the ground, continuing to propel its molten death from above.
Helaina’s shadows began to falter. Trickles of flame shot through tiny spouts, like a watering can sprinkling a garden.
She was finished. As her shadows faded around her, she braced for death.
But death didn’t come.
Somehow, she was still breathing. A greater force had strengthened her wavering shield.
