Page 67 of Secrets of Ruin

Taking a deep breath, she savored the crackle of energy in the air and the warmth flowing through her as the witches all gathered their power. It had been so long since she’d felt united in this way; she hadn’t realized how much she missed it.

She glanced at Sahira standing beside her and smiled. It wasn’t only her who needed this; Sahira had never belonged in a coven, and now she did. But more than that, the witches were becoming one giant coven that worked with other immortals to improve the realms.

She’d never dreamed of such a thing happening but was incredibly grateful it had. Together, they were all stronger.

“Light as a feather, object there, Net, I command you to float on air.”

Their voices rose and fell in unison as power swelled between them. It grew and crackled across the air until her hair floated around her. Static electricity crackled as it zapped around them while the net rose in the center of their circle.

When it was high enough, the dragon slid out from under it and scurried away. Blood trailed from its sliced tail as it moved across the ground.

Once it was free, the witches released hands, and the net crumpled to the ground. The nets that once held them weren’t as big as this one. The ophidians had prepared for the dragons, meaning there were probably more of them throughout the jungle.

Her gaze went to the trees, but she didn’t see any nets draped between their boughs; that didn’t mean there weren’t more. A familiar thrill went through her when Brokk’s hand settled on her arm.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes.”

The spell hadn’t weakened her because so many witches were involved in it. Their joined strength had helped rebuild hers, but she still had to preserve her powers until they discovered the ophidians again.

When the wounded dragon took flight, some of its brethren flew to its side. They nipped and cried as they reassured themselves that, while their friend was injured, he would be fine.

The other dragons split away from Aladon as a portal opened in the sky, and he vanished. The other dragons shifted their attention to the jungle and flew lower to torch more trees.

One does not fuck with the dragons.

Kaylia started to smile, but it fell away when the jungle erupted around them.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

Ophidians emerged from under the rocks scattered throughout this section of the jungle. Brokk only knew this because he saw three emerge from under a large boulder.

They probably didn’t all come from under the rocks, but he was sure the majority did as surprised shouts filled the air. Upon hearing the cries from below, the dragons roared but didn’t release their fire. If they did so now, they’d also kill a fair number of their army.

Instead, some of them swooped down to snatch up the ophidians. Their powerful jaws clamped down on the serpents, cutting them in half or wrenching off their heads.

The ground quaked as Alina and another dragon raced across it, barreling through ophidians, lifting them, and tossing them aside with their whipping tails. The serpents flew through the air or screamed while the dragons devoured them.

But the dragons couldn’t get to them all as the ophidians heaved spears into the dragons’ vulnerable places like their mouths and noses. The dragons’ screams of pain mingled with those of their army and the ophidians.

And the ophidians weren’t the only things rising from the earth. At first, Brokk didn’t realize there was a new menace until something hit Del in the chest and knocked him back a few steps.

Brokk hadn’t seen whatever attacked his friend, but blood spread across Del’s chest. When Del dropped his sword to grasp at whatever clung to him, Brokk realized it hadn’t been a weapon of some sort to hit him, and that something was still on him.

More blood spread across Del’s shirt as it sliced open. Whatever was on him was tearing at him with a wild frenzy.

“Dad!” Lexi cried.

Brokk grasped Kaylia’s wrist when she moved toward Lexi. Twenty feet separated them from her; it was too much for Kaylia to cover without something attacking her. They had to move together.

“Not without me,” he said. “We stick together.”

Her pewter eyes were full of love when they met his. “Always.”

Del managed to pry whatever was on him away and flung it toward the jungle. Brokk only knew this because he followed its bouncing trail across the ground, where it kicked up debris before crashing into a tree.

Once there, the tree shuddered, and a two-foot-tall creature became visible. It had a six-inch long, pointed nose jutting over top of the crooked, yellow teeth protruding from its mouth.