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Snarls ricocheted through the dead trees and tore across the air. He needed to end this—quickly—so he could get them both out of here.

Training his full attention on the other beast that was still trying to get past Areion, Rymedur slashed at its legs. The minute his scythe met flesh, the beast roared. The black blade sang at the contact, humming with added energy.

That was strange. It had never done that before.

The beast reared up on its cloven hooves, tilting to the side and teetering off balance.

Rymedur could hear rasping breath and the sound of something shuffling behind him, but his eyes remained on the beast. He went in for the kill. Jabbing forward, Rymedur narrowly missed the spiked red-eyed beast’s tail.

‘Rymedur!’ A gasped shout was the only warning he got before an enormous shadow leapt towards his unprotected back.

Rymedur met Areanel’s wide eyes and saw the pure, undiluted terror held within. For a moment, Rymedur thought that was it. That would be the last time he would look into her eyes.

A bright flash of blue, and blinding light shot out in streams before wrapping around him protectively.

Cracking open an eye, Rymedur braved the burning light, then noticed the familiar hue that buzzed with magic. A shield. The power’s intimate feel drew him in—called to him. He knew the sound and texture like a song he heard deep in his soul.

The beat of the magic pulsed, sending out waves of power that pushed the beasts. Their sharp claws dug into ash-covered ground as the fog swirled around them in a rapid cyclone. Areanel, hands stretched, had given Rymedur enough time to defend himself—but she shouldn’t be overexerting herself. She had just regained consciousness, and by the way her arms trembled, she was straining.

And it was odd. Areanel didn’t usually struggle to use her power.

Was the fever affecting her use of her magic?

Pushing another wave of blue magic towards the beast, Rymedur was left to watch in awe as Areanel called upon more of her power, opening that dam within. The whites of her eyes had completely vanished, and a kaleidoscope of blue consumed them, swirling like a storm.

Gods, she looked… transcendent.

Spinning, Rymedur turned to the beast that had made to pounce at his unprotected back. Its razor-like fangs dripped with saliva as it bowed its head in an attempt to shield itself from the unnatural storm.

Areanel pushed out her palms, a shout escaping her as she groaned in pain. Strings of blue power extended from her, and Rymedur watched as she lifted the hulking beast into the air, ribbons of blue wrapping around it.

Crack! The resounding sound of snapping bones filled the air, echoing off the hollow trees around them as a beat of hooves travelled from a distance.

Were there more?

The beast howled in pain, snarling and snapping at magical bonds it could not escape.

Rymedur raised his scythe to strike the second beast as its jaw clamped down on its handle, missing his hand by inches. The beast’s exceptional weight, along with the momentum of its pounce, caused Rymedur to lose his footing, sending them both toppling backwards where they hit the cold, hard forest floor. Ash billowed, landing in his hair and coating his clothes in a thin layer that made him cough.

Struggling, Rymedur tried to avoid the beast’s gnashing fangs, which were aimed at his throat, but he could already feel his arms trembling with the force of the beast’s weight.

Light pierced the fog, followed by another wail of pain; the beast Areanel had pinned in the air was still struggling against her bonds, but she kept tightening them, effectively crushing the wild animal. Its skin began to fracture, cracking with blue light that shot along every inch of its gnarled body before exploding.

The beast disintegrated. Ash and blue light floated in the air before they fell. But Areanel’s display of power wasn’t just noticed by Rymedur. The second beast that had him pinned watched, turning its deadly slitted eyes on her.

Unlodging his weapon, Rymedur moved to swing—but he was too late. He watched, helpless, as the beast leapt.

Rymedur’s scythe missed its mark by a fraction as the beast moved to attack Areanel, forgetting him entirely.

Pounding of hooves continued to fall like the gallop of Rymedur’s terrified heart. With one dead, Rymedur’s shadows reached out to bind the beast as Areanel had done, but as they reached it, he found he could grasp nothing but air. His shadows floated straight through something that felt oddly familiar—like oil and tar.

The shout clogged in his throat as Areanel faced the beast head-on. Reaching behind her, she unsheathed one of her curved knives and pinched the blade, ready to throw. Rymedur prayed to anyone who would listen that it would reach its mark.

Time seemed to slow. There was nothing before him besides these next precious moments.

Light blazed, whizzing past Areanel’s head. Something whistled through the air and smacked through what, distinctly, sickeningly, sounded like flesh.

Rymedur had to blink away his shock as a fiery arrow pierced muscle and lodged itself into the beast’s side.