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For the first time in my life, I was frozen in shock and fear. These people were counting on me, and I was the only one who could help them, but what could I do? They could snuff out my magic, and even if I bested Rufus with my weapon, the others would die before I’d drawn my sword. And why was my hand shaking?

Gods help me, I prayed silently. I’d never given much stock to divine intervention. They’d never stepped in for me before. But desperation makes one do crazy things.

I just needed a distraction. But we were out of those, and the last two hadn’t worked.

Just then, a shadow passed overhead, so large that the entire field darkened. Was it another illusion like the one that had advertised my sister’s plight?

When everyone raised their heads, I realized it wasn’t that. The cry of the dragon echoed through the field, and whatever magic had held me in place lifted.

With a shout, I used the gods-given moment to shove Rufus out of the way, dive toward the circle where my friends were, and slice through the bonds holding Torvo. I spun, impaling a guard, and cut through Kendara’s bonds next. I continued dispatching and freeing in a wild dance guided by instinct as my mind raced.

Fire rained down from above, and the shouts of terror that surrounded me blended into the wind as I fought in an unleashed frenzy. The dragon fire wasn’t as easy to put out as my own, though the man with the crystal was doing a good job keeping it off him and his surrounding friends.

I danced through the battle renewed. The allies I’d freed took up arms or fought with bare hands and the rage of those who’d nearly lost everything. When I reached the magic wielder, he raised the shard of crystal with a cocky smile. Before he could blink, I sliced off the hand holding it. His confidence turned to dread as he stared at the geyser of blood shooting from the stump where his wrist had been moments before. I backed up as the dragon landed behind him, Rune somehow perched atop. The beast lowered it jaws over the man, relieving him of the top of half of his body.

Covered in carnage, I smiled up at Rune. And when she smiled back, I knew it was no longer her, but Nyah who watched me like an avenging queen on her throne. I could have stared at her for an eon, but the look of horror on her face urged me to turn just in time, automatically parrying what would have been a killing blow from Rufus. He, too, was covered in blood.

The difference was, it belonged to his own men this time and not me.

Behind me, the dragon thrashed, stomping and biting the fleeing guards as my companions whirled around me, locked in battle.

It was time to shut down the memories of my torture at his hand and make good on my promises.

Rufus’s expression melted from fierceness to fear as I shoved forward, sending him and his sword reeling. I didn’t give him the opportunity to recover as I stalked ahead, slashing with my sword and forcing him further off balance as he struggled to meet each strike. When he fell onto his ass and scrambled backward, I sneered.

“Coward,” I said.

I focused my fire on his weapon until he dropped it with a yelp. Then I grabbed him by the collar and tugged him toward me, nose to nose.

“Please,” he whimpered. “I was just doing my job.”

“You enjoyed it,” I said letting my hands burn and seer into his flesh, melting the skin where his tattoo rested. I kept firm hold no matter how hard he wriggled. “I felt your cock shoving against your pants when you cut into me, you sick bastard.”

“You’re no better. I surrendered, and you’re torturing me as well.”

I grinned, letting the flames burn my eyes so he’d cower more. “The difference is the world deserves to be rid of you. And I don’t get off on it.” I shoved him away from me and swiped my blade toward him.

The expression of shock remained on his face as his head flew through the chaos. The dragon, Ven, snatched it like a ball and swallowed it whole.

The next moment, Nyah was at my side, sword in hand. I hadn’t even realized she’d joined the fight. But of course she had.

"I thought Rune was going to be incapacitated from using her magic,” I said, reaching up to stroke her cheek with my thumb. I succeeded in smearing a dark red stain over her skin. I was covered in blood.

“We had this.” She lifted a shard of the same crystal that man had been holding. Hers glowed a deep shade of purple. “And…there’s something different about my magic.”

My brow furrowed as I waited for her to say more. The sounds of battle around us dimmed along with my ragged heartbeat.

“I don’t know how to explain,” she said with a frustrated huff.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, letting my hand fall. “The important thing is you’re here. You arrived just in time.”

“We have to get everyone out of here as fast as possible,” she said as she slipped her hand into mine. “They’ll be sending more people now that they know our location.”

“Maybe,” I said surveying the carnage around us. Dozens of bodies littered the ground. I began hunting for our people, making sure none were among them.

I saw Galan with Sharlyne, Torvo, wings outstretched and speckled with red, Kendara, and then Devira kneeling over a body…

“Fuck.”