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Keir already had his seatbelt undone, Jima’s small body firmly grasped within one hand. “I’ve got Jima. You get Duncan.”

I was already heading toward the cockpit when Keir’s words registered. The air was thin and pulling against me, but I pushed toward Duncan. “We’re getting out of here.” I had to scream at Duncan, the cacophony of sound too loud otherwise.

Duncan’s eyes were fearfully wide. “I don’t know what happened. It’s like something attacked us out of the sky.”

Ice filled my typically fire-laden veins. Duncan may not know what hit us, but I had a feeling I did. “Come on.” I waved a hand toward me, before extending my arm and grasping Duncan by the wrist as he undid the straps holding him to his seat.

The plane shuttered again, the sound of more metal tearing. Duncan was right, the jet was coming apart.

Holding Duncan tight, I forced our way back into the cabin. Keir was still there, one hand clutching the seat while the other fiercely grasped Jima’s small body. “Can you take Duncan too?” The overwhelming whistling sound of air being sucked from the cabin made me raise my voice.

“Of course,” Keir immediately answered. “But what about you. Aren’t… No.” Keir vehemently shook his head. “Absolutely not. You are not fighting them by yourself. You⁠—”

“We need to get Jima and Duncan to safety,” I said, pushing Duncan at Keir, forcing him to release his grip on the seat. “I know you don’t like it.” I didn’t either. “But you also know this is the best option. I’ve got a better chance against⁠—”

“Not the both of them. Last time—” Keir’s voice cut off, and I knew what he was going to say. I also knew he’d realized this truly was the only way to protect Duncan and Jima.

“We’re close to the Magical Usage Compound. Get them to the barrier.” Another jolt hit the plane. If we didn’t want this twisted metal to become our coffin, we needed to leave. Now. Slamming my lips against Keir’s, I shouted, “I love you” before pulling away and kicking against the torn outer hull. Two more kicks and the metal groaned as it tore apart.

Reaching behind me, I grabbed Keir and threw him out the opening, watching his feathered wings spread as he transformed. Immediately following behind, as soon as I was free of the confining metal, my leathery wings formed and my scales hardened. The wind lifted me free of the falling plane.

I didn’t wait to make visual contact with Verona or Axios. With Keir behind me on his way to the compound, I turned midair and let loose an arc of fire, setting up a temporary barrier and hopefully giving Keir a head start.

The sun was setting to the west, Keir a speck against its brilliance. Dusk would soon be upon us, and if I wanted to live to see another sunrise, I needed to be smart. Keir was right. Alone, I stood little chance at defeating Verona and Axios. No other wyvern were coming this time. I was on my own.

I had too much to live for to allow my pride to argue against retreat. The protective barrier was my best bet as well. I just needed to buy Keir enough time to safely get there.

The thunderous sound of the jet hitting the ground and the explosive fireball that erupted from the impact nearly blinded me. Thankfully, Axios and Verona didn’t fare much better either. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I turned and headed west as fast as my wings could fly. Verona’s furious scream clawed its way across my nerves.

I could hear them. Their giant wings beating against the air, pushing them toward me. While their acid was more dangerous than my fire, it didn’t have the reach of my flame. Turning my head, I let loose the fire raging within. A received a satisfactory scream of pain in return.

Zig-zagging, I flew through the air, climbing and diving but always going forward—west toward the compound and the safety of the barrier. I could just see the smallest hint of the welcoming room—the only structure above ground. It was just the tiniest speck on the horizon. I was almost there, just a little more and⁠—

The breath was pushed from my body as something heavy and hard hit me. I rolled through the air, trying to get my wings moving and gain lift. I’d almost managed when another body slammed into me and didn’t let go. I saw a black wing out of the corner of my vision and knew it was Axios that had managed the second hit. We both went careening to the earth.

The ground shook when we hit, rolling through the dirt and stone, leaving a swath of destruction in our wake.

I somehow managed to come out on top and immediately struck. Opening my mouth, I sank my razor-sharp teeth into Axios’s neck. His scales were just as hard as mine and my jaw ached with the pressure it took to break through. Blood filled my mouth and Axios’s cries filled the air and made my ears deaf to everything else. If I could just hold on a little longer, I could end Axios here and now. If⁠—

Axios’s skin was ripped from my mouth as I was hit from the side, throwing me off and to the ground. I rolled again and felt my leather wing tear on something sharp. As soon as I righted myself, I stood and released a stream of fire. My aim was shit, but that didn’t matter. I needed time to regroup, and I couldn’t allow Verona or Axios to pin me down.

They circled me. Verona’s deep green eyes glowed with delight. They had me, and they knew it. I was outnumbered, and my wing too damaged to properly fly.

Damaged or not, I needed to figure a way out of this mess. I was close to the Magical Usage Compound. If I could just—no!

Verona threw her head back and screamed. The sound of feathery, flapping wings filled the spaces between Verona’s cries. Keir was on her back, rear claws and front talons somehow finding purchase on her hardened scales. His sharp beak reared back before coming down on her eye, piercing the more delicate structure.

Rearing back, Verona slammed Keir to the ground before rolling off him and furiously shaking her head. Blood flew from Verona’s face, falling to the ground as her acidic saliva did the same. A gaping hole remained where Verona’s right eye had once been.

I saw Verona’s mouth open, ready to rain acid down on Keir. I didn’t think. I moved. Using Verona’s blind spot, I slammed into her, throwing her aim off just enough that she missed Keir.

Verona recovered quicker than I’d hoped. We faced off against each other, and I wondered why Axios hadn’t attacked me, doubling up with his sister. When I chanced a glance Axios’s direction, I was horrified by the answer.

It was difficult to see at first, or perhaps it was too difficult for my brain to accept the reality of what I saw. We must have landed far closer to the compound than I’d thought. I couldn’t imagine another reason why Vi and Blu would be here, beyond the protective barrier keeping them safe.

Vi and Blu were so tiny they were mere specks in the sky. Darting in and out, dive-bombing Axios’s face. Tiny puffs of flame lit up the sky now and again as Vi blew what fire her young body could produce at Axios. Crystaline ice assaulted Axios’s other side, both small wyvern going for his eyes just as Keir had done with Verona.

My breath caught as a flash of brown fur scrambled over Axios’s head, viciously biting and scratching at his eyes. Jima was there too, fighting a foe he had no hope of beating and yet battling all the same.