Chapter 18

A valynn grabbed her gear and ran out after Mateo who'd quickly disappeared into the trees. Finnian kept pace along with Stormshroud. "Really, wolf?" About to shoo her away, she stopped. Mateo's wolf could come in handy. The beast wiped the floor with regular foxes.

They ran and jumped over roots and branches as she reflected on her arranged betrothal to Eiric. Sickened, her mind swirled with questions. How could her mother and father keep that from her? Why would they? And what else did they keep hidden? She side-eyed Finnian. Did he make a deal with her father, too?

She slowed and closed the gap between them. "Did you bargain to sabotage the lowborn like Selene?" Of the highborn fae from the other provinces, she always thought him the most honorable. She hoped her assessment was on the mark because right about now she needed someone to trust.

He pumped his arms, his face red and sweaty. Kragar had said Finnian was as slow as a turtle. Now she believed him. He barely kept up with her. "No, did you?"

She did not count on the question being lobbed back at her. A half-truth would suffice. "I am here to win." She owed him nothing at this point.

"Guess that makes three of us."

They skidded to a halt at a fork in the path. Unsure of which direction Mateo had gone, she tested her theory with Stormshroud. "Find Mateo!"

To the left and up the mountain, the wolf bounded, graceful and elegant.

"Good girl." Avalynn and Finnian followed. She spotted the shimmery boundary to her right. Beyond that trickled a stream feeding into the Summit Crest River. They were near the Great Valley with its open meadow, no trees and nowhere to hide. Mateo had no experience with this land or its terrain. The foxes could have lured him into a trap.

Stormshroud skidded to a halt. She spun in a mad circle, belted out an ear-piercing howl, and then bolted like a streak of lightning. Avalynn's heart skipped a beat. Mateo was in danger. She left Finnian in her wake and raced until she broke into a clearing.

The sight stunned her.

Mateo battled in the middle of the field. His spear out and spinning in a graceful yet deadly dance, he smacked and hacked at a swarm of attacking foxes. Stormshroud pounced from the rear, clawing and biting anything with fur.

Bow out and arrow nocked, Avalynn charged. Zip . One of the foxes fell. Zip . Zip . Two more.

Hollering a battle cry, Finnian sprang into action from behind her. He barreled forward, whacking at the foxes.

She lined up another shot when a fox jumped on her back. It ripped off her satchel and quiver and dug its claws into her skin, raking them down her spine. "Ahh!" She reached with an arrow and jabbed at the vicious creature. "Off!" Another fox latched onto her thigh. Things were going from bad to worse. She swung her leg and stomped her feet but could not free herself of the deadly foxes.

Mateo's whistle pierced the tense air. "Stormshroud! Avalynn!"

The wolf charged and pounced. She flung the fox from Avalynn's leg with a chomp. Swooping in with a yell, Mateo wrestled the other fox off her back with his bare hands. He snatched the arrow from her grasp, stabbed the fox through the skull, and flung it aside.

But there was no magic. The kills were are regular foxes.

Whirr! A gust of wind whipped through the valley. Avalynn's long braided hair had unraveled from its binding and wrapped around her face. The foxes froze and poked their tiny muzzles into the air.

"Great." She held her bow and gasped as her ears rang. "Now what?" The mark on her back was warm and wet and starting to itch.

"I have no idea." Mateo scanned the valley. "But it can't be good."

Finnian joined them, panting. His face had been clawed from his brow to his chin. "You are right. It can't be good."

The wind shifted directions, and a storm's rumble resonated through the valley. Avalynn looked to the skies. Puffy white clouds dotted the bright expanse. The sky was bright blue. Failing to detect any foul weather, she exchanged worried glances with Mateo and Finnian as the three packed together.

A deafening roar ripped through the valley and vibrated deep inside Avalynn. It sent shockwaves of shivers through her. A flock of squawking birds sang death hymns from the treetops, fluttering away in a frenzied exodus. The foxes crisscrossed in a mad dash, sprinting out of the valley. Stormshroud whined and crouched down. The air stilled like right before a tornado.

Like a beacon illuminated, Avalynn remembered Engrendorn and the North. Fear pricked her body. "Dragon!"

From the mountain range, a massive beast rose into the sky. Iridescent scales glinted against the sunlight. It whooshed its massive wings downward, then upward again, creating tendrils of chaos through the clouds.

Avalynn grabbed Mateo and Finnian. "Run!" This was a battle they would never win.

They raced for the tree line as the dragon glided down into the valley. It opened its mouth and sprayed a torrent of flames at the running foxes. Fire doused the ground, swallowing the devious foxes in a river of red and orange. Thick, acrid smoke and the pungent scent of scorched fur filled the air.

Stormshroud leaped into the tree line in a streak of black and white. Mateo pushed Avalynn forward. "Go, go, go!"

Another dragon's roar—so close this time her body shook and her teeth chattered. Faster, she pumped her arms and prayed to the Sun, Moon, and Stars with each stride. With wings outstretched, the dragon soared over the tall trees. It cast an ominous shadow while following them.

Avalynn sensed safety in one place and one place only. "The cave! Get to the cave!"

Turning at the fork in the path, she spotted the protective chamber. "Hurry!" With Stormshroud ahead and Mateo at her side, they dove through the cave's mouth. Her face hit the dirt with a smack. Spitting dust, she rolled over. She took stock of her companions. Mateo. Stormshroud. Finnian? "Where is Finnian?"

Mateo swallowed and said through ragged breaths, "Behind me."

She clambered to her feet and saw Finnian's muscular frame pounding their way. "Come on, Finnian!"

The dragon descended. Its long claws reached down and snatched Finnian, lifting him like a helpless puppet.

She dashed out of the cave. "Finnian!"

Mateo raced toward her. "Nooo!"

But it was too late. The dragon jetted upward, kicked its wings back, and then dive-bombed, mouth open, red fire bubbling in its throat. She and Mateo grabbed each other and fell to the ground.

She slammed her eyes shut. Mateo—the Only One—they needed his power. She clutched him and squeezed. Now. Now. Now. An image of blue light flooded her mind. A swathe of protection, a peaceful yet powerful sensation. Her body warmed, and her insides tingled. A pleasing glow swirled in her stomach like a summer sun.

He was doing it!

She cracked open an eye. Blue, all around like an electric sky, and beyond the haze roared an inferno. She looked toward Mateo, but his gaze fixed on her.

His mouth hung open. "It's you."

"Me?" She looked down at her hands. Electric blue swirled from her palms and spread around her and Mateo. She was doing this? She was really releasing the light?

The dragon screeched and then soared out of sight. The blue power around them dissolved. Avalynn struggled for air. Her head spun like an ancient windmill. A cold rush flowed from her head to her toes.

Mateo held her. "How did you do that?"

"I, uh…" Weakness sapped her words. The searing pain at her back registered. The fox had jumped her and raked its nails down her back. Her adrenaline from the dragon attack must have numbed her injuries. With the threat gone, the pain plowed deeper.

Stormshroud whimpered and circled Avalynn. Mateo brought her in close. "Are you okay?"

She studied his long dark hair, steely gray eyes, and perfectly chiseled face. Beautiful. Irritating. "Do I look okay?" She slumped onto his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Thunderation. You are bleeding…but yes. You look like a thousand sunrises all at once."

She smiled, then struggled to form words. She had powers and deflected the dragon's blast. But she could not heal her possibly fatal wounds. "The fox… its claws…" Without the proper attention, she would soon see the Enbarr and never again lay eyes on breathtaking Mateo.

Gently, he laid her on the ground, cradling her head with a soft touch. "What do I do?"

She swallowed as her vision dimmed and her eyes closed. "You win. If it had to be anybody else, I'm glad it's you."