Chapter Thirty-Three

C HAPTER T HIRTY-THREE

The hollow roar ricochets around the walls as Aurum slams his claws onto the ground. He’s just as big as Darius, carrying a menacing undertone within his red and gold exterior. The slim muzzle shows thousands of scars, matching the one that rests across the same eye where I stabbed him and making the colour of it a milky white.

I swallow.

Darius doesn’t step back from his uncle’s dragon form. Instead, he shifts and challenges him.

‘Nara, get the portal out of here!’ Idris yells at me. He and Iker have each of Freya’s arms on their shoulders as they help her sluggish body stand.

Darius and Aurum are tumbling over each other before Aurum’s teeth plunge into Darius’s neck. His cry burns through me and my legs twitch to go to him.

‘Nara, now!’ Iker says, and the command seeps into my bones as I drag back a slow breath and run.

Large and even smaller dragons swarm the arena while the Elves fight against the saved Venators and shifters.

Fernah , my mind automatically whispers.

I hear the distinct rasp of a growl that belongs only to her. She responds instantly, as if she had heard me herself, and closes the distance between us with a thunderous roar. Adjusting my pace to a slower stride, I seize the opportunity as she swoops by, leaping onto her back. Urging her forward, I press my heel into her side, prompting a surge of momentum as she lifts us into the air.

I tightly grip the pendant while Fernah dodges between the Ardenti’s flames and the Umbrati’s shadows unleashing from their mouths. Leaning into Fernah, I urge her higher, chasing the exhilarating freedom from where the dome looms above the arena.

A fleeting smile of relief passes through me, but the serenity is soon shattered by a distant cry, a painful echo that jolts me. My head whips around, dread tightening my core as I search for Darius. But I can’t see him anywhere, only Aurum chasing after Fernah and me.

He’s closing in on us with malevolent speed, and I yell for Fernah to dodge his impact. Yet, it’s not enough as he collides with Fernah’s flank.

Everything slows down before me as she loses her balance, and I slip from her harness.

A guttural ‘No!’ escapes me as I plummet from the sky. The wind tears at my clothes, and I watch in horror as Fernah becomes smaller and smaller the further I drop.

I gasp, desperately reaching for anything within my grasp, fully aware there is nothing in sight. Summoning magic to my fingertips, my veins ignite with surging power just as large silver wings close around me, forming a protective cocoon.

The impact isn’t strong enough to hurt me as we land in the arena and the wings unfold. I roll out of them onto the ground, coughing as sand cloaks the air, and see Darius shift into human form. Without so much as a groan, he comes towards me, urging me to my feet. Fresh blood trickles down his neck and chest, but he doesn’t care; he only cares I am safe.

My fingers gently glide across his cheek just as Aurum lands opposite us; the resonant boom of his claws meeting the ground shakes the arena. As he transforms, Aurum locks eyes with me, ruthless and unyielding as he stalks towards me.

In that second, Darius snatches the pendant from my hand and steps away from me as he raises it high. ‘Looking for this?’

Aurum stops, his head tilting almost unnaturally towards Darius.

Darius chuckles, his gaze quickly darting to the side of me. ‘Tibith.’ He tips his chin up at Tibith, who has suddenly appeared. ‘Catch!’

The pendant travels through the air before Tibith grabs it in his paw. He squeaks, and my eyes widen, telling him to run, right as Aurum cries out in anger and charges towards him.

Darius cuts him off, swinging his fist into his face. Aurum stumbles back, but Darius continues, not allowing the tiniest break as he pummels him to the ground. When fire consumes Darius’s hand, Aurum successfully captures his wrist, sending a hit at Darius’s jaw.

A surge of fury spikes my blood as Aurum takes advantage, his fingers delving into the wounds that now mar most of Darius’s chest and abdomen. Determination fuels me as I conjure a ball of light between my palms.

Aurum looks feral as he bares his teeth. ‘You’re a pain in my existence, nephew .’

Darius hisses in pain, attempting to resist Aurum as he pushes his hand back. ‘Likewise.’

Summoning all my strength, I redirect the gathered light straight at Aurum, ensuring he is knocked off Darius.

He grunts, blood staining his nose, but retaliates, coming for me.

My vision blurs with the colour red, and I launch another surge of magic, pushing him back. Despite weakening him for a moment, he doesn’t give up. He’s relentless – but so am I.

Another advance from him is met with a hit of my magic and a cry that tears from my throat.

Wave after wave of anger channels into my power as I give him all I have against him, and he lets me.

‘Nara, wait—’ Darius says, but when my next blast has Aurum laughing, I yell and run at him.

Elves are already on Darius, making him unable to get to me as he parries their attack.

I throw my fist back, ready to delve deep into Aurum’s chest with my power. He snatches it midair and twists me around so my back hits his chest. I thrash in his hold, only to hear his cold laughter in my ear.

‘Look at them,’ he says.

I don’t know what he means, and I don’t care as I shake my head to escape him.

His fingers grip my chin, holding me in place. ‘ Look ,’ he grits.

Panting through clenched teeth, I see what he is referring to as I watch Darius taking on dozens of Elves at a time, trying to get to me, Lorcan helping him from the other side, my brothers and friends on the far end, shielding Freya, then Tibith shaking on the ground.

He’s clutching the pendant beneath his body as Elves surround him.

‘Even as Solaris and Crello, you and Darius are nothing against me.’

‘At least I’m loved,’ I spit.

He stills. ‘You little—’

In a sudden movement, I jerk my head backwards, hitting him square on the chin. He lets go as a low guttural grunt escapes his lips.

I don’t wait for the pain in the back of my head to subside as I rush to where Tibith is.

Elves come at me with swords and spears, and I duck as one of them slices across me. The blade collides with another Elf behind, unintentionally striking him.

‘Tibith!’ I call out to him, when I notice Gus is already hurrying towards him, telling Tibith to launch the pendant at him.

Just as Tibith does as he’s told, Aurum comes between us in dragon form, his wings knocking the pendant onto the ground, causing the rift to open again.

Time freezes. The three of us stare at the pendant. Gus is the first to lunge for it, followed by Aurum’s roar as he slices at Gus with his claws. Gus dodges, sliding across the ground.

I’m the last to race for it, am just about within reach when I’m rammed into by Aurum’s now human form.

He’s straddling me, his lips curling into a snarl. Before he can speak, I kick him off. The portal is within my sight, I’m so close, so, so—

I’m pushed, my feet giving in as I fall headfirst onto gravel. A sharp sting shoots up my shins before I raise my head, and the Isle of Elements stands ahead of me.

No.

I scream as a hand fists my hair and lifts me up from the ground. I cast a glance at Aurum, who is inside the Isle, holding on to me.

The arena is still in view from where the portal is, a few steps away from us. There’s a faint-coloured shimmer covering the rift like the first time I ever saw it, but it is so different now. It’s . . . dying.

I try to run, but Aurum pushes me back down onto the ground. I land on my back with an aching quake inside my head.

Everything is a haze. I’m blinking in the hope of focusing, but all I can see is Darius on the other side, yelling my name as he races towards the portal and shifts into a dragon mid-sprint.

Aurum is saying something I can’t make out, but I know what this must mean from the sneer on his face as he calmly reaches for the pendant.

I stagger up onto my knees, bile rising in my throat as I crawl and grab Aurum’s leg. He kicks me in the abdomen, making me double over with a strangled cry. I clutch my stomach with both hands, helplessly watching Aurum now holding the pendant.

I think I see Gus for a moment, but Darius still seems so far away.

He won’t make it.

He won’t make it in time.

And as Aurum closes the pendant, someone jumps through the rift, falling onto their hands and knees.

Dark hair falls forward, and when the person turns to look at me, the realisation hits – it’s Gus.