58. Bree

58

Bree

Every member of Finn's horde teetered.

"The coven is down!" The words and cries rang through both armies.

It didn't stop the battle. If anything, the fighting intensified—the two Dragons carrying Finn and the female Trinity member swept by overhead, sending magefire scorching into the ground forces. They clearly wanted the battle finished while they still had the upper hand.

But my heart sang—Aurora was dead.

It flooded me with hope because, much as I didn't want to admit it, we were losing this fight.

Yet if the sword could bridge us to Rafael and, through him, to Nikolai?—

It might give us enough mojo to tackle these frigging Drakes one at a time. Tez, his mindvoice intense.

Rafael crouched behind me, his hand on the sword. This time, when I sent iced-lightning forks at the Storm Drake, it took hold, frosting his scales.

The Drake sent his own lightning at me—and I realized it would take too long to freeze him from the outside in. A point brought home when his fiery non-Victor brother sent a gout of flame that I barely managed to counter with ice.

I can help you, said Caliel, now astride Riggs. Together with the sword and Nikolai's power, we can send your ice where it needs to go.

Will it work? I asked.

It should, he said . Target one, and get Marcus to hold off the others.

I met the orange glare across from me.

Target acquired. I leaned closer to Marcus' spiked head. "I'm goings after Victor," I said. "Covers me."

His eyes widened, but he nodded and brought lightning down on the other Storm Drake.

We need physical contact, Caliel said.

Inteligente. Put hands upon the fire-breathing asshole . Tez's mindvoice dripped with sarcasm. Caliel, I don't know what you are up to, but this is a very bad idea.

Do you have another? Caliel challenged him. Because I don't see you putting a dent in those guys.

Tez's rage blasted along the link, but he couldn't deny it. Every attempt he'd made to attack the Drakes had failed.

I had no doubt Nikolai could flatten them. But we knew his power wasn't a fine-tuned weapon—it would also take out everything else in this mountain range. Transferring it through Rafael meant it had to be significantly minimized… but it might still be enough.

Help Marcus fly cover for me, I told Tez.

Tez slithered closer to the Drakes. I winced as, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take a direct hit from the other Fire Drake. But his feathers repelled it, and he responded with a defensive shriek that made the Drake flinch.

Looking forward to doing more than just giving them headaches, he snarled.

I kept my gaze locked on Victor as my Ice Drake stalked closer. This had the smell of destiny, this meeting. How many times had we sparred? And I saw an answering flare within those orange eyes. Just an instant of remembrance.

Then he opened his jaws and blasted me with fire. I countered instantly, sending ice to meet it. We were enveloped in steam.

So much for a trip down memory lane, Tez snarled.

Focus, Bree. Keep him guessing as to what you are up to, Caliel said .

Considering my own uncertainty, that shouldn't be too hard. Victor sent another burst of flame at me, and Tez leaped to intercept. Then I moved right into the Fire Drake's space—and reached out to wrap icy taloned fingers around his forearms.

"Hellos, Vic," I said, and grinned, baring my now impressive teeth.

"The name's Victor," he hissed, the words so garbled I could barely understand him.

He sent flame dancing along his skin. I countered it with ice. More steam rose from where the two collided.

What now? I asked Caliel.

Now we go hunting. I'd never heard that bloodthirsty note in his voice before. He caught my surprise, and said, He's trying to kill the people I love. For that, he shall pay dearly.

I sensed him gather the sword's energy. Get ready for ice, he said.

I focused my Drake's power until icy lightning danced over my scales.

Ready? he asked.

Ready.

There was a surge from deep within me. I used it to pulse ice through my hands and into Victor.

I didn't target the surface this time. Caliel knew the inner workings of the body, and he showed me how to send it pulsing past the burning scales in a cloud of steam, and deep into Victor, chasing his veins to his heart.

And then, I worked to freeze it.

The Fire Drake's head thrashed back and then forward again, as it tried to follow the ice with fire. Whereas his talent was a surface thing, I had access to all the water within his body. Flames cascaded along his skin, scorching through my scales where I held him, but they couldn't touch what I was doing inside.

Caliel wasn't done. He had me continue to push ice along the major arteries to the brain.

Victor's mouth dropped open. And Tez, never one to pass up on an opportunity for mayhem, focused his shriek on Victor's head.

For just a moment, it vibrated. Victor screamed, a long, thin cry that pierced straight through me. I almost caved—this was Vic —but Caliel held me firm.

Tez kept it coming until blood flowed from Victor's nose and ears—then he shuddered, and collapsed.

The other Fire Drake sent a volley of flame, but I noticed him backing away from us.

Marcus gusted it away and moved forward to stand with me. "Well, that's twos," he said. "Whatever yous did, cans yous do its to the other three?"

With Rafael in tow, I lumbered my Ice Drake body toward the second Fire Drake. "I cans certainly trys," I said.

The other Drakes couldn't know exactly what we'd done, but they weren't dumb—they moved away, and Marcus, Tez, and Rafael came with me as I gave chase.

My Drake lips pulled back from my teeth. Knew there was a reason we did all that running.

Tez slithered beside me. Problem is, I should have been slithering…