vanished. The dinosaur flew back. Riah landed on his feet, then lunged forward and snagged his sword out of the air. Large silver wings sprouted from his back. He spun, slicing his sword into the dinosaur’s gut.
The fairyflies buzzed beside me, swarming around my body. I gasped and looked up. I’d been so preoccupied with Riah I’d forgotten one of the beasts still stood in front of me. It let out that seal-like call and then shook the last of the fairyflies out of its face and dove for me— Riah landed on its back. He reached up and gripped the dinosaur’s mouth in his hands…then pulled, ripping its head right off its jaw with his bare hands. Blood exploded.
“RIAH.”
He snarled — a huge jaw clamped down on Riah’s left shoulder.
I screamed.
Teeth the length of my hand sank into his bare skin. The dinosaur’s bite covered his entire shoulder and down across his body. It picked him up like a dog with a toy and shook him back and forth. Blood poured over his body and a roar tore from his lips. He threw his one free hand out to the side and tapped his fingers to his palm. Gold armor covered his forearm and a sword materialized in his palm. He swung his sword up, plunging it right into the dinosaur’s skull.
Power exploded out of him and the dinosaur convulsed, exploding into flakes of dust.
“RIAH!” I screamed as his big body fell into a heap on the ground, his body shredded and mangled to pieces. “NO!”
I sprinted over and slid to my knees beside him. His body was already pale, his lips already turning blue. The gold in his eyes was fading.
“No! No, no, no, no!” I screamed and tears burst free like waterfalls. “Stay with me!”
There was blood everywhere. I slammed my hands into his wound to apply pressure. And then I felt it…his life force…his soul…it was fading…leaving his body. NOOOO! I was the Death Card. I felt spirits and souls. And I felt when they left a living thing’s body. Over my dead body are you taking him! I screamed to the Goddess with my mind. Give me some magic! You OWE me this. PLEASE.
My tears splashed onto Riah’s face and my cries burned down my throat. My body shook so much I felt like my chest was being ripped apart. I screamed and pushed with my magic, with everything I had left…
COME ON!
Riah gurgled like he was choking and his pulse slowed. His eyes widened.
“No, no, no!” I cried and shook my head. “Don’t you dare die on me now!”
I pushed harder with my magic. PLEASE.
His eyes rolled —
Blue light flashed under my hands and shot straight through his gaping wound into his chest. He gasped and his eyes widened and turned wild. He glanced all around until his gaze found me again hovering right over him. A faint blue glow wrapped around his body.
YES. Yes, THANK YOU. Just keep him alive!
Riah coughed a dark, wet, rattling cough. Blood sprayed up from his lips and he reached for me. “Sar-saraphina—”
“I’m here,” I cried. “Stay with me. Please, just stay with me.”
Stay with me, just stay with me until — my heart stopped. There was no until. We were alone, stranded in the land of dinosaurs too far back in time for Tegan to reach me. My Death magic was keeping him alive…but I couldn’t hold it forever. His wound was too deep, too fatal…and I was too weak.
We had to get into the tunnel but I had no idea how. Before I could sense it, but not now. There was something tingling in the air behind me except it was far away and I had no way of knowing what it was. It could have been more fairyflies. I couldn’t carry Riah when he was healthy. If I let go of his wound what was left of my magic would fade and he’d—
“Saraphina, my love.” He cupped my face with his bloody hands.
“Just stay with me…” I cried and shook my head. “I’ll figure something out. Just give me a chance. Stay with me.”
“I’m always with you,” he said softly, his voice fading. “I never left your side during your curse. You just didn’t see me.”
THORNE! YOU WANT ME COME AND GET ME! YOU CAN HAVE ME!
The air pulsed and then hot energy unlike anything I’d ever felt before slammed into my spine. Wait. No. I’ve felt that before. I know that…that…MAGIC. I gasped and