against the other’s power. Dralazar suddenly dropped his resistance, throwing a quick shield as the wood rushed back to him. Then he dropped his shield and flung his arm to the side, sending Kiora flying into a wall. She yelled as she cracked against it.
“You are a very foolish girl,” he yelled. “And I think it’s time you pay for it.” She struggled against his magic, but he pinned her hands to the wall.
He glanced over with a smile as Layla stumbled to her feet, her hand on her head. The magic that had been holding Kiora to the wall threw her to the floor, pushing her between Layla and Emane. She struggled to her feet as Dralazar shouted over the crackling fire and creaking wood. “Listen very carefully, Kiora. I am giving you a choice of who lives and who dies.” He strutted in front of her, both his arms out—one pointed at Layla, one at Emane.
Kiora’s hand started to come up but Dralazar stopped her. “If you are busy attacking me, they both die.”
She stopped. The scene was very reminiscent of the woods in Meros. Only then Eleana had known Dralazar’s magic wouldn’t work from his wounded hand. Now his hand was very much healed.
“Dralazar?” Layla asked hesitantly, her eyes darting nervously between he and Kiora.
“I’m sorry, my love. But you were good for one thing and one thing only: hurting Kiora. And now you will fulfill your role. Choose, Kiora! Who will you save, your Protector or your sister?” With no more warning, two spires of red magic flew in opposite directions.
Kiora only had time to glance at the horrified look on Layla’s face before she threw herself and a shield in front of Emane. Layla screamed, falling to her knees as Dralazar’s magic shuddered through her. Another second and her body fell, limp and disjointed, to the ground. Kiora cried out as her sister’s thread silenced. She had chosen Emane over her own family. Shame washed over her.
“I can’t say I am surprised.” Dralazar laughed at her pain. “And I doubt Layla was either.”
Kiora stood, rage eliciting a screaming sound she had never heard herself make. She dropped her shield, using both hands to fire shot after shot at Dralazar’s shield. She fired, harder and faster until he couldn’t see anything past the magic raining down in front of him.
Putting up a bubble, Kiora leapt over a burning hole in the floor and circled Dralazar. Dropping her bubble, she forced more magic than she thought possible through her hands—straight into Dralazar’s back. He stiffened before falling forward. He wasn’t dead, but his breathing was shallow. The bars on Emane’s cage flickered.
* * *
RUNNING, THE TAVEAN SHOT burning blue over his shoulder. It sent Alcander sprawling, his leg sliced open along his shin. He swore, dragging himself up. He ran through the trees, blood pooling in his shoe as he went.
When Alcander caught sight of him, the Tavean was in front of two small tents, leaning over a basin on a four-legged stand. The Tavean looked up, breathing heavily and grinning. “They are coming.”
Alcander bellowed. He sent the basin flying into a tree as he leapt on the Tavean, pushing him to the ground. He grabbed the Tavean by the face, sending painful bursts of magic though him. “Who did you call?” he yelled. “How long until they get here?”
The Tavean twisted to free himself, magic popping around his fingertips but sputtering out under Alcander’s magical barrage.
“Who?” he demanded again, pushing more magic through. Blood began to run from the corners of the Tavean’s eyes.
“The Shadow,” he choked out. “The Shadow wants her.” He coughed, spattering blood across Alcander’s chest. “You’re all dead.”
* * *
KIORA WAS RAISING HER hand for another attack when the back half of the room collapsed beneath a falling dragon. Ceiling beams and pieces of burning roof clattered down. She heard Emane calling for her as she stumbled forward, coughing and hacking through the smoke and fire.
On the other side of the room, the two dragons struggled. Drustan pushed Soolan off with his back legs as they stumbled back outside, snapping and slashing at each other.
She reached out for Dralazar’s thread. He was still alive. Dralazar rose from the smoke, already healed. She heard, more than saw, the size of the attack he was launching. Using everything she had, her shield roared forth with a boom, much like the shield she had thrown on the island. The attack still sizzled and seared on