Weaving Fate - Nora Ash Page 0,98

than thirty yards from us.

Time seemed to stand still. The four of us remained frozen, all of us staring at the great beast, trying to control our breathing as we watched him for any sign that he might have noticed us.

But Níðhöggr seemed oblivious to our presence. He scraped at the well with his claws, bending his long neck to gnaw at bark from the World Tree stuck in one of the gleaming talons. This close I could make out his every scale, and the subtle gleam of orange fire reflecting from within him in jagged lines along their seams. The thought struck me that no one who had survived to tell the tale had ever been this close to the great beast before.

Careful not to make a sound, I waved a hand at my companions. With or without my aid, Annabel would only be able to keep the shield up for so long before her powers ran dry. We could not wait here until Níðhöggr decided to take off again. So long as we moved carefully, we should be able to pass him.

Slowly, making sure to keep my sword pressed against my thigh to silence it, I got to my feet before turning to help up Annabel, then Bjarni and Loki as well. I pressed a finger to my lips, though at this point it was hardly necessary to remind anyone of the importance of silence, and caught Annabel’s wide-eyed stare. She was clinging to Bjarni’s free hand, but her eyes were glued to me, searching for reassurance and leadership.

I nodded, an unspoken promise that I would get her through this, and then returned my focus to the dragon and the path ahead.

One step at a time, we moved along the narrow strip of grass between the great root to our right and the well on our left. To my great relief, Níðhöggr did not so much as look in our direction.

We were going to make it.

We were almost past the beast when a soft touch of wind brushed like a lover’s caress against my cheek, cooling the sweat of concentration beading there.

Just a few hundred more yards and the worst of the danger would be over.

A deep rumble to our left made my heart skip a beat. It was a low, rippling growl of anger and inquiry. I stared up at Níðhöggr, my blood turning to ice in my veins when he lifted his head, nostrils flaring.

He smells us.

The realization hit me like a ton of rocks, but I did not manage to move before he turned his head and stared straight at us.

The air trembled around him as he drew in breath and opened his maw. In its depths, an inferno swelled.

Thirty-Four

Annabel

“Down!” Modi’s roar was followed by his hand grasping my nape, his power forcing its way into mine in the blink of an eye, our combined magic strengthening what had been nothing more than a cover into a shield.

He landed on top of me, covering half my body with his own. My other half was pressed underneath Bjarni as he also dove on top of me.

The next second fire blazed against us, splitting just above our heads and encircling us around Modi’s and my combined shield. The grass ignited and turned to ash, forming a perfect circle around us.

I felt the fire as a heavy press, its intensity forcing my magic out in order to sustain the shield. I gritted my teeth and clung to my mates for strength, knowing that if I dropped it, we too would be nothing but ash on the ground.

The fire flamed around us in what felt like one long, eternal moment, then disappeared just as abruptly.

I gasped for breath as the pressure lifted off my magical shield, rolling to my back when both my mates sprung to their feet, swords drawn as they stared at the dragon.

“We have to run,” I panted between breaths, scrambling to get up as well. “I can’t hold off many more of that kind of attack. Not even with your help.”

“It will not help,” Modi said, his air coming out in harsh breaths as well. “We will not make it to the portal before he is through our defenses.”

The dragon growled again, making every hair on my body stand on end. With a deep inhale, he sent another breath of fire at us.

“Then what do you suggest? Fuck!” I shouted to be heard over the roar of the flames, hooking my fingers into his and