Galeran be shouting, and Finn gestured to a group of mercenaries, who slid off their snorting Trantils and yanked something free from behind their saddles. I be so lost in my personal battle with Finn, and defeated by the loss of my horn, that I hadn’t been using my own powers of observation. But I knew what they be.
Anna, I sent, frantic.Galeran has the parasites with him.
Roger that,she said, and I sensed her withdraw to pass it on. Seconds later, a scarlet and gold Dragon blasted by between us and the Dragons overhead. She be closely followed by a distinctive, huge turquoise form. A flurry of darts shot in their wake, but I didn’t think any penetrated.
The parasites in those darts effectively stymied the assault from overhead. Finn spun me around as he shouted to his mercs, and they formed two lines, back to back, their guns aimed at the sky.
Then the battle between the Bellatis reached us, and the world dissolved into chaos. We be surrounded by surging bodies and flashing spiral swords. Finn spun me in circles, lashing out with his power, sending red-tinged fireballs into the plunging maelstrom of bodies. Everything they hit, be sent flying. The Torshin might not have the finesse of his father or brother, but there be no doubt he had power.
I did my best to throw him off, plunging and dodging at unexpected times, but he sent pulses of raw power through the headstall until I be on the verge of passing out. Soon it be all I could do to keep my feet beneath me.
Finn’s power kept the fighting away from us, but I caught glimpses of the bloody battle. The Dragons had given up their beast forms and had landed to wade in as humans, swinging their massive tail spikes. The mercs couldn’t shoot the darts effectively into the fighting, and as the Dragons bore down on them, Galeran called the Dires to their defense.
But Dires couldn’t hold long against Dragons, even if they be in human form. Only the Bellatis could challenge them, but they be otherwise occupied. Galeran considered the Dires expendable, while keeping a group of Bellatis close for protection. But I knew he be desperate to escape. His army be not set up for a prolonged battle.
Then the night sky lit up with red fire, and someone screamed.
It be a female sound, and I reared, trying to see over the fighting toward the gate. Finn savagely cranked my head around, but I saw that two Watchers be down.
Isobel sat astride her Bellati, her hands raised and hair afloat in a crimson glow as she faced the gateway. Arranged around her be the coven, feeding her lines of the bloodpower.
The gate fluoresced from green, back to red. Isobel blasted the group of Watchers again, and three more went down.
My heart constricted. The Watchers be healers, they be not equipped to be warriors. Isobel’s evil power cut through them like a scythe, carving a path for Galeran’s group to the gate.
They passed beneath the archway. And vanished.
No.
As Finn lashed me toward it, something dropped from above, hitting the ground between us and the gate. A human figure with indigo Dragon wings.
Talakai.
The Dragon raised his sword. She’d sent him. I be sure of it. A mixture of rage and panic swept through me as I reached for Anna.Tell Talakai to stand down!
Her denial be automatic.He’s there to save you.
I have to go with Galeran, or he will get away. Again. We may not get another chance to find him.
Finn sent the icefire whip lashing across the Dragon’s forearms. He grunted, and his eyes lit with blue fire.
Sebastian—the pain in Anna’s mindvoice almost gutted me. She didn’t understand that it could never be. She needed to let me go.
Telling her that would only ensure that she not do so.I have to finish this,I said, desperate. I am the only one who can.
More of Galeran’s army escaped through the gate, and Isobel held it open while continuing to blast the Watchers. They didn’t stand a chance against her energy.
Just as Finn pulled back his whip and readied a fireball, Talakai uttered a loud hiss and launched himself into the sky.
Come back to me, Sebastian.Anna’s anguish lanced through my mind.Don’t make me regret this.
I couldn’t reply. Couldn’t tell her that we would never be together. But I hadn’t entirely lied—this be something only I could do. I cut her off as Finn lashed me forward. I went as though fighting him, dragging my feet and forcing him to hit me, again and again. But then we be at the gate, and through.
The moment we did so, Isobel came too, with the Bellatis carrying the coven on their heels. And then the Liberi who still dared to call herself a Watcher spun and raised her hands—
Sucking power from her coven, she yanked the life from those still struggling to get through. I saw them drop, their eyes wide open. Not something a Bellati could do without touching, but Isobel regathered what she’d taken, and sent a blast of crackling red energy whistling through the gate. It spread out like a wave, wiping out cohorts still standing, along with anyone near them.
Then with a flourish, she sealed the gate behind her.
