“Nimir is dead. You have nothing but a corpse inside that bier.” Hunter rasped now as his dawn-bright eyes flashed, his face simmering through more people. But flicking his fingers to additional Crystal Dragons, he had them join the first two.
Redoubling their efforts upon the diamond pillars.
“Why don’t you come and find out?” Layla spoke confidently now as she stared him down, her allies and Bind-mates ready around the sarcophagus. “If there is even a chance Nimir is alive inside this crystal bier, would you take it, Hunter? What would you do to get your beloved back… before I Bind him and make him mine?”
“You cannot!” Hunter snarled back now – truly snarled as he extended his hands to the diamond pillars himself, rumbling them with terrible currents and making a cacophony of crunching sounds as enormous shards broke from the pillars and shattered to the ground. “Nimir is Bound to me; he will never come to your magic, Layla Price!”
“But he died, Hunter.” Layla spoke levelly now as she looked back to her men and their allies, nodding for all the Bind to open their magics now. Lifting her chin and closing her eyes, Layla let herself spiral far out into the etheric state, finding a bright line that would teleport them all – and the sarcophagus – as her next words came out like a dream. “Nimir died and came back to life thousands of years after his death, Hunter. He is Bound to no one now. And so I will take him, and Bind him, and make him mine. Come find us and stop me –if you can.”
“Layla!!!”
As Hunter roared, Layla flooded her entire Bind-power out to the ether. Heaving into the cosmos on a vast wave of Fury’s might, she felt Dusk latch onto the sarcophagus with his crystal power, dragging it into the teleportation with them as Rhennic’s new control of etheric energy latched on to all their allies, bringing them with. As Reginald’s ocean commanded them all into one cohesive force, Adrian seized everyone’s abilities, heaving them deep through Layla’s body – and tearing a massive rift open right beneath their feet. Layla vaguely heard the diamond pillars shatter, Hunter’s forces breaking through just as she and the rest of their allies dropped through the floor and into that rift.
And Hunter’s roar of rage – as her Bind and their allies flooded out into the etheric universe with Nimir’s sarcophagus in tow.
CHAPTER 21 – HUNTER
As Layla portaled through the etheric universe, Hunter was left behind in King DuVir’s underground hall, roaring. Finding the bright line of her intention, she and her Bind-mates and allies flashed through the cosmos, far from his clutches now. But even as they traveled, she felt him surge through the stars after her. Though Hunter was close behind in pursuit through the ether, Layla followed her plan. Picturing Luke in her mind, she hurled her Bind-energy through the universe like a ferocious bite; hoping that her deep connection to Luke would make him receive it. As Layla heaved that bite out, she suddenly felt an answering roar.
And then Luke’s whitenullax-drake was swirling up all around her in the ether like a maelstrom of mist – eager to begin their game of chase once more.
But that wasn’t Layla’s intention this time. As she and the rest of those with her were shrouded in Luke’s swirling mists, Layla suddenly turned to Dusk, sundering his connection to Nimir’s sarcophagus. She felt Dusk’s roar of dismay as he lost Nimir; the sarcophagus falling away through the universe to a place only Layla had been. Next, she severed Rhennic’s lock on their allies, making them drop away also to Quindici DaPonti’s home of the Florence Hotel, far from Hunter’s interests. And as she and the Bind finally came out of the ether on the other side of their portal, emerging as flesh once more, Layla turned with her last thought and hurled their location to Luke. Then they were back in their physical bodies as Luke’s power flashed away.
And Layla was spinning – to face Hunter hurtling through the ether just behind her.
Rising up from a crouch in the ruined palace of Vittria, the place where Layla and her Bind-mates had come through to, Hunter gave a cold smile, his dawn-bright eyes searing in the night beneath the mist-wreathed trees. As a massive rent opened up in the hall behind him, the rest of his Bind-forces poured in beneath the silver canopy and stars, terrible as they surged into the gargantuan hall. Though only two hundred of them were left, Hunter’s Royal Dragon Binds were a daunting force as they fanned out to encircle Layla and her men, whipping their tails and flexing talons.
And as Hunter smiled odiously, staring her down, he addressed her in a voice that was as cold as the night was deep.
“You should know better, Layla.” Hunter spoke with quiet menace now. “I can track your endpoint through the ether, even if you’re blocking me from seeing your transit. You should never have run. You should have fought me inside King DuVir’s hall where your Bound Crystal drake’s powers stood half a chance. Here in Vittria, you are nothing… and your Bind will soon become nothing as I rip you all to shreds.”
“But where is Nimir’s sarcophagus, Hunter?” Layla spread her hands in response, showing Hunter how empty they were. “Where did I sendthatwhile I was in transit – or my allies for that matter?”
Tightening their circle back-to-back in the center of the ruined hall, Layla’s Bind had raised their hands to fight the Dragons now hemming them in; though as Layla flooded patience into her men, they stalled shifting up into their own Dragons. She needed time for Luke to receive her message, and hopefully respond. Praying with everything she had, Layla waited, knowing she had to bait Hunter and stall at the same time to give her plan a chance.
“You will tell me where you put Nimir, Layla.” Hunter spoke softly, menacing as he approached her, though his face was calm. Coming to stand just a few paces before her, he stared her down. “Tell me and I might let one of your drakes live.”
“Can’t you feel through our Bind where I put your beloved?” Layla sassed him now, viciously impudent. “Or am I blocking you too hard?”
“Bitch.” Hunter’s curse was a soft snarl now, his dawn-bright eyes flashing with wrath as his face flickered again through multiple personas. “You’ll tell me now, or I’ll have my Binds rip you and your men limb from limb, bathing in your blood as you die.”
“Needed all your remaining forces to come finish us, didn’t you?” Layla gave him a mean smile now as she gestured, indicating the two hundred massive Dragons surrounding them in the ruined hall. “You actually think there’s a chance you’ll fail. But if you kill me now, you lose Nimir’s location. Plus, I won’t suffer if you kill me right away. And wasn’t making me suffer for not becoming your lady-love your new agenda?”
“You will suffer.” He spoke very softly now as his searing dawn eyes lit with a horrible fire, raising one hand towards her in an unmistakeable gesture. “I promise it, Layla.”
“But not before you do.” Layla growled now to his obvious threat. As her drakaina rose fire-high in her veins, shifting Layla up fast finally, her heart sank. Even as her Bound drakes shifted up also, facing off with Hunter beside her, she knew Luke and her spontaneous plan weren’t coming. As Layla’s Bind-mates gave massive roars and Hunter’s Royal Dragon Binds all around them roared back in a terrible wave of death, Layla knew the game was up.
They were out of time, and no one was coming to help.
Just then, a tearing sound seared the night. All around the ruined hall, Intercessoria Ephilohim suddenly rushed into being through portals in the ether – including Luke already in Dragon form, Heathren with his long silver swords, and Insinio. Surrounding the hall, the Intercessoria flared their massive obsidian-silver wings as one, producing a blinding light all through the ruined fortress as Luke roared. But even as Hunter roared back, all his Binds turning to deal with the sudden appearance of the Ephilohim, he was too late.
With the Ephilohim’s flare, Luke’snullaxshot through the hall – flooding Hunter’s Binds in a seething wrath of mist. The Intercessoria knew Hunter’s location in Vittria from Layla’s trip here a few weeks ago; and it was that knowledge Layla had sent to Luke as she’d portaled, desperately calling him and the Ephilohim here to trap Hunter’s remaining forces. Now, light blazed through the night as Luke’snullaxdevoured Hunter’s last Binds. Even as Hunter screamed, gripping his head like he’d gone insane, his entire body spasming through hundreds of personalities, Layla watched his last Bound Dragon fall. She saw what it cost him to lose them all as Hunter fell to his knees.
Screaming like a mad thing – and flashing through thousands of people in an instant.
Part of Layla thought he was done, as the last of Hunter’s Binds fell all around the ruined fortress. Part of her felt compassion as he writhed on his knees, his head hanging as he braced his hands upon the mossy floor, still morphing through hundreds of personae. She wondered if he was going to live through having the last of his Binds ripped away; but even as she had that thought, his head snapped up, a mad snarl upon his lips. It was the most terrifying thing Layla had ever seen as she stared into his Dragon’s face on his human body and saw no one home any longer. His eyes blazed dawn-gold like a galaxy going supernova.
As he surged to his feet, opening his hand at Luke – and casting hisfinal strike.
