I flick my wrist and twist, and the waters plunge. Giant waves roll up like the famed Elisedd dragons. Curling. Sending the Bron ships dancing back toward the open ocean, like paper boats in a puddle, with only two of them capsizing.
I send in another gust that spins and thrusts them even farther. Just like that.
I’m violently shuddering. And yet, somehow, even with the power coursing through me, erupting beyond me, I’m controlled.
Abruptly, Eogan’s hand is on my neck, and I can feel the calm flow through him, just as I swear I can feel a sudden tension surge up from Faelen. Through her valleys and snow peaks. Through the fields and black earth. Through her people’s blood and sweat and voices, as if carrying up on the wind.
“They’re about to launch,” Eogan says, and at first I’m confused until I realize he’s not talking about the boats. He’s eyeing the hundreds of airships that are now tiny specks hovering over Faelen. Some already creating explosions, while the rest are lining up, taking position.
“They’re going to take it out all at once,” he says quietly.
Suddenly his hand drops to my waist, holding me steady as the courtyard rumbles with an ungodly growl from somewhere behind us. It’s followed by a shout. Eogan’s other hand reaches for his sword as we both spin around to discover Draewulf crouched fifteen yards away. His teeth are curled around Rolf’s shoulder while black wisps zip and flit around the beast’s feet.
He’s watching me.
His eyes are saying he’s returned to finish what we started.
The next instant, he flings the captain aside and is on all fours, foaming and snarling, then bolts in our direction.
The weather ripples, and immediately the rainbow mist from the valley slides along my skin, coalescing into place. The crystalline armor. It is diamond and light and a string of thread on a knife’s edge as I stretch out my hand.
“Make him fear who you’ll become.”
I flex it and slam two ice picks through his arm.
Draewulf yelps but keeps coming until, at the last second, he veers off and launches sideways. For Eogan’s throat.
Only to be met by Eogan’s sword.
The wolf swipes at him with his huge foot while attacking with his teeth. Eogan ducks, flips around, and is shoved against the wall. He nearly goes over it except for my next ice pick ripping through the monster’s shoulder. It throws him back.
Draewulf swerves his dust-gray eyes at me and snarls.
The lightning ripples. Sharpens.
I don’t even blink before igniting the ground beneath him in flames.
He lurches aside and shoves a black haze writhing through the air at me.
It fogs my vision as it presses in, choking, blinding me. My hand goes up with a lick of fire to dissolve it.
When it clears, fifty more wisps like it are surrounding Draewulf. Who is leaning over Eogan.
A crack of thunder brings hot liquid fire down on the monster’s back, forcing him backward even as the dark wisps protect him and absorb it.
I hear a moan and my gaze darts to Eogan. His face winces.
“Eogan!” I’ve crossed the distance between us in three steps as his shoulders slump, tremble, then straighten to reveal three claw marks that have torn across the front of his chest. Not fatal, but enough to stun, as the sick realization dawns: Eogan’s block doesn’t fully work against Draewulf.
“The airships,” he murmurs. “Nym, you have to take them now or there’ll be nothing left.”
I nod, but before I can do anything, Draewulf lunges.
I reach out and touch Eogan, pushing my shield to slide over his skin just as the monster’s claws come down on him.
They slip off and then grab for me, but the liquid armor stays in place over both of us.
The beast doesn’t move away. He stands inches from my face and narrows his gray eyes at me. He twitches his finger, drawing up more threads of black around him. Around us. Until they’re nearly covering the atmosphere overhead.
He bends forward and opens his mouth in a hideous, toothy grin.
And waits.
Suddenly, the rain ceases and the sky falls dim.
The winds stop. The lightning stops.
The world goes silent.
Except for that blasted droning and sickening explosions from the airships.
I look at Eogan in horror. My ability—I feel it withdrawing from the elements to protect him. As if unable to fuel two things at once.
Whatever dark magic Draewulf has, it’s powerful enough to interfere with the Elemental energy.
I can’t use it for Faelen while it’s touching Eogan.
Eogan’s fingers slip over my arm just as the beast’s lips snarl up into a smile. “You can’t save them both, girl. It’s Faelen or your trainer. Your choice.”
I swear I can feel the airships picking up speed without wind to block them.
The blackness grows thicker.
My shield wavers.
“Nym.”
I’m just calculating how to release it fast enough to follow with a strike at Draewulf when I catch Eogan’s movement. He’s slipping a blade from his boot.