The Eldrians flew in a solid line, seven abreast, as they streaked toward the castle wall.
Lorelai focused on the scales she held, letting her magic surround them, calling upon the strength and fury of their hearts. Guards, who were pacing the perimeter of the wall, drew their swords and called a warning as the dragons hurtled toward them. Lorelai waited until seconds before they crossed the wall and then yelled, “Tvor`grada! May the strength of each dragon’s heart and the power in my blood be a shield for them so long as they need it.”
Her magic burst from her palms and into the air, a shimmering net that encircled each dragon and sank into their scales, a barrier Lorelai desperately hoped Irina couldn’t penetrate with ordinary spells. The princess had already warned the Eldrians not to test the shield by going after Kol. She wasn’t certain her barrier could keep out a spell already enacted against the Draconi in the past, and she wasn’t willing to lose one of Kol’s friends to find out.
They flew over the wall, and a hedge of thorny bushes shot into the air, the thorns curling like claws, the branches reaching for the dragons as if the bushes had eyes. The dragons shifted course, flying vertically up the side of the hedge, trying to get to the top without being snagged by one of the grasping branches.
Jyn flew too close, and a whiplike branch full of thorns slammed into her. The force of the blow knocked her briefly off course, but Lorelai’s shield held, and she remained unscathed.
Lorelai’s relief that the hedge couldn’t harm the dragons was short-lived as she realized what was happening.
“It’s closing us out!” she shouted to Mik. The dragon flew faster, straight up into the air, while Lorelai clung desperately to her back. But no matter how fast Mik flew, the hedge was faster. It rose into the sky like it was trying to catch the sun, and Lorelai knew they’d never catch it. Never crest the top and dive into the castle grounds on the other side.
She needed another plan.
“Stop trying to catch it. Hover and face it instead.”
Mik whirled into a sharp turn that had Lorelai’s stomach pushing against her chest, and then they were facing the hedge head-on as it continued to rise above them. The other Eldrians followed Mik’s lead.
Lorelai pushed her magic into the scales she held and yelled, “Give me fire!”
Heat ignited in Mik’s chest. All along the line of dragons, smoke poured from their mouths as the fires in their chests roared to life.
“Now!”
As fire exploded from the dragon’s mouths, Lorelai raised her hands. “Zhech`pusk! May the fire destroy any magic it touches.”
Brilliant white magic shot through the fire, turning it into a blazing yellow-white ball easily twice the size of Trugg. Lorelai swept her hands forward and the fireball struck the hedge.
For a moment, nothing burned. The magic that had sent the hedge toward the sky held it steady.
But that was magic created out of bitterness and greed from a heart that knew only how to conquer instead of how to love.
Plus, Lorelai’s heart wasn’t alone in this fight. She had seven Draconi warriors willing to die for the cause as well. Leaning down, she whispered to the scales, to their dragon hearts, that she needed strength. Purpose. Courage to push past the hedge’s magic and into the other side.
The dragons roared, and Lorelai felt their will, their resolve, slam into the magic that held the hedge.
The fireball ate through the branches, sending flaming bits of leaves and thorns raining on the ground far below. The magic in the hedge fought back, creating more branches, more thorns, but the Eldrians would not be swayed.
Lorelai would not be swayed.
The dragons pushed into the hedge, following in the wake of the fire that slowly consumed the barrier. Thorns raked at them, and Lorelai hid her face against Mik’s side to keep from being sliced open. She hadn’t created a shield for herself. She was absolutely certain shielding herself from other magic meant completely cutting off her Irina-tainted connection to Kol, and that was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.
In moments, the fireball exploded out the other side of the hedge and streaked for the ground. The dragons followed immediately behind it.
“Voshtet,” Lorelai said, focusing on the fire. “Rise and fly before your dragon masters and obey their command.”
On the castle grounds below, wolves prowled and trees shook gnarled branches at the sky before slamming them into the ground.
Leaning close to Mik’s ear, Lorelai said, “When you face a threat that your regular dragon strength can’t defeat, tell my fire spell what to do. It’s part of your heart. It will obey you. You’ll be okay.”