Page 91 of Gift from the Stone

I was just getting ready to open my eyes and make a comment about Draken bitching about being hungry when my blissful moment shatters as my body stiffens and my sight glosses over.

Unlike my other visions where I’ve seen things that are to come in the coming weeks, this one starts out showing the exact scene that’s happening currently.

Our group is sitting in the stands laughing, cutting up before it begins to fast forward a few moments in time. As the last of the crowd makes their way out of the arena, Lyker and his Nexus are still standing in the center, celebrating amongst themselves, when a blazing fireball sears the side of one of Lyker’s brothers’ face. The rest of them don’t even have time to react to him as shifters and humans alike descend on them.

That one hit to his brother will cost them all their lives…

I stay trapped in the vision as I watch the multiple paths play across my mind, showing me alternatives to every different action taken.

Then it rewinds, the fireball fizzles out, never hitting Kian, Lyker’s brother, and then they all fall into fighting positions as the shifted and non-shifted flood through the gate and transport into the center.

Lyker’s shoulder to shoulder with his Nexus brothers, brutally fighting off the attacks. They deliver savage blows, casting their elements out every which way possible. Lyker’s holding nothing back as he swipes partially shifted claws across throats, driving them into the fur coats of beasts, and sends bodies flying left and right as more and more try to pile on top of them.

I’m thrown out of the vision so quickly, I have to hold in the choking gasp trying to escape me. Fuck me, I was wrong, so wrong. The future hasn’t changed. It just hasn’t happened yet. I just saw the moment that the attack begins and possibly meets with the vision I’ve already seen.

Forcing my body to relax, tears are beginning to build in my eyes, and I bite my tongue to force my mind on something other than crying. I have to interfere before Lyker’s brother gets hit or all this will be for nothing.

Fuck.

I keep my eyes locked on the thinning crowd, mentally counting the moments. My heartbeat is drowning out the surrounding sound, a war drum pounding in my chest, preparing for the battle about to start.

“Come on, little wanderer, I’m really starving now and we’re going to be the last to join the party.” Draken’s bright smile and outstretched hand are like a knife through my chest. I desperately want to tell him we won’t be getting lunch anytime soon.

“Let’s just stay a few more minutes. The feast isn’t going anywhere while the new alpha is still out here.” I try to keep my voice level, but a slight tremor slinks through, and all my guys turn their heads toward me, but I don’t dare look at any of them. My eyes stay trained on the last of the pack members leaving the arena.

Three…

“Is everything okay, Willow?” Corentin asks, concern lacing his tone, but still, I ignore him.

Two…

“Primary,” Caspian urges.

One…

“Watch out!” I scream as I propel myself out of my seat.

Launching myself over the railing and right onto the center with a current of my air, my feet take off the moment I hit the ground. Lyker’s entire Nexus turns to look at me rather than pay attention to the fireball flying toward them.

Commanding the air, I suck the oxygen out of the fire just in time as they all turn back to see what I’m racing toward. I hear the pounding of feet closing in behind me and I know my Nexus and our entire group followed me over the edge.

A flood of shifters and non-shifters pile into the center, elements ready to be cast out the moment they enter with us. Turning my head over my shoulder, I stop in my tracks as my group catches up with me, my Nexus immediately surrounding me.

“No matter what, Lyker Quinn does not die. I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell any of you this, but it’s time to fight.” I pant, catching my breath, looking at all of them with an apology in my eyes.

“We got you, little wanderer,” Draken immediately agrees, shifting his hands into claws, coating his skin in scales, and jumping into the fray with a bloodthirsty smirk.

“Palace team,” Tillman bellows before giving my forehead a kiss and runs behind Draken, diving headfirst into the chaos.

With no time left to waste, Caspian and Corentin take a side each, sandwiching me between them as we run behind the others. Following Draken’s lead, I call my dragon forth, letting my nails elongate into claws and my skin shimmers silver.

My heart jumps into my throat as three wolves ambush us as we try to force our way to the middle of the brawl to get closer to Lyker and his guys. All of Tillman’s training and my own from my Memoria stone flee my mind as I freeze for a millisecond as the wolf heading straight for me leaps in the air, jaws open, ready to take my ass down.

Luckily, my dragon’s instincts flood me, knocking me out of my stupor, and with a savage growl, I duck under them, running the length of my sharp claws from the base of their throat, down the underside of their belly, flaying them open.

I know the wolf isn’t getting up from a wound like that, and I shove the feelings of guilt over the fact that I just took another life way down. It’s kill or be killed right now, and I’m not going to be the one to die today.

Searching for my men as I continue to hit whoever comes close to me with either an element or my claws, I spot Caspian wrapping some sort of big cat in a dim shadow. The sun’s rays are blocking out most of the darkness, but there are enough bodies casting shadows that he’s able to manipulate those.

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