Page 207 of Cast in Conflict

No, it would do worse.

Bellusdeo knew it as well—better than Kaylin, in the end. This was her war, a continuation of the conflict that had destroyed her adoptive world and had enslaved her Ascendant. There was probably nothing new Kaylin could tell her about the consequences. Bellusdeo didn’t shift her grip; Kaylin couldn’t climb the Dragon’s claw or leg to reach her back.

But she could reach out and grip those claws; she’d healed Bellusdeo before. Bellusdeo stiffened as she began to focus on the injuries the gold Dragon had taken; to her surprise, they were both minor and physical.

The only disadvantage to the healing attempt was that Bellusdeo could talk to her while also ejecting a lot of fire.

What are you doing? Are you suicidal? Tell your familiar to get you out of here right now!

I can’t—no one could hear me over this ruckus.

I’ll drop you.

You can drop me after I make sure—What the hells was she doing? You need to avoid the outcaste’s fire—some of it, some shadow part, is winding its way up your fire.

Bellusdeo fell silent, assessing the warning. Because she was Bellusdeo, she didn’t ignore or dismiss it; her expertise in her own failed war had taught her that Shadow was flexible, devious, the attacks evolving with time. And she had never fought the outcaste like this before. He pressed the attack.

Severn spoke, his voice overlapping Nightshade’s. You’ll need to get her out of there. Emmerian is going to attack the flank, according to Terrano. Nightshade and Teela are going to combine their lightning attacking from the same side. Get Bellusdeo down while the outcaste isn’t breathing fire.

When?

Terrano gives you a three count. He also says there are people near the Tower that need your help.

I don’t think that’s going to work, she told him, internal voice more urgent. I think if the fire collapses—on her part—she’s going to get hit with Shadow.

Your job is to make sure that it doesn’t overtake her.

She had no more time to argue. Emmerian swooped in front the outcaste’s right and as he did, the sky changed color as lightning leaped from the ground. She couldn’t see Nightshade or Teela, because she wasn’t looking—but she could follow the lightning as it split the sky. Both bolts hit the outcaste as Emmerian did, claws extended, jaws wide.

She almost screamed at him not to bite, but she wouldn’t have been heard anyway. She didn’t have to tell Bellusdeo what the plan was; Bellusdeo had ceased the exhalation, ducked her head, and changed the placement of wings so that she plummeted instantly out of the range of the outcaste’s breath.

Out of the range of fire, but not of danger. The outcaste’s fire stopped seconds after the joint attack; the threads and filaments continued to travel, without the resistance of natural Dragon fire to keep them in place. They sped toward Bellusdeo.

“Hope!” Kaylin shouted. “Breathe!”

The familiar didn’t move. Kaylin cursed—cursed loudly—as the filaments sped through sky. Her hands gripped Bellusdeo’s feet as her stomach reasserted its natural position; she braced herself for the Shadow impact.

It didn’t happen.

A silver form, as large as Bellusdeo’s, flew between the Dragon and the Shadow tendrils. The outcaste roared in fury, undercurrents of pain shifting the texture of the roar.

Kaylin was frozen as she watched the slender threads strike Emmerian. “Emmerian!”

Terrano says there’s going to be trouble.

No kidding. “Bellusdeo—take me to Emmerian right now!”

The gold Dragon hesitated, eyes too red, a few yards above the ground. Kaylin was extremely surprised to see Teela leap—from either ground or rooftop—toward the outcaste, great sword in hand. The outcaste turned toward her, jaws open; they snapped on air and steel.

Teela held the sword, dangling from it without apparent concern; the outcaste didn’t release the blade until Nightshade joined her in the air. There were no wings; neither of the two appeared to be capable of actual flight—but the arc of the leap from ground to air could be seen as Meliannos carried Nightshade to just above the outcaste’s closed jaws.

Kaylin!

The outcaste roared; Teela fell. She didn’t hit the ground.

Kaylin, however, found her vantage shifting as Bellusdeo dragged her over to Emmerian and dropped her on his back. The gold Dragon spoke in her native tongue, but there was no sign Emmerian had actually heard what Kaylin was certain was a command.

Mandoran caught her, stabilizing her landing; she turned and shouted to Bellusdeo, “You have to retreat—he’s done here, he knows it!”

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