Page 41 of Of Nine So Bold

Tucking my beloved safely to my chest, I let my blaze roar out, breathing fire down upon the forest as if it was the dragon I’d defeated days ago. That scaly beast was still out there, wounded but not dead, and different now that the Voidborn had abandoned its body. If the dragon returned to threaten us, I would burn it again. But it wasn’t my concern now.

This corrupt forest hurt my mate.

Time for it to die.

My fire slammed down upon the trees like a hammer. Tearing through the branches, it consumed everything in its path. But before the blaze could reach the people below, the flames split like they were the waters of a river and they’d collided with a boulder.

Because Lars’s magic was there to control them.

At his motion, they raced off to either side, splitting again and again, turning into dozens of burning streams. Twisting in the air with his magic, the blaze arced around the humans, the giants, even the vampire and his dog, only to lash the trees again.

I grinned.

Because in the face of that onslaught, the forestscreamed.

Branches thrashed. Trees split. Apples whipped through the air as if shot from a sling, splattering the earth and horses and humans alike.

“Get down!” Dex shouted.

Valeria and the few remaining non-possessed humans hit the dirt. The giants did the same, even Lars ducking as low as he could while sending my fire at the trees. Shifting back to his human-like shape, the vampire pressed himself to the earth while his annoying dog covered him like a protective cloud of smoke.

But all the while, the dog’s glowing green eyes stayed trained on me, an intense sort ofknowingin his gaze.

Why is he watching us like that?the broken oneasked, watching the mongrel.

Like I cared.

Ignoring them both, I kept my flames going as the irritating-but-useful blond giant sent fire across every fissure and tree root. Nothing would remain after this. Nothing would threaten my mate again.

Except suddenly, the possessed humans stood up.

And charged.

Dex was on his feet immediately, his sword cutting a man down when he flung himself at Lars. Ozias’s axe took another, sending the attacker flying backward into the burning trees.

An inarticulate cry of anguish and fury left Lars. But before I could order him to get on with it, he did what was required anyway.

Fire struck the possessed humans. One by one, the humans fell, howling, never to threaten my treluria or those she cared about again.

Good.

I smiled as the forest burned. Its disgusting branches became ash and charcoal, crumbling into the flame-blasted dirt. Itstwisted trunks cracked and fell into the fissures, where nothing tried to emerge again. At the center of my blaze, Lars remained standing, his arms outstretched, diverting threads of fire after any leaf, twig, or glob of decaying apple that dared to fling itself his way.

And soon, charred landscape and the blackened bones of the dead were all that remained.

Carefully holding my treluria close, I descended, the beating of my wings sending swirls of smoke and ash spiraling in the air. Around me, the giants and remaining humans climbed to their feet, staring in shock.

And horror.

“They killed them!” a young man among the humans cried. “They killed all of them! They didn’t even try to?—”

Valeria caught him across the chest as he tried to lunge at Lars.

I growled. That twin may irritate me, but he had still been useful. Yet this pathetic boy complained when we just saved his life?

“They didn’t have a choice, Nerak.” Valeria held him fast when he fought to push past her again. “There was nothing to be done.”

The boy’s face screwed up, and he made a choked sound that was on the verge of becoming a sob. “They didn’t eventry…”

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