Page 199 of The Demon Tide

Yvan is forced backward, dodging branches as the column’s pinnacle slams into my dragon, the impact forcing my breath from my lungs as I’m pushed skyward and the great Shadow tree takes form. Its branches crash into Trystan’s stormwall, an explosion of blue lightning detonating as the wall collapses in a mist-cloudingboom, my Shadow tree’s branches multiplying and thickening to form a new dome encasing the whole of Noilaan.

The skies split with shrieks as another wave of dragons pours from the Vo Mountains, the Shadow dragons massed above the river surging forward toward Voloi, the city once more heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Vogel forces me to flick my wand toward Yvan, my emotions rioting as my tree’s Shadow branches blast out to bind him. Panic curls under my ribs as Vogel drags him forward until he’s suspended before me, his arms and wings forced outward, hands bound into tight fists, his eyes a furious blaze as they meet mine.

A more devastating horror carves through me as I realize what Vogel has done. Yvan can’t cast fire and free himself with his hands fisted so tightly.

The Prophecy has come.

Vogel’s triumph surges through me with heart-shattering force as explosions break out over Voloi, Vogel’s hatred for Yvan’s wings reaching a fever pitch as the sadistic words are forced from my mouth.

“I rip these wings from your body, Foul Beast, in the name of the Ancient One on High!”

A strangled scream rips through me as my Shadow branches punch through Yvan’s wings. His eyes blow wide-open and he arches his back in agony, my heart torn from me by the sight. I lose all emotional control, a shattering rage blasting white against my vision.

LET HIM GO!I rail against Vogel, violently straining against his hold.I’ll KILL you!

His will clamps down on mine, his writhing Shadow enlarging within me as he forces me to read his full horrific intent. He’s going to force me to rip Yvan’s wings off. He’s going to compel me to impale hundreds upon hundreds of Noi’khin with Shadow branches. And he’s going to let the silver-fire moons fall and scorch through the entirety of Voloi, turning it into a fiery terror for everyone trapped there as he renders it to ash.

Then he’s going to unleash the much larger nightmare army he’s assembled in the Vo Mountains and send it out over the entire East and Central Desert, taking the rest of Erthia for the Magedom.

An annihilating panic tears through my core. I strain against Vogel’s hold, struggling to regain control of my wand hand, desperate to turn the wand on myself and strike myself off the face of Erthia before I can commit mass murder.

Before I can kill everyone and everything that I love.

Vogel’s will clamps down tighter around my consciousness, his hold on me intensifying. I meet Yvan’s agonized stare, his image blurring as I slip toward the Shadow abyss and Vogel’s will begins to crush my mind, my focus beginning to waveringly collapse.

Yvan narrows his gaze at me with dangerous intensity, his molten heat igniting on the air. His muscles tighten, wrists and body straining against his branch bonds with such force blood starts to flow from the wounds.

And then his blood catches fire, igniting the branches restraining his hands.

Without warning, he blasts fire through his bonds and leaps toward me, breaking free, the branches tearing through his wings in a spray of fiery blood. Fast as a lightning strike, he extends dark claws and slashes through the shadow vines binding me to the dragon, drags me off its back and onto the Shadow tree’s pinnacle, wrests my wand from my hand and impales the corrupted beast through the neck with it. The dragon growls and Yvan punches it clear off the tree trunk’s apex.

Shock rips through me as Yvan throws one arm up and blasts his shielding fire-orb back to life around us, then pulls me against him and brings his lips to mine.

I gasp against his hot mouth, sparks striking to a burn, fast and bright, as Yvan’s power floods into me and flexeshardagainst Vogel’s. Yvan’s body shudders against mine as Vogel blasts his horde’s full might against Yvan’s shield, rage spitting through Vogel’s power as he growls a vicious cry of alarm through my mind and is burned back.

My own will snaps back into being, Yvan’s mouth pure heat on mine. Wyvernfire roars though me, blazing against Vogel’s hold, my blood turning to wildfire as Yvan kisses me so intensely, I feel as if my very bones will meld into his fierce embrace.

Seeming emboldened, Yvan tightens his hold and sends his fire into me with renewed vigor. My own power surges as my heart takes on a frenzied beat, scalding heat racing through my wrists’ Sealing lines.

A vision of Lukas lights in my mind, overlayed across the scene before me, his muscular form bound against dark stone, his Sealing lines lit up gold. Lukas’s eyes fly open and shock sears through me.

They’re no longer gray, butgreen.

Golden Wyvernfire lights the edges of Lukas’s irises as our Sealing bond burns hot against my wrists and the Shadow net pinning him to the wall sparks gold. I can sense Yvan’s slash of surprise and his sudden awareness of Lukas as he draws back, arm quivering as he holds his shield in place.

A molten look passes between us. One look that conveys everything better than any words ever could—our complete and utter surrender to the greater good, the three of us aligning in one unified force.

Yvan’s mouth claims mine once more, forcing a stream of power into me that drives Vogel’s hold on me back a fraction further. I gasp against his lips, my limbs suddenly under my own control, ferocity rising as I grasp tight hold of Yvan, fisting his hair, drawing both his fire and mine through me with staggering force, straight through the Sealing bond and out toward Lukas. I can feel Yvan’s shock over my newly regained volition through the leaping flash of his fire. He draws me closer and we fully join our fires, blasting our combined power into my Sealing lines.

Into Lukas.

Lukas’s Shadow netting catches fire. Wasting no time, he bursts through it and explodes into action, punching down his guard before kicking him viciously in the face and grabbing his wand. Countless soldiers start toward him, wands raised, Vogel striding in amongst them, his eyes spitting silver fire as he raises his Shadow Wand.

Lukas’s form is bright in my mind as he lifts his wand and blasts a fire-shield over himself while Yvan and I flood fire power into us all.

Magic slams into both Yvan’s shield and Lukas’s, pummeling against them in silvery flashes. Lukas closes his eyes, pulls in a deep breath, and draws both Yvan’s Wyvernfire and my Black Witch–fire into his lines while Shadow power rages and batters against Yvan’s fire-dome and Lukas’s shield. A stream of fear enters my heart as I realize that both shields are about to give way.

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