Page 178 of The Dryad Storm

We double down, sending a roaring ocean of communal fire to her, Yvan’s wings lighting up with threads of violet as they arc toward Ariel and we stream the full force of our Wyvernbonded fire into her.

Yvan tenses, pulling my fire more intensely into his then sending it out to Ariel, a shiver racing through me as our power melds and gives a potent flare, our bond amplifying our fused power as we all send the flaming support to Ariel.

For an excruciating moment, Ariel stills, crouched on the ground, head down, wings out, breathing hard. Nilantyr berries gripped in her fists.

But then, she drops every last shred of resistance and pulls on the horde’s full fire.

Both Yvan and I draw in shocked breaths as the full strength of our horde’s alliance blazes into her. Singes into her. Sends a world-melting level of fire straight into her core.

Ariel’s hands heat to gold, the berries clutched in them exploding into flame and falling away. She lets out a roaring scream, thrusts out her hands and blasts fire from both palms, incinerating the nilantyr around her before she whips around to hurl a bolt of fire at the multi-eyed raven, consuming the beast in a bright inferno.

A stifled cry of emotion bursts against my throat as Ariel rises, surrounded by fire. She snaps her wings out, lines of fire flashing to life all over their expanse, horns rising from her scalp, claws forming on her hands.

Claws made of golden fire.

She lifts her eyes and meets the gaze of every member of the horde. Her eyes luminescent. Defiant. As she lets out a sky-ripping growl.

Our entire horde growls back, power rising in the air and prickling my skin. Power coming from both Ariel and our entire horde, our joint fire fusing tighter, my Wyvernbond to Yvan suddenly shot through with so much flame when his hand finds mine, I can barely keep from leaping toward him.

And then Ariel steps forward, away from the burning carpet of berries, flaps her wings powerfully down, and launches herself into the sky.

Joy explodes through the entire horde as Wyverns take to the sky with Ariel, Oaklyyn leaping astride Raz’zor’s back.

Leaving only Yvan and me in the clearing.

Tears streak down my face. Tears of pure joy, even in the midst of the Shadow bearing down, as I’m swept up in the certainty thatthisis how Vogel and the Shadow can truly be beaten.

By all of us standing together as one.

I turn to Yvan, his fire whipped up by the same wild, euphoric heat as mine, his eyes to the sky, watching our horde soar through it. My heart clenches as I remember, so many months ago, when Yvan and I left the Amaz lands after rescuing Ariel and Pyrgo, both of us certain Ariel would soon be dead. I remember how Yvan broke down in the Forest, choking out his misery for her, his glamoured wings in hiding, even from me.

To keep me safe from his dangerous destiny.

My aching love for him grips tighter hold—love for his courage and willingness to sacrifice for others, love for his fiery compassion and piercing intellect.

Love foreverythinghe is.

Yvan’s magic sizzles toward me even as his eyes remain fixed on our horde in the sky, the fire flashing through our bond intensifying. He turns to me, and our gazes don’t so much meet as ignite, a sudden, blazing purpose in his flaming eyes, everything surrounding us burning away to a blur, my power zeroed just as completely on him.

All hesitation collapsing, we lay claim to each other, his hot hand taking hold of mine, his jaw set ruthlessly tight as he leads me into the dark of the woods at a fast, purposeful clip, the whole of Nature seeming to thrum inside us with the very fire that fuels the whole of Life.

Yvan embraces me in a blur, his hot mouth coming to mine as I grasp demanding hold of him, my back hitting the tree behind me as my fire lurches toward him in an urgentyes.

I open my mouth to his kiss, his tongue wrapping sinuously around mine as I grip hold of one of his horns and pull, forcing his kiss deeper. Yvan lets out a low groan as I throw my leg around him and tug his body hungrily closer, pivoting myself emphatically against his hard desire.

Violet light blasts into being, flashing through my closed lids.

I open my eyes to find fire licking at Yvan’s shoulders, a sudden alarm flashing from the surrounding trees.

Yvan draws back a fraction, seeming dazed.

A lust-addled surprise overtakes me as my gaze slides over his flame-coated chest before I meet his gaze once more, finding none of his usual Keltish reticence there, only a burning Lasair-Wyvern love and lust that sends heat flashing through my lines.

As the alarm pouring off the trees intensifies.

Breathing hard, Yvan closes his eyes tight, angles his head down, and manages to pull the fire into himself and away from the Forest, the trees’ palpable surge of relief shivering through the air.

Yvan is quiet for a moment, his hands now on either side of me, palms pressed to bark.

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