Page 62 of Tempest Rising

“It doesn’t matter,” Theron snapped, his sharp tone jolting everyone back to focus. “Whittaker, keep moving. We’re not done yet.”

I swallowed hard, my legs trembling as I pushed the shield farther. The strain was immense, like holding up a weight far beyond my capacity, but I couldn’t stop now. Around us, the fire seemed to hesitate, its relentless advance finally slowing. I let the shield go, taking a deep breath. For the first time, it felt like we had a chance.

Just then, a pulse of magic rippled through the air, faint but undeniable. It was like an icy shiver crawling up my spine, setting every nerve on edge.

“Do you feel that?”Thalon’s voice was urgent.“Something is coming.”

The ground beneath us trembled, a low, menacing growl that seemed to rise from the earth itself. Then, with a deafening roar, the fire surged outward, and something massive emerged from the inferno.

At first, I thought it was another burst of flames, but then I saw it—the creature. Its body glowed like molten rock, cracks of searing light running along its sinuous form. Its eyes burned with an unnatural, malevolent intelligence, and every movement left a trail of fire and destruction in its wake.

“A salamander,” Mason murmured, his voice low and grim.

The creature was a living embodiment of fire and fury, its serpentine form radiating heat so intense the air shimmered around it. It moved with terrifying grace, every lash of its tail sending sparks and embers flying. Around us, applicants scattered, their shouts of panic swallowed by the roar of the flames.

And then, its burning eyes locked on me.

Chapter 25

Tess

The salamander moved like living fire, its molten body slithering across the scorched earth with terrifying ease. The heat it radiated was suffocating, pressing against my skin like an open furnace. My breath hitched. My limbs froze.

It locked eyes with me, and in that instant, I knew—I was prey.

A deep, primal fear coiled around my ribs, squeezing tight. Every logical part of me screamed to move, to run, to let someone stronger handle this. I wasn’t a warrior. I wasn’t even arealDragon Rider yet. I was just a librarian who had stumbled into something far bigger than herself.

I don’t belong here.

The creature surged forward.

A blur of movement—then Mason was there, shoving me aside. We hit the ground hard, his massive body shielding mine as a wave of fire exploded where I had stood. The air crackled, the heat pressing in, stealing the breath from my lungs.

“Tess!” His voice was rough, urgent. “Get up!”

I gasped, forcing air into my burning throat as I scrambled to my feet. The salamander reared back, its molten eyes narrowing. It washuntingme specifically.

Why?

A sick realization twisted in my gut.Because I used magic.The Golden Shield. It must sense the magic inside me, the same way a predator senses weakness.

“You must act, little one.”Thalon’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, steady and unshakable.

“I—I can’t,” I stammered, my hands trembling. My pulse thundered in my ears. My heart was a hammer, pounding against my ribs, demanding I flee.

“You can.”His tone did not waver.“But you must choose to.”

The salamander lunged again.

A powerful gust of wind slammed into it, forcing it back. Kane stood rigid, his violet-blue eyes sharp with expectation. “Tess,move!”

The world felt distant, like I was watching from behind a thick sheet of glass. My body refused to cooperate. Fear was a living beast inside me, wrapping its claws around my ribs, whispering all the ways I could fail—

Mason’s hand closed around my wrist, grounding me. His grip was steady, unshakable. “You’re not alone,” he murmured, his voice low and certain. “We’ve got you.”

Not alone.

The words pierced through the fog of fear, settling deep in my chest. I had Thalon. I had Mason. Kane. The others.

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