Page 63 of Tempest Rising

I wasn’t alone.

I clenched my fists, forcing air into my lungs. “Okay,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. Then, louder: “Okay. Let’s end this.”

The salamander lunged a third time, faster than before, its body a streak of molten fury. I didn’t hesitate.

“Golden Shield!”

The barrier erupted around me just as the creature’s claws slashed forward. Sparks exploded as its molten talons scraped against the shimmering surface, but the shield held.

Mason was already in motion, leaping forward with impossible speed. He slammed his stone-enhanced fist into the salamander’s side, sending a crack spiderwebbing through its molten form. The creature screeched in fury.

Kane took advantage of the opening, summoning a blast of water from the air itself. The liquid hissed and steamed as it struck the salamander, forcing its body to harden and slow.

It was working.

But it wasn’t enough.

The salamander roared, its molten formexpandingas it drew heat from the surrounding flames. It wasfeedingoff the fire.

I braced myself, heart pounding. We needed to stop itnow, before it grew any stronger.

I turned to Thalon, his massive form coiled and ready. Through our bond, I felt his unwavering confidence in me.

“We fight together,”he said simply.

The salamander’s molten body pulsed, swelling with raw heat as it absorbed the flames around us. The inferno bent to its will, growing brighter, hotter—unstoppable.

Unless we stopped it first.

Mason moved first, his massive frame a blur of motion. His gargoyle-enhanced strength met the salamander head-on, his stone-infused fists slamming into its molten hide. The impact sent cracks rippling across its body, but the creature shrieked and retaliated, swiping a clawed limb at him.

I barely had time to react.

"Golden Shield!"

The barrier flared between them just in time, deflecting the salamander’s molten claws before they could rake across Mason’s chest. He grunted in acknowledgment, nodding at me before twisting away to launch another strike.

Kane followed up with a calculated counterattack. He swept his hand through the air, summoning a spiraling wave of water that crashed against the salamander’s side. Steam hissed violently as the creature recoiled, its molten form hardening in places where the water struck.

But it wasn’t enough.

The salamander let out a piercing shriek, cracks splitting open across its body—only for fresh, glowing magma to seep through the fractures, reforming its molten flesh in mere seconds.

I clenched my teeth.Damn it. It’s adapting too fast.

Thalon’s voice resonated through our bond, steady and unwavering.

"Then we must strike with finality, little one."

A surge of warmth spread through me, coiling in my chest like a steady flame. It wasn’t burning—it wasbeckoning. Thalon’s presence pressed against my mind, an invitation rather than a demand.

"You are connected to me,"he said."To my fire. Let it flow through you."

My breath hitched.Purifying Fire.The legendary power that defined Thalon’s existence—the very essence of his divine flame.

Was that even possible?

"Trust in our bond."

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