Page 124 of Shadow's Heart

He was the Møriør’s most potent member after their leader, Orion the Undoing. In his dragon form, Uthyr could create portals across realms or burn the world with a fiery breath. He could even time-travel. As a primordial, he had scales said to repel all weapons.

Uthyr was here in this random place solely to enjoy tonight’s showing ofGodzilla.The first big battle of the movie loomed, and his heart accelerated with gleeful anticipation.

Alas, dragon shifters didn’t belong at mortal drive-ins. His vast arsenal of powers was undercut by a weakness: hubris. Tonight it might be his downfall.

When Nïx’s allies turned in that direction, she surveyed the assembled females. The witches would fight to the death for Nïx. The Valkyries as well. The Furies had awakened from their nests for this battle, driven to stamp out evil. They’d deemed Uthyr evil.Bummer for Uthyr.The Sorceri . . . ?

Well, they were here.

Portia said, “Are you sure about attacking him in front of mortals?” The parking lot was filled with them, their trucks lined up for the show. “They’ll film everything, and then we’ll get clipped for revealing ourselves to humans.”

“Needs must and all that. This is our sole shot at him.” They would deal with the fallout later. Besides, Nïx had it on good authority that the Gaolers were dealing with a lack of prison space.

Portia’s lips thinned. “You promised Ember and me a primordialgiantto kill if we temporarily allied with you. We’re not rent-a-help for other Møriør.”

“Uthyr’s quite large. Does that count?”

Emberine’s red hair sparked at the ends. “You also said we would probably perish in battle. Is this our last night, soothsayer?”

Her concern had merit. Nïx had predicted much of the battle this eve, but she hadn’t seen the ultimate outcome. And anything could happen when fate had a habit of sticking her nose where it didn’t belong.

Yet if ancient Valkyries, a nest of Furies, a coven of witches, and a pair of evil Sorceri couldn’t get this job done, who could? “I can promise you that no one will die tonight unless they die. Now, does everyone remember my brilliant plan? Because I do not.”

Sighs all around.

Cara the Fair’s violet eyes were solemn. “We remember. We’re ready, sister.”

“Such a sweet girl,” Nïx murmured as a memory from long ago teased her mind. She couldn’t quite pull it up, so she got back to business. “Okay, off you go. Don’t stop until you bring him down, or the Lore will be lost forever.”

As the coalition left Nïx behind to position themselves all around the drive-in—and above it—the witches held hands and softly chanted oothspeak, channeling magic to remove the dragon’s camouflage.

Uthyr grew visible by degrees, a marvelous sight. Nïx’s gaze swept from his gleaming eyes to his horns and fangs, then along the length of his sinuous neck. She admired his leanly muscled dragon frame down to his spiked tail. His blue scales shimmered like a half-remembered dream.

Remembered. Memory. That teasing one surfaced, and she was transported into the far-distant past to Valhalla, the Valkyrie origin realm.

Furie and Cara, twin girls born of a Fury mother, stood hand in hand before Nïx as waves of purple, green, and white aurora danced overhead. Seven years old, already bonded for eternity, they had hair the color of a raven’s wing and their mother’s violet eyes.

One twin burned to fulfill her Fury instincts; one already hid secrets, more Valkyrie than Fury. Their wings would emerge soon, which meant Valhalla wouldn’t hold them for much longer.

Behind Nïx’s vision, the battle against Uthyr commenced. Furies executed their attack, dive-bombing from the sky. Witches hurled hexshots. Valkyries charged, swords raised. In the clouds, Cara the Fair hovered with her fire wings, waiting to strike using an infamous weapon.

Yet Uthyr defended valiantly, bringing Nïx back to the present.

We’re . . . losing?She dashed from the projection room down amidst the carnage.

Faced with bedlam between a dragon and other “myths,” Arkansans abandoned the interactive flick, flooring their four-wheel drives away from a real-life Godzilla. Too late for some; groaning metal sounded when the dragon accidentally stepped on trucks, kaiju-ing mortals.

Weaving through the mayhem, Nïx sprinted across the battlefield. Puddles of blood splashed up over her and Bertil. “Fly away, friend.” He did so with a screech.

Catching her gaze, Uthyr chuffed laughter and smoke, that hubris on full display. “Is this the best you can do, little Valkyrie?” He pounded his chest with his clawed paw.

“Honestly?No.” She spun in circles until lightning formed a shield around her. Bolts sizzled in every direction, and she shot them from her palms at him.

He roared with pain, rearing up in front of the screen just as Godzilla reared up to lay waste to ships. Uthyr inhaled a deep breath and exhaled a stream of fire at the screen. A portal opened at the end of the flame. He charged on four legs toward the new exit.

“Don’t let him reach that portal!” Nïx cried as she shot more lightning at him.

Shrieks sounded as the winged Furies dove with their swords, hacking at his head. They targeted his eyes, but his scaled lids protected him. Forced to slow, he butted the angels of death with his horns.

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