Page 116 of Draekora

Looking into his clear eyes, Alex knew he wasn’t going to yield, so she did the only thing she could in her exhausted state—she nodded.

“Good,” he said, squeezing her again then letting go. “Now—”

With an almighty shift, Xiraxus moved out from underneath Alex, causing her to sprawl onto her back with an exclamation of pain as he spread his wings out above them.

“They’re coming!” the draekon hissed, his eyes glued to the horizon, seeing something that their Meyarin sight couldn’t detect. “We must hurry!”

“Up you get, Aeylia,” Niyx said at once, leaning down to carefully pull her up into his arms. She had no idea how he was managing to lift her weight with such ease or overcome the pain of the stab wound that was taking much longer than normal to heal. All he did was wince slightly as he manoeuvred Alex until she sat atop the draekon. Meanwhile, she was struggling to remain conscious and not throw up from the sheer agony of the wound.

“It’s because of A’enara,” Niyx said, reading Alex’s pinched expression at the pain they both felt as he hastily wrapped a strap of coiling blacktraesosaround her torso, securing it like a seatbelt in a loop across the front of Xiraxus and back again. “Thelaendraneeds more time to combat the effects of the blade. The wound has sealed, but you still need time to heal.”

Alex nodded, mostly in an effort to try and keep her eyes from closing, and said, “Same thing happened to me last time I was stabbed by A’enara. Fletcher said I nearly died then, too.”

“You survived that, so you can survive this,” Niyx said brusquely. “I’m not kidding, kitten. I’ll kick your ass if you die and take me with you.”

“I don’t think it’s humanly possible to kick my ass if I’m already dead,” Alex mumbled, exhaustion overwhelming her.

“Good thing I’m not human then,” came Niyx’s light-hearted response. “Now, pay attention,” he said, tugging on thetraesosbindings. “This is so you don’t fall off halfway across theabrassawhen you pass out—and you will, considering your current state of specialness.”

“Be nice,” Alex slurred out.

“When you get to your end, summon A’enara to cut through thetraesosand—”

Alex shook her head and interrupted, “Can’t do that. Aven stole it from me. I can barely lift my hand right now, and I definitely don’t have the energy to call it back.”

“Aven stole it from youhere, Aeylia,” Niyx said, an urgency to his tone as he looked uneasily out over the cliffs. “Right now he can claim ownership of the blade, and given time, he’ll be able to manipulate it in small ways, like changing the length and summoning it short distances. But you’re bonded to it, and since you arrived here with it in your possession, when you return to your time, it’syourweapon, not his.”

That was true, since Alex had technically already taken it from him in her time. The Aven of the future definitely didn’t have A’enara in his ownership anymore.

“So, I cut through my bindings…” Alex prompted, aware in the back of her sluggish mind that they were pressed for time.

“With A’enara,” Niyx continued, his voice hurried now. “The Bringer of Light can pierce through anything, even the purest of darkness. I would have strapped you in with Moxyreel, but sincetraesosis a substance pulled directly from theabrassa, I think it’ll secure you better for when you faint again.”

“Stop making me sound like such a wuss.”

He flashed a grin. “No offence, kitten, but as amazing as my training skills are, all this”—he gestured towards himself—“can’t be taught. You’ll have to stick with your wussy status until you can prove me wrong.”

Alex opened her mouth to respond, but Xiraxus interrupted, “They’re almost upon us—wemustgo! Now!”

His words shook some sense back into Alex and she looked down at Niyx with growing dread. “Go, Niyx. You have to get away from here.”

Niyx ignored her. “Get her out of here, Xira. I’ll hold them off.”

“What?” Alex gasped out. “Niyx, no! You have to go!”

But her words were drowned out by the flapping of Xiraxus’s enormous wings stirring the trees around them and sending loose rocks scattering over the side of the cliff. With a heaving push, he launched off the edge and into the sky just as Alex witnessed a dozenZeltoraarrive and engage Niyx in combat.

Niyx! Get out of there!she screamed as Xiraxus pushed upwards, flying faster and faster, the force of the wind shooting pain through her tender body.

I’ll never forget you, kitten, Niyx replied, and she watched the sheer number of his attackers overcome and drag him onto theValispath, which Alex knew would offer a one-way ticket to the prison,Taevarg.

Niyx… she whispered, unable to finish as her mind was clogged with emotion.

I’ll see you soon, my mortal friend, he whispered back to her, unknowingly repeating the words he’d said to her once before—long into the future.But not as soon as you’ll see me.

That was the last Alex heard from him before a familiar inky darkness surged into existence in front of her, blacker than the night sky, blacker than any black she’d ever seen.

Hold on, Alex!Xiraxus called.This is going to be rough!

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