Page 207 of Unbound

There's a sudden rush of wind as Bastian appears on his steed made of pure air. It leaps for the man fighting Raith as Bastian jumps from its back and joins the fray, long spear stabbing fiercely.

I stare in disbelief as the blonde legacy throws himself into battle. If I had any doubts about his loyalty, they fade quickly. He's fighting side by side with Raith, trying desperately to save us when he must know his chances of making it out of here alive are slim.

Together, they're barely managing to buy time, but it's clear they're outmatched. Even Bastian and Raith together are outskilled. The windborne combines two short blades with rapid magical attacks that Raith barely burns up or deflects. Bastian has an easier time, using some kind of heavy wall of wind to disperse the worst of it.

But I can tell they won't last much longer.

Typhon is struggling against the combined might of both windborne elementals and the female windborne.

I feel useless as I stumble to my feet, searching for any source of elemental power. There's nothing left to draw from—I've burned through everything I had. Every last shred of power is gone and my body is completely exhausted. My only hope is to reach someone, to make physical contact.

The female windborne battling Typhon seems to be the greater threat. Her elemental is pushing him back, its form constantly shifting to counter his attacks. No matter how much power Typhon unleashes, the creature adapts. It fades from existence to dodge his power and reappears, making it impossible for him to land a single blow. All he's doing is keeping it busy.

I need to help him. I need to stop her.

With a deep breath, I charge toward the woman.

"Nessa, no!" Bastian shouts, but the male windborne takes his momentary distraction and uses it. He suffers a deep cut to his leg and is blasted away by a torrent of wind, flipping through the air like a ragdoll.

Bastian lands hard in the mud, motionless, even though the blue of his stasis token hasn’t flashed.

Gods.I hope he’s okay, but there’s no time to worry.

The female windborne senses me coming, whirling to face me with inhuman speed. Her elemental turns from Typhon, rushing to protect its primal.

I throw my rapier toward her as a distraction, then dive.

The only thing that saves me is how pathetic she must think the attempted attack is. Instead of dodging, she only stands there, head tilted as if puzzled.

But I manage to land with one hand clasped around her ankle, drawing out her essence. Power floods into me. More than I've ever felt. So much I think I might burst from the rush of it.

The windborne screams, a sound of genuine pain and surprise that buckles her knees and makes her fall to the ground. Her elemental hisses as Typhon catches it, pinning it to the ground before it can reach me.

I claw my way up the windborne’s body, mounting her as I grip her tighter, urging her power into myself in a mind-numbing rush.

"What are you doing to me?" she gasps, struggling against my grip. "Stop!"

I don't stop. I can't. The power flowing into me is intoxicating, filling me with strength I've never known. I pull harder, drawing more and more of her essence into myself.

Above us, the sky darkens rapidly, clouds gathering and swirling in an unnatural pattern. A deep rumble of thunder vibrates through the air, followed by the sharp crack of lightning that illuminates the battlefield in stark white.

I feel her reaching for a hidden blade in her armor. By instinct, I know I need to act now or I'll die. The power flooding me reacts before I can form a coherent thought. The air around the woman's head responds to my fear and alarm, pressing inward.

With so much air essence in my body, it feels like nothing more than a magical flinch—a reflexive tensing of the muscles. But I've never wielded so much power before, and the air essence gushes from me, enhancing the attack.

Warm liquid splatters my face, hands, and arms.

I flinch from the sudden splash, eyes blinking as I struggle to understand what I'm looking at.

Her head... it's a red ruin.

Dead. No stasis token. Just... dead.

"Oh, Gods," I breathe as I stumble back, face and hands covered in droplets of blood. Horror washes over me as I realize what I've done. I've killed her. Actually killed her.

Lightning cracks again, followed immediately by a thunderous boom that seems to echo my shock. The sky opens up, releasing a torrential downpour that washes over the battlefield, mixing with the blood at my feet.

A scream of rage tears through the air. The second windborne has seen his partner fall. He abandons his fight with Raith, rushing toward me with murder in his eyes.

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