Page 42 of Tempest Blazing
The collar screamed.
Not audibly—though sparks flew from the metal—but I felt its rage like a living thing. It tightened around my throat, biting into my skin with edges that suddenly felt razor-sharp. The pain was immediate and vicious, like the collar sensed betrayal and was determined to punish me for it.
I screamed through clenched teeth, fists digging into the dirt as my back arched. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire, my magic convulsing under my skin like a caged animal.
"First binding," Draven whispered, his voice strained as golden light flickered between his fingers. "Two more to go." But I saw the moment his magic flickered, his control wavering as my pain echoed through our connection. His jaw clenched, and for a heartbeat, I felt his power surge dangerously before he reined it back in.
The second binding took longer. Draven's magic carved intricate patterns in the air, each gesture precise despite the chaos around us. The collar fought him every step of the way, sending waves of agony through my body that left me gasping and shaking.
A blast of dark energy streaked toward us, and Draven's head snapped up, his concentration breaking for a split second. The collar's bindings tightened viciously in response, and I gasped, spots dancing in my vision. He cursed under his breath, magic flaring as he fought to maintain the delicate spell work while Kane's fire wall deflected the attack.
A blast of dark energy slammed into the obsidian dragon like a battering ram. The massive creature dropped to its knees with a guttural roar that shook the arena's foundations, wings twitching as paralysis spread through its body. Someone had activated a dragon-killing spell.
My panic spiked, sharp and immediate. Too many enemies. Not enough time. The dragon that had saved me was down, Kane's fire wall was flickering, and Draven was focused on the collar. We were going to die here.
Then the sky split with golden fire.
Thalon dove through the smoke like a comet, wings spread wide, roaring with enough force to rattle my bones. The sound was pure fury and protective rage, and mine. Thalon.Mydragon had come. Relief crashed through me so potent it felt like magic itself, warm and golden and whole.
"Little one." His voice flooded my mind the instant he appeared, strong and fierce and achingly familiar. "The collar muted our bond. I followed the void it left behind."
The connection blazed between us, but it felt strained, incomplete. The collar's presence still interfered, casting shadows across what should have been bright and clear.
The Golden Shield slammed into place around the fallen obsidian dragon, a radiant dome that blocked the dragon-killing spell's effects and sent the dark energy scattering like startled birds. The obsidian dragon's wings stopped twitching, strength returning as the paralysis lifted.
Thalon continued his flight pattern overhead, keeping watch.
I tried to push myself upright, desperate to help somehow, but my body betrayed me. The collar's drain had left me weak as a kitten, vision swimming, magic screaming to be released. In the distance, Kane's magic flared again—ice and fire working in tandem to hold back a fresh wave of attackers.
They were all fighting for me. Draven at my side, Kane holding the line, Thalon and the obsidian dragon keeping us covered. I had to survive this. I had to.
"Last binding—this one's the strongest," Draven warned, his voice rough with strain. Magic built between his fingers until the air itself felt heavy with power, crackling with energy that made my skin tingle. "It's going to fight back hard."
The collar sensed what was coming. Dark energy pulsed along its surface, and I felt it trying to burrow deeper into my throat, to anchor itself so completely that removing it would kill me. Draven's magic met its defenses in a clash that sent shockwaves through my body.
The collar shrieked as he severed the final binding, a sound like tearing metal and dying screams. It fell away with a hiss of released magic, and I collapsed forward, gasping as my power flooded back like a tidal wave.
Power surged back, a torrent of heat and light that filled the hollow spaces inside me, chasing away the cold drain of the collar. I couldfeelmyself again, whole and vibrant, the magic singing in my veins. And there—Mason's presence blazed through our bond like a beacon, solid and real andthere. The relief nearly knocked me flat all over again, until I felt the raw edges of his emotions bleeding through: rage like molten steel and panic so sharp it cut.
Thalon's voice returned instantly, clear and strong and whole in my mind. The relief was so intense I nearly sobbed again.
I'm okay,I managed, though my magic was still settling, still finding its way back into the spaces the collar had carved hollow. I pushed comfort and reassurance down the bond to Mason, letting him feel that I was alive. His emotions seemed to settle slightly—the jagged edge of his panic smoothing as he sensed my need to focus on the immediate danger around us.
Draven's hands were already under my arms, lifting me with careful strength. "Can you ride?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice, and let him help me onto the obsidian dragon's back. The scales were warm under my palms, surprisingly smooth, and I felt a flicker of gratitude toward this creature who'd risked everything for a stranger.
The arena continued its collapse around us, Kane's uncontrolled fire having triggered a chain reaction that was bringing down the entire underground structure. Ancient runes ruptured in chains of light and shadow, their magic unraveling after centuries of containment. Pillars groaned and toppled, and the magical wards that had hidden this place started to collapse as their power sources failed one by one.
We lifted off in a rush of wind and beating wings, Thalon and the obsidian dragon flying side by side as the underground arenacollapsed beneath us. I gripped the obsidian dragon's scales and looked between the two creatures that had saved my life.
Thalon I understood. But this other dragon—there was something familiar about the way it moved, the careful way it adjusted its flight for my comfort. Like it had been watching me long before tonight.
Chapter 19
Tess
The obsidian dragon's wings beat beneath us, each stroke pulling us away from the collapsing arena. I slumped against Draven's chest, my body one giant bruise. The collar was gone, but everything still hurt. Wind cut through my hair, cold against skin that felt too hot, too raw. I shivered despite the warmth radiating from Draven and the dragon carrying us.
