Page 55 of To Sway a Prince
I scooped him up and held him close. "I'm so sorry, big guy," I whispered against his scaled head. "It's just temporary."
"He'll return to normal ten seconds after arrival," Ivy assured me. "So get clear quickly! Otherwise, he'll crush you."
"Focus on your destination, dear," Clover said, zipping in front of my face and then back. "Pulseport as you normally would. The circle will amplify your power."
I stepped into the ring of mushrooms, clutching Zephyrus against my chest. He burrowed against my neck, his warmth familiar despite his diminished size.
"Ramiel," I whispered, closing my eyes. "I'm coming. I'll never forgive you if I'm too late."
I gathered my magic, feeling it rise within me—but something was different. The fairy circle pulled at my energy, demanding more than I'd expected. My strength drained as darkness enveloped us.
The world tore apart, then snapped back together. We landed hard on rocky ground. I stumbled forward, setting Zephyrus down just as the magic faded. We stood at the foot of the tower, facing the narrow bridge that stretched out over the Chasm's yawning darkness. Storm clouds billowed above us as lightning pierced the sky and thunder cracked.
One bolt of lightning illuminated the bridge and the Chasm. My heart sank. No!
22
MY CONFESSION
Lightning split the sky as I stared across the stone bridge into the chasm. My tongue burned with the taste and scent of magic and fire.
Ramiel stood at the center of the bridge's edge, his silver hair whipping in the wind as he faced the thrashing leviathan. The massive creature's scales gleamed wet with the purple mist that clung to his body. The bone fae spear jutted from his shoulder, the wound raw and festering. Part of the spear shaft had been severed, and fresh blood stained the stones and dyed the mist. Progress, but not enough.
Great rips threatened to tear further across the entirety of the Chasm, moving like waves of jelly beneath churning smoke.
Eight of the dragons worked in quads, their wings beating in perfect synchrony as they carried glowing rune strands between them. The magical threads shimmered silver, weaving an intricate pattern across the Chasm's surface, trying to stitch up the tears.
They were failing.
Badly.
Whatever pattern they sought to make frayed. The leviathan's constant movement weakened the barrier of theChasm with each twist and spiral. The dragons strained against the howling wind and the bubbling of the Chasm. Even from this distance, I could see three chasm wraiths trying to press through. Burning yellow eyes glowed within the Chasm at multiple intervals, pressing at the clear layer separating them from the rest of our realm.
Thalorion, Giselle, and Veyruneth tried to hold the leviathan in place with ropes of energy, but each time the leviathan twisted, one or two lost their grip, the rope either fraying in their mouths or slipping from their jaws.
Zephyrus launched skyward, his wings unfurling to their full span. The force nearly knocked me over. He joined Giselle and snatched up one of the fallen ropes, his dark-blue scales stark against her purple. Together they slammed the energy ropes taut, forcing the leviathan down against the bridge. Half its massive body hung in the Chasm, half sprawled across the stone. It was far larger than the forty feet I'd originally estimated. Its head alone was the size of a small dragon. He bellowed, lightning sparking from his jaws and making his eyes light up until they were yellow gold instead of deep orange.
The Chasm bubbled even more fiercely beneath them, purple mist rising in thick spiraling columns. Where the mist touched the bridge, it hissed and steamed. Through the fog, I saw another chasm wraith pushing against that invisible barrier, their elongated fingers clawing at the air.
Yellow-eyed creatures darted between the larger wraiths, their bodies little more than shadows as they tested the barrier for weaknesses. A few bat-like creatures escaped and swept along the ridge. Three of the dragons broke formation and dealt with them immediately. The runes faded in the air.
Ramiel dropped to one knee, his hands glowing with silver light as he traced runes in the air. His movements were sluggish. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion. The silver magic aroundhis fingers flickered like a dying flame. He twisted his hands. The runes he carved into the air trembled, hanging there as the dragons returned to their formations and seized them. Then he cut new healing runes, his hands shaking as he formed them in front of the leviathan.
A column of dark smoke rose from the Chasm's edge. It twisted unnaturally, defying the wind's direction. The smell hit me next: burning metal. It was building slowly.
The omenfang was coming. We didn't have much time left.
I sprinted toward the bridge, rain striking my face.
Remnants of runes sparked and faded against the earth and the mist. The runes he now carved wavered and flared.
The leviathan thrashed against his bonds, his massive tail whipping across the stone bridge, sending fragments of rock into the churning abyss. Zephyrus and his trio worked to keep the leviathan down. Up above, the other dragons struggled to maintain their weaving pattern.
I skidded to a stop a few feet away and lifted my hands. Though I certainly didn't recognize all of these runes, I knew how to strengthen them. That was just as simple as tracing his pattern with my own energy.
Gold light flared from my hands. I channeled it up into the runes he had formed, sealing their bonds and strengthening him. The jarring from my encounter with the chasm wraith and the heavy use to pulseport here even with the fairy ring slowed my response, but I focused on my magic and forced it up into those runes and to support him.
Ramiel's shoulders tightened. He started to hinge his gaze back, but the leviathan roared again. "Ithoks—" He swore, the words distorted by the wind and bellows.
