Page 156 of Between Sun and Moon

Call for him, said an ethereal voice inside of me.

And so, I did.

I tilted my head to the sky and roared, “Ryker!” My voice was like an ax, severing the cries of war. It was so loud, it was like the mighty face of a mountain sliding off and smashing upon the ground. I did it again, channeling that same divine strength.

And again. And again. Until I was certain that my mind was playing tricks on me, because in the distance, I heard—

“Sage!”

My heart plucked a heavy chord—Ryker.

I twirled in the direction I heard his voice, doing my best to support Harper’s weight, her body collapsed into mine.

I yelled for him once more.

His answer came back quicker this time. Quickly, I shouted back.

And then I saw him—he was running straight for us, his fire bow in hand as he took down anyone who dared step on the path between us.

“Harper!” Ryker cried out, his bow and arrow wicking out as he took her from me. He picked his twin up, her head falling against his chest. His eyes darted to her injury, growing wide.

“It’s bad, Ryker,” I told him, my voice cracking with emotion. “You need to get her to a healer as fast as you can.”

Before he could respond, Ryker swirled around me, supporting Harper with one arm as he used his free hand to blast an approaching soldier with his white flame. The soldier screamed, but just before he went down, he sent a burst of flaming throwing stars straight for us. I conjured a dome-like shield of frozen water and the throwing stars lodged into the side. Their flames fizzled out. I removed the shield and it turned into a pool of water at our feet. The throwing stars fell to the ground and then they disappeared, like ash on the wind.

Ryker turned to me. “Are you not coming with us then?”

I shook my head. “I need to stay here and fight.”

Ryker’s features twisted for a moment, before he leveled my gaze. “I understand, and I won’t cheapen your noble intentions by demanding you come with us. But the one thing I do demand is that you fight until you can no longer fight, and then you get out of here in one piece.”

I nodded. “I will.” I touched Harper’s hand, my eyes going to Ryker’s. “Take care of her.”

“I will,” he promised, and then he left, disappearing into the sea of blood and weapons and soldiers. The makings of war.

Time granted me no mercy as a Demi God set his sights on me. He was taller than most and had a nasty gash on his left cheek. The skin dangled grotesquely. He raised his hand, white-knuckled fingers clenching at air, and heaved from the war-torn soil a flaming beast that I had no name for. It was all snapping, vicious teeth, and blazing fur. It had the body of a bear, but the head of a wolf—forged from both earth and fire.

And it was bloody huge.

It charged straight for me, its flaming hide rippling like long grass being swayed by the wind. Although the beast was big, its size affected its speed.

I would use that to my advantage.

I rolled my wrist, my empty palm filling with the handle of my water blade, the densely packed molecules rendering it as strong as a diamond.

Holding my ground, like a matador with a bull charging for them, I waited until the last moment. Just when the beast’s dagger-like teeth were a snap away, I dodged to the side, running my blade along its side as it ran by—its heat singeing the hairs on my arm.

The beast roared in pain, but not defeat.

Snarling and rabid, it turned and looked to me, its nostrils flaring. It pawed at the ground and then it charged again.

Something whirred to my left. I turned, swung my blade, and deflected the arrow that was on course for my head—not a moment too soon and not a moment too late. The conjurer of the fire beast grinned at me, a bow in his hands.

It was the last thing I saw before the beast hurtled into me, scooping me up with its forehead and throwing me into the air. Wind knocked out of me, clothes on fire, I flailed as I came back down, its massive mouth waiting for me—waiting to snap me in two. I tucked my arms in, grasped the handle of my bladewith both hands, and plunged it straight into its waiting mouth, taking it to the ground with me.

With the earthen fire beast defeated, I blasted my burning clothes with water, dousing the flames. My skin groaned in discomfort, but I’d caught it quick enough it had just barely started to burn. I might suffer a few blisters, but that—

Another arrow whizzed by.

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