droves of smaller black creatures dotting the field amidst the gargantuan creatures. Aria winced when one of the dragons swooped low, its talons reaching for Clamose, The Azurite Flame’s crown. He reached up, gripping the talon with one hand and swung onto the beast, covering it in a blue aura before turning it against the Valtanyana and breathing brimstone directly at the line of them against the edge of the field.
Aria felt someone behind her and remembered Kallow. She held him back with one hand. “You can’t go down there.”
He kissed the back of her hand and it almost undid her. She craned her neck back and forth, feeling lightning in her fingertips, in her heart, tasting it in the back of her throat. “They need our help.”
“This needs to stop.”
Kallow chuckled. “You can’t kill the Valtanyana, but you can fight until they’re satisfied.”
Aria tore her eyes from the battle, and everything deadly about her ricocheted to the surface, igniting a fire in her so passionately furious she couldn’t control it. “Stay close to me,” she said. It sounded like a threat because it was one. A deafening cry rang out and Aria whipped back to the battle, seeing Tor on his knees, silvery gray blood smeared across his tunic. He ripped it off in a single move, his rock-like body marred.
Aria couldn’t take it anymore. She gripped Kallow so hard she could crush the bones in his hand and strode into the field, her entire body burning with the force of the Amethyst Flame. The sky above her obeyed her every command, the clouds cleared and the dragons whined in protest as their hearts exploded one by one, dropping out of the sky. She glanced at Cassareece, hoping to catch the woman’s eye.
“No!” Tor’s strangled cry hit the air as the first meteor hit the ground, creating a crater half the size of the lake. Smaller meteors rained down, each of them encased in a violet tinged aura. Aria descended the sloping field, casting beasts out of her way with her telekinetic abilities, meteors hitting the land with so much force clumps of earth flew into the air.
She glanced at the other Flames, and commanded them into a line. They formed, each of them holding their weapon out in front of them. Tor didn’t move, she caught his gold-lightning eyes out of the corner of her peripheral vision as she reached the edge of the lake and turned to Kallow. She couldn’t watch what she was doing anymore; all she could focus on was him and her, and the fact that everyone was going to die if they didn’t find shelter or safety.
She felt the rumble of pounding hooves under her as the beasts retreated, and the slicing symphony as the Valtanyana descended into the field. She forced herself to concentrate on Kallow, her hand on his shoulder, the crown of snakes on his head, the feather crown on her head, the sky a maelstrom of falling stars, the violet colored fire hitting the ground in successions.
Something splashed into the lake but she didn’t flinch. She traced the patterns of caramel flecks inside Kallow’s hazel eye as the fire in the sky intensified. He brought a hand to her cheek as fear entered his eyes, but he didn’t move.
“The pursuit of perfection is over,” he whispered, brushing his thumb along her cheek. A second later it was on fire, everything about him was on fire, circling and cascading around him. It was encompassing her too but the orange flames fought against the violet flames and as hard as she tried to preserve him his face turned to bone, leaving only the bulb of his golden and hazel eyes.
“We’re free, my love.” His mouth moved but the words weren’t audible as the stars fell and the noise around them hit the sound barrier. Aria closed her eyes a high pitched sound hitting her like a thousand dawn horns ringing all at once. She let go, feeling the supernova in her bones as her energy expended, taking with her everything in the Lands of Immortals.
***
Chapter 5
Tor was disoriented when he
Aria felt someone behind her and remembered Kallow. She held him back with one hand. “You can’t go down there.”
He kissed the back of her hand and it almost undid her. She craned her neck back and forth, feeling lightning in her fingertips, in her heart, tasting it in the back of her throat. “They need our help.”
“This needs to stop.”
Kallow chuckled. “You can’t kill the Valtanyana, but you can fight until they’re satisfied.”
Aria tore her eyes from the battle, and everything deadly about her ricocheted to the surface, igniting a fire in her so passionately furious she couldn’t control it. “Stay close to me,” she said. It sounded like a threat because it was one. A deafening cry rang out and Aria whipped back to the battle, seeing Tor on his knees, silvery gray blood smeared across his tunic. He ripped it off in a single move, his rock-like body marred.
Aria couldn’t take it anymore. She gripped Kallow so hard she could crush the bones in his hand and strode into the field, her entire body burning with the force of the Amethyst Flame. The sky above her obeyed her every command, the clouds cleared and the dragons whined in protest as their hearts exploded one by one, dropping out of the sky. She glanced at Cassareece, hoping to catch the woman’s eye.
“No!” Tor’s strangled cry hit the air as the first meteor hit the ground, creating a crater half the size of the lake. Smaller meteors rained down, each of them encased in a violet tinged aura. Aria descended the sloping field, casting beasts out of her way with her telekinetic abilities, meteors hitting the land with so much force clumps of earth flew into the air.
She glanced at the other Flames, and commanded them into a line. They formed, each of them holding their weapon out in front of them. Tor didn’t move, she caught his gold-lightning eyes out of the corner of her peripheral vision as she reached the edge of the lake and turned to Kallow. She couldn’t watch what she was doing anymore; all she could focus on was him and her, and the fact that everyone was going to die if they didn’t find shelter or safety.
She felt the rumble of pounding hooves under her as the beasts retreated, and the slicing symphony as the Valtanyana descended into the field. She forced herself to concentrate on Kallow, her hand on his shoulder, the crown of snakes on his head, the feather crown on her head, the sky a maelstrom of falling stars, the violet colored fire hitting the ground in successions.
Something splashed into the lake but she didn’t flinch. She traced the patterns of caramel flecks inside Kallow’s hazel eye as the fire in the sky intensified. He brought a hand to her cheek as fear entered his eyes, but he didn’t move.
“The pursuit of perfection is over,” he whispered, brushing his thumb along her cheek. A second later it was on fire, everything about him was on fire, circling and cascading around him. It was encompassing her too but the orange flames fought against the violet flames and as hard as she tried to preserve him his face turned to bone, leaving only the bulb of his golden and hazel eyes.
“We’re free, my love.” His mouth moved but the words weren’t audible as the stars fell and the noise around them hit the sound barrier. Aria closed her eyes a high pitched sound hitting her like a thousand dawn horns ringing all at once. She let go, feeling the supernova in her bones as her energy expended, taking with her everything in the Lands of Immortals.
***
Chapter 5
Tor was disoriented when he
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