Page 220

Oh shit, oh shit—

He snapped his magic into a shield in time to not be incinerated by the fire rushing toward him. His boots hit the floor with jarring impact, and as he caught himself against the wall, he spotted Max and Aspen—throwing themselves out of the way of the blaze.

Heat scorched the room; he could feel it as strongly as he’d felt the desert sun, even through the invisible wall of his magic.

The inferno grew, heading straight for Aspen and Max—

Malakai’s magic lashed out like whips, and he used them to throw Max and Aspen into the fire-resistant chamber.

But he couldn’t get Dallas in there. She was on the other side of the room—in hand to hand combat with a girl with shimmering gold hair. Throwing her toward the chamber would only put her in the path of the inferno. Dallas had lost her gun, and it was a good thing her wings were spell-hidden, or they would have already been singed off.

Using his magic as a shield, Malakai dove across the floor and slid to a stop in front of the chamber. He thrust a hand behind him, stopping Max from opening the door.

“Don’t be an idiot!” Malakai roared, throwing his whole weight against the door. “Stay in there!” He could smell Max’s fear—could feel it as strongly as the barrage of fire that wouldn’t let up.

Max was screaming—howling Dallas’s name, fists banging against the door.

She was still in combat with the other person in the room—an Elemental. And she wasn’t winning.

Malakai winced, his magic fluttering. He wouldn’t be able to hold it for much longer.

This was how he was going to die, wasn’t it? Crisped into a piece of Reaper jerky, just like he’d said. Pathetic. He’d always wanted to go out with a bang, and this just wasn’t it.

Magic—new magic—blasted through the room, sending the Fire Elemental crashing into the tank.

Black wings momentarily blinded Malakai as Dominic swept into the room.

The Angel offered him a hand up.

Malakai ignored him and pushed to his feet. “I still hate your guts.” He wiped the sweat out of his stinging eyes.

Dallas cried out as the gold Elemental—what the hell was gold, anyway?—threw her into the stairs.

Dominic moved to her aid—

Flames swept through the room as the Fire Elemental recovered from Dominic’s attack. His hair was all flame, his eyes burning like embers as he leapt out of the tank and landed on his feet like a freaking cat.

“Any ideas?” Dominic gritted out.

Malakai reinforced his invisible shields, Dominic doing the same at his side. Malakai swept his magic out toward Dallas, shielding her as she staggered to her feet. Blood streamed down her temple.

Both Elementals attacked this time, fire magic mingling with—

Gods. That was a full-blown storm gathering under the gold one’s skin, lightning bolts shooting up her neck.

A wave of icy blue water slammed into the Elementals, throwing them both into the wall above the tank and pinning them there. Mist sprayed Malakai’s skin, cooling the areas he hadn’t realized were burning.

A female voice speaking Ilevyn floated through the room.

Blue walked in. “Don’t,” she said through clenched teeth, “hurt him. Them. Or I—” she panted, eyes electric-blue, “—will kill you.”

The Fire Elemental had cooled off—literally. He and the gold one both stared at Blue in shock.

It was the male who gritted out, his voice coated with surprise, “Blue?”

She let them go, using the water to safely lower them to the ground.

Malakai bared his teeth at the fiery one, whose wide eyes flicked between their group and Blue. “Is it not hot enough outside for you, or what?” Malakai snapped. “Bloody fucking Ignis.”