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From just behind them, Rowan saw an incoming cloud of glowing sand being conjured by a bronze dragon she thought might be Terra. For who else had earth magic so strong that they could conjure a sea of sleep sand?

It was a rare piece of earth magic, and it usually took decades of training to conjure even one particle.

“Get on.”Harris lowered his head to allow her to clamber up on his back

She didn’t have to be asked twice. They barely evacuated the area as Terra flew overhead.

The bodies behind them dropped.

Rowan’s eye caught a shadow moving from one of the library’s highest perches. The shape of Axel’s tomahawk gave her away as she flung herself to intercept a flying hippogriff that was heading to stop Terra’s progression.

Rowan’s eyes locked on the plummeting duo, relief washing over her when Master Japhet phased in to pluck them both out of the air.

“Hold tight!”Harris’ voice ran through her head, giving her only milliseconds to dig her fingers into his fur as he moved at the speed of light. Never having moved so quickly, nausea threaded its fingers into her.

“Why are you here?”Rowan had to ask through a link of low magic telepathy. It grated her nerves that even such a minor spell was costing her so much.

“The Thunder declared they were receiving a new queen. The alphas of every shifter clan are here to meet her---well you, in the morning. Were you not informed?”

Although she wanted to deny the knowledge, Rowan had to admit she’d only half listened to Terra’s briefing on what the next few days would entail.

Her mind had been on less respectable matters, like getting Alessandro back in bed.

The thought of the Dragon King filled her with anger. How could he have looked down on her? After everything she’d done?

“Maybe. It’s been a lot. For now, I think you and I can take that djinn on so he can concentrate on the witch.”

The wolf growled,“A witch is causing all of this?”

“Yes.”Rowan answered,“I don’t have the magic to counter him. But I have the knowledge and, with your help, the strength to take out what’s stopping the Dragon King from taking care of it.”

“Fine. Tell me what you need.”

“Djinn cannot straddle the astral plane and the physical plane when wolf’s teeth sink into their energy field. You can tell where it begins by that faint flow around its body. Don’t aim for anything that will kill. Once you hold it firm, I can use some of this sand Terra has scattered around to knock him out.” Rowan gripped his fur to emphasize how important her following words were. “The witch wasn’t too happy about how our last encounter ended. As soon as we make ourselves known, I think he will aim everything he has at us. You’ll have to be on the defensive as soon as you touch back down to the ground.”

Harris let out a huff. “Just for clarification, how are we supposed to get up there? I can’t fly.”

“No. But I can.”She patted his head.“And you don’t have to be in wolf form for your teeth to be considered wolf teeth.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”

“Do you think I’m suggesting that I carry you up bridal-style?”

“Yes.”

“Your mind reading skills are on point, Mr. Knox! Don’t worry, you don’t have to be naked. I have enough magic to get you into a fit perfect for the Alpha of the Mediterranean Wolf Pack.”

XOXOXOXOX

His beast had smelled her the moment she’d appeared at the gates. The distraction had allowed the djinn he’d been wrestling with to get in a good punch and Alessandro cursed as restarted his wearisome incantations to bring the djinn into the physical plane all over again.

Troublesome creatures that the djinn were, Antoni Barros had picked the right nuisance to keep Alessandro occupied while his dragons fought off the hoards meant to keep him concealed in the middle.

But why?

Why had the witch decided it was worth throwing all his progress away in painting the shifters as the villains to this story just to turn all resentment against himself?

“Harris and I are tagging in, Dragon King.”Rowan’s voice rolled through his head, dripping with her anger.