Page 38 of Ava’s Love of the Dragons (Of Dragons, Love, and Destiny #2)

The Isip stone weakened Elora's attacks, but it wasn't powerful enough to save Ava.

She realized this within the next ten seconds as the sorceress attacked her relentlessly.

The lightning bolts that Ava deflected with the dagger were less painful.

However, she was simultaneously hit unimpeded by other attacks that turned her body into an inferno.

She didn't know if she was sustaining external wounds.

Perhaps the person who found her corpse would think she died from an unrecognized internal ailment, since her skin seemed unscathed.

But underneath, in her veins, her muscles, in her flesh, it burned as if the sorceress had ignited a fire within her that was consuming her torturously.

Her movements became slower and her limbs grew heavy, even though she was flooded with adrenaline. Under normal circumstances, she would have long since been on the ground, but this was the final battle. The grand finale, with only one of them emerging alive.

Apart from the dagger that the Isip stone was bound to at the hilt, she had no weapon. So exactly what she had feared had come to pass. She could fight with the last dagger. But her hours of training were useless against a mage. Especially the queen among them.

Her breath was labored, her heart fighting for every single beat, constantly tormented by the magic bolts. Elora didn't even have a bead of sweat on her forehead. Her complexion looked rosy and carefree, her dark eyes glowed enthusiastically, and her movements were relaxed, if not bored.

"Considering the prophecy, I had hoped for more from you, Guardian. You realize that as soon as I want, you're dead, right?"

Of course, she knew that, but she still shook her head. "What exactly does this prophecy say?"

Elora snorted. "You don't even know?"

Yes, she did, if only fragments, but she took every breather she could get, every additional moment she got to enjoy breathing, seeing, smelling, and hearing. To live.

How precious was the time one was given?

How valuable in the face of death? Why had she wasted all those years out of fear, out of false pride, because of old wounds she hadn't been ready to forget?

She should have savored every moment. Should have consciously breathed, laughed, and loved every second.

For all that she hadn't done out of fear, she could never make up for it. It was lost, for all time.

Oh, how bitter regret tasted. How heavily weighed the knowledge of not having tried everything, not having done everything, not having experienced everything her heart desired?

She hadn't listened to the voice of her soul.

Had hidden it behind her thick wall, behind false pride and arrogance, behind the delusion of having all the time in the world.

For while we are given a life, we are not given infinite time.

In this moment, in the face of death, she realized: Life is a gift. Love is a gift, feelings, people, friendships, bonds, everything that makes our heart beat, everything that gives us the feeling of vastness, fullness, and gratitude.

How she had trampled on her life... Not seen the gift her parents had given her, blinded by the anger that her lonely childhood had triggered.

She was flooded with new energy and with it the uncontrollable will to survive.

"I know I can stop the most powerful living mage! And you know it too, that's why you want to kill me. Because you're afraid of me!" She leaped forward and Elora hesitated briefly, but hatred returned to her features and she fired a bolt at Ava that incapacitated her on the spot.

She fell, the dagger slipped from her hand, and she hit the stone floor hard. She lay on her back, motionless, paralyzed, unable even to grasp the dagger that landed with a metallic clang an arm's length away from her.

Elora jutted her chin and approached her. She kicked the blade aside with her black boots until she stood over Ava. Her dark eyes glowed with hatred, with darkness, with arrogance.

"The prophecy changes nothing about the fact that I'm going to kill you now. Take your last breath, Guardian, and die knowing that you couldn't save any of them!" She drew back, then formed a blue bolt in her hands and was about to hurl it at Ava, when suddenly Elora hesitated and widened her eyes.

Ava's heart was pounding in her throat. She expected the final blow, expected death, so she'd tensed all her muscles as if the hard-earned corset could protect her somehow. The seconds felt terrible, only delaying death, and she couldn't stand it any longer.

"Just do it already!"

But the sorceress kept the blue bolt in her hand and stared at Ava's chest. Was something magical happening? Was the prophecy being fulfilled?

She followed her gaze and couldn't see anything to explain Elora's reaction. The corset-like leather vest covered her upper body, underneath she wore the tunic, and from under that had slipped out her necklace with the pendant.

The broken heart.

"Where did you get that?" Elora's voice sounded strangely hollow.

Ava blinked. The feeling returned to her body and she sat up warily. Elora, meanwhile, didn't blink once, just stared at the necklace and didn't move.

"From my parents."

The sorceress widened her eyes and didn't budge. Ava hesitated, but then seized the opportunity. She jumped to her feet, ran to her dagger and picked it up. She whirled around lightning-fast, expecting the final death blow, but Elora just watched her with an open mouth.

She didn't understand what was going on, but she wouldn't wait and ask. She would use this chance that had been given to her for some reason.

Slowly, she walked backward, reached the door, and hesitated for a second, taking one last look at the magistra. But the sorceress still didn't move, said nothing, just stared at her. The lightning crackled in her hand, but she seemed unaware of it.

With her heart pounding wildly, Ava pushed open the door and hurried out.

Loud footsteps and shouts echoed from the entrance portal through the high corridor.

The mages were returning, which was why Ava didn't run outside but took the passage into the interior of the castle.

She could hardly believe she had escaped Elora, but she switched off any thoughts of it and focused on what was important.

Why she had come here in the first place.

Magg.

She rushed through the next door and discovered a laboratory with vials, pots, mortars, and books on a table, and countless herbs hanging from ceiling beams. It looked like an alchemist's lab.

Magg wasn't there, nor was anyone else. She quickly looked out into the hallway, watched the mages storm into the throne room, and slipped out of the room to inspect the neighboring one.

A loud angry scream rang out. Was that Elora?

No matter, she had to keep going. She opened the next door and the one after that. At the next, she stumbled over a mage. Before he realized who she was, she rammed the dagger hilt against his temple, causing him to collapse unconscious.

She jumped over him into the room where he had been standing guard and finally discovered the cadet.

Magg was lying on a wooden table, her arms stretched out awkwardly, her body strangely twisted. Only the beads of sweat on her forehead revealed that she was still alive. Ava hurried to her and stroked her cheek. "Magg? Magg?"

The door was thrown open, Ava whirled around and raised the dagger in defense. But it wasn't a mage.

"Kilian?"

"Ava!"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Where's Lilly?"

"Thalara is taking her to safety. What about Magg?"

"She fell from Thalara and is unconscious. We have to carry her."

The dragon fighter was already beside her. He grabbed Magg and threw her over his shoulder. She groaned but didn't stir.

Blows thundered through the castle complex, a wall collapsed with a loud crash, and screams echoed through the castle. Ava looked around frantically. "How do we get out of here?"

"This way." He ran to the window, took a picture off the wall, and hurled the frame through the glass. Countless splinters flew outside. He brushed the remaining pieces with the wooden frame and waved for Ava to follow him. He jumped onto a table and waited until Ava was beside him. "Jump!"

The door was thrown open, so Ava didn't hesitate. She leaped out of the window into the castle courtyard, Kilian right behind her. A magic ball followed them, but before it hit them, Ava raised the dagger with the Isip stone and deflected it.

He pointed to a narrow staircase that led to the battlements. "Up there! And tell Draco! He has to pick us up."

"We're coming to the castle wall!"

"On my way!"

They raced towards the steps, climbed them in no time, and ran along the fortress wall. Countless sections had collapsed, so they didn't get far.

Ava quickly surveyed the castle complex.

Draco had directed his attacks at the main gate, which was why most of the mages gathered there.

As he flew towards them, whole volleys of magic spheres followed him, but he deflected them with his tail as if it were the easiest of exercises.

He landed on the battlement, causing even more stones to thunder to the ground and the structure to sway dangerously.

Kilian pushed Magg onto Draco's back. Ava helped him, but suddenly she was hit by a magic ball on her back shoulder.

The force and pain made her sink to her knees.

The next energy blast followed, and she doubled over in agony.

Before she regained her balance, she fell from the wall down into the castle courtyard.

She landed hard on the ground. At the last moment, before her head hit firmly, she caught herself with her hands.

"Ava!" Kilian jumped after her and used his sword to fend off the attacks of the mages who had followed them through the window. More came running across the courtyard and fired not only at Ava and Kilian but also at Draco. The air crackled, and it became scorching hot.

"Fly away!" Ava screamed at him mentally.

"I'll never leave you behind!"

"Fly away and get Magg to safety!" She lunged to her feet as the mages surrounded her and Kilian. They stood back-to-back and fended off the attacks with their swords and daggers, but there were too many to reach Draco.

Magg screamed when she was hit by a magic blast, causing Ava to look at Draco in shock. "Take her away before they kill you both!"

"I can't leave you!"

"You must!"

Draco roared and spewed fire at their opponents, but the first mages had climbed the battlement and were trying to pull Magg off his back. He had no choice but to knock them away with his wings and rise into the air.

"You better be alive when I come back!"

Ava watched him for a split second before turning her attention to their enemies.

There were so many.

Kilian ran his hand over her waist as they stood back-to-back facing the mages. His touch helped her overcome the worst panic.

"We're staying together. We can do this!"

She nodded. Determinedly, she grasped the dagger and deflected the magic orbs.

Kilian did the same while simultaneously pushing her along the wall, inch by inch.

Eventually, they reached a section that had collapsed.

One step at a time, back-to-back, they fought their way up the debris and down the other side.

Finally, they left the castle grounds behind and reached the mountainside on which the castle had been built.

A few scattered mages jumped after them, but most remained within the castle grounds. Perhaps the area contained a protective spell.

Elora didn't reappear. Ava didn't fool herself: This was the only reason they could escape. One meter after the next, they increased the distance from their opponents until the attacks died down.

Had they made it?

No more lightning bolts came flying, so they immediately began the ascent. With each meter of elevation gained, the euphoria in Ava's heart grew louder. The unbridled joy of having survived.

But just as she thought they had made it and briefly turned back towards the castle, Arthur stepped over the debris. He targeted them, and in his eyes lay undisguised hatred. He formed an energy ball and hurled it after them in the form of a red-hot fire salvo.

Kilian had already turned to climb up the mountain, so he didn't see the attack coming, but Ava jumped in between. The impact was so violent that it shot through her body like fire. She fell and lay motionless on the rocky slope.

"Ava!"

Kilian leaped over her and deflected the next magic orb that Arthur threw at them. There was an ugly grin on the mage's hollow-cheeked face. And he fired another and another and another, so that Kilian had to continuously whirl his sword through the air to defend them.

Adrenaline flooded through Ava. She scrambled to her feet, everything hurt, but she wouldn't give up.

Not now, when they had almost made it. She raised her hand with the dagger, warded off the next wave of attacks, and let out an ear-splitting scream.

The magic orb was deflected by the Isip stone, hit the mountainside, and a huge boulder broke loose.

Along with an avalanche of rubble, it rolled towards them, thundering on the rocks like claps of thunder, and clouds of dust particles swirled up.

Quickly, Ava and Kilian darted to the side and fought their way forward along the slope to a crevice where they were protected, while the mages had to fend off the rockslide with combined forces.

As soon as the dust disappeared and visibility cleared, they found themselves out of their enemies' reach.

Although their opponents didn't launch another wave of attacks, they didn't allow themselves a break, climbing relentlessly forward until they had rounded the slope and the castle was no longer in sight.

For a moment, Ava stood still and looked back.

She shook her head in disbelief. Even though she had no idea how they had managed it, they had made the impossible possible. They had escaped the mages.