Page 41 of Magic & Secrets (Twisted Magic #1)
TO BECOME A FEARSOME warrior required a potent bloodlust. Killing the Chauve Vampyres to protect innocent humans hadn’t bothered me, but I didn’t want to end the lives of these Elves.
Despite the carnage Roque left behind, he also held back. The Bane Shifter could have killed twice as many by now. I admired how much control my mate brandished, even as the Elves turned their energy cannon toward him. Roque wasn’t a mindless weapon. He valued honor and mercy.
The Elves repaid Roque’s leniency by firing the weapon and burning through his flesh. Our gazes met. I saw the pain in his eyes. His flesh seared hot. Fur and skin turned black and charred.
Roaring in pain and rage, Roque bolted across the bridge toward the Elves holding the weapon. The second blast from the energy weapon seemed stronger. The discharge hit Roque, forcing him to stagger backward as his flesh burned away.
Roque’s pain left me trembling. I ran in the direction of the weapon, needing to ease my mate’s suffering.
Roque also sprinted toward the ones hurting him. His eyes glowed pure silver. His body morphed between forms, dodging everything in his path.
The Elves fired a third blast, followed by a fourth. The last one knocked Roque over the side of the Omni Bridge and into the mist below.
The Elves turned their gazes to me in unison. I focused on Mali watching me smugly from a balcony overlooking the battle.
Fury burned through my fear and compassion. I imagined Roque’s burned body dropping into the darkness. My concern for anyone beyond my mate ceased.
Channeling the power of the Solme Divige, I felt myself moving lighter. My feet danced along magenta mist conjured by my mind. I directed the magic below me, where the Elves staggered and swayed from its power.
“Shoot her!” Mali ordered from his perch.
The energy weapon was aimed at me. I lifted my shield and exhaled Solme Divige’s magic. The world felt different. My heart was lighter. The deaths of these Elves no longer mattered. I was an extension of an ancient power.
The energy blast slammed into my shimmering shield and exploded outward. The Elves nearest to me disintegrated into magenta mist.
I jumped onto the railing leading toward the bridge and away from the cries of horror. Roque hadn’t reappeared from the mist. I needed to follow him into the darkness to ensure we could escape together.
Mali again yelled for them to attack me. Throwing my shield toward the balcony, I guided the magenta-glowing weapon toward Mali. The shield struck the Elf in the chest before returning to my hand.
The Gathering member let out a final, echoing cry. His body trembled violently. Limbrica backed away in shock and dread. Cracks of magenta light split across Mail’s skin before he began to unravel. Flesh and bone disintegrated into shimmering magenta.
Panicked cries filled the streets. Elves fled into their homes. Only the most bloodthirsty warriors remained to claim their vengeance.
Just under the Elves’ cries, a strange noise beckoned from the mist below the bridge. My mind raced with what beast might have been waiting for Roque in the deep gully.
When I leapt onto the bridge, the Elven warriors switched gears. Rather than using their energy weapon against me, they reached for their trusty bows. I lifted my shield over my head as arrows rained from above.
Reaching the spot where Roque fell, I didn’t hesitate before jumping into the eerie, opaque mist. The cold air smelled of wet stone and decay. How many bodies of vanquished foes festered at the bottom of this gorge? Where in the impenetrable darkness was my mate?
As I dropped into the gully, the strange, fleshy noise echoed louder, warning of an approaching beast. I didn’t fall far before colliding with a massive scaly creature moving upward in the mist. The beast’s flesh felt like polished armor while its heartbeat belonged to Roque.
After hooking my shield to my harness, I gripped a spike at the base of Roque’s powerful neck with one hand and stroked him with my other. The red dragon made a noise akin to a purr. My mate knew I was the one riding him.
We ascended out of the darkness, evoking screams of horror from the Elven civilians and shocked reactions from their warriors. Like the ancient ones, dragons had become more myth than true threats. Now, one hovered over Elatalora.
The dragon’s armored flesh bore the subtle sheen of molten lava.
Roque’s head was both regal and fearsome, framed by a crown of curved horns and ridged bone spurs.
His jaws opened to reveal razor-sharp fangs.
He exhaled thin tendrils of smoke. His eyes gleamed like moonlight on steel, staring through our enemies.
His mighty wings flapped at a steady beat as he faced off with the Elven warriors refusing to flee.
With a deafening roar capable of shaking rooftops and shattering glass, Roque warned of the impending carnage.
The Elven warriors stood tall and unleashed their weapons.
Arrows and energy bursts were met by Roque’s fiery exhale.
A torrent of flame seared the warriors. The heat burned through stone buildings, leaving behind a blistering inferno.
Even the ages-old bridge crumbled under the power of Roque’s newly found flames.
Screams echoed throughout Elatalora. Wood and stone buildings collapsed from the spreading heat. The city, once proud and thriving, shuddered under the shadow of its doom.
Roque’s body vibrated with rage. He could have laid waste to the whole of Elatalora. I wouldn’t blame him for leaving only destruction behind. The more he punished the Elves, the greater the fear he would create in our enemies.
The Bane Shifters were designed as weapons, but they chose to live peacefully for a hundred years. Combat wasn’t their natural state. Unlike Mali and his warriors, Roque offered mercy.
Roque chose to fly away from Elatalora rather than set the entire city ablaze. I stroked his back, needing him to understand I knew how much he wanted to punish those who hurt us. My mind flashed with the memory of his flesh torn away. He may have healed quickly, but he still felt pain.
I wasn’t certain how long Roque could remain in his dragon form. Rather than finding a spot to land, he flew for miles, over woodlands and valleys.
I spotted several bevies of New Armgard warriors in the distance. The females thundered across the open plain, their horses galloping hard beneath them. The warriors’ armor shone in the morning sun. They wore war paint across their cheeks and braids in their hair.
Slowing their approach, the New Armgard warriors spotted us. I waited to see if they would attack. I recognized every single one of the thirty warriors. I grew up with them. We trained together, shared meals, and viewed each other as family. Now, they were racing to Elatalora to kill me.
Rather than hate them, I pitied my Armgard family, who hadn’t experienced the mate bond. If they understood the need, they wouldn’t raise their swords against me.
I waved down at the New Armgard warriors below. Whether they recognized me or simply froze at the sight of a dragon, the warriors did nothing more than watch us fly past them.
Glancing back, I hoped the New Armgard warriors might find their way to Mt. Elysium. The only question was whether they would arrive as my allies or enemies.