For terrible, agonizing minutes Weysh beat the air, hot in pursuit. He followed Noriago out of the city, clear to the mountains. Where were they going? Where was Yenni?! In no class, on no flight, had Weysh ever shot through the air like he did now. A cocktail of terror and fury fueled his flight. Noriago flew over the southern mountains, to the infamous Spider Pass. They soared over an old confection of platforms and bridges built long ago, suspended above tall, craggy slabs of rock. Noriago let out an angry, unintelligible shriek, then let loose with flame, setting fire to one of the forested platforms. The trees burned, turning their stone pillar into a giant torch. What was he doing? Weysh didn’t have much time to wonder, as the other dragon looped in the air and rushed him.

Weysh was more than ready. For weeks he’d been longing to sink his claws into Noriago, rip into his throat with his teeth, shred his wings. They clashed, kicking and snapping at each other.

Oh unholy shadows, the trees were ablaze!

“Source-drawn rain here come and fall!” yelled Carmenna. Yenni followed suit, but their contained rainfalls did little to stop the fire racing down branches, jumping from tree to tree. It had erupted too quickly, and there was simply too much fuel. Soon the heat of it became painful, and the smoke burned Yenni’s eyes. Carmenna coughed beside her and they stumbled to the edge of the plateau by the bridge. Screeches and roars and bright gouts of flame pierced the air above them. Yenni gasped. Weysh was here, fighting Noriago. She swung between relief and terror, pausing even as the heat sent sweat rolling down her back.

“We must move to the other platform,” she shouted to Carmenna at last, struggling to be heard over the crackle and roar of the flames.

“The moment Noriago sees us he’ll light the bridge up! We should wait for Weysh.”

“Weysh cannot smell! He likely doesn’t know we are here. If we want to live we must get across this bridge as fast as possible and cut it away so the fire does not spread. Do you know speed magic?”

“It’s not my area of expertise, but—”

Yenni hunched down before Carmenna. “Then get on my back.”

Praise Ib-e-ji, Carmenna didn’t argue, as Yenni was quite tempted to leave her among the blazing trees. She hooked her arms under Carmenna’s thighs and hoisted her up, flared her strength and speed runes, and ran.

Noriago closed his wings suddenly, plummeting to escape Weysh’s assault. He wheeled in the air and rushed back toward the copse of trees he’d set on fire. Weysh followed, and saw a blur streaking across the bridge. That couldn’t be . . .

Yenni!