At that, Inky and Midnight swirled closer, bringing with them the others from our pack. The two mists raced at the goddess, slamming her against the side of the castle again, with enough force that the stone and brick shattered under her.

Our mists were not as strong as the wild and free version, but they were also not to be underestimated. Unfortunately, the moment they went for Dannie, the lava creatures went for us.

Can you form a protective barrier against the dead army? I asked Midnight. Give us a chance to get the stone?

It swelled up larger, sparks flying around it. I can hold them for a few minutes. Maybe more if Inky helps.

Do it.

The pair released Dannie, who zapped out at them with her power, but she was either too slow or off-kilter because she missed them completely, her energy shooting into the lava chasm.

Or no, wait, that must have been her plan all along because the second her energy disappeared over the cliffs and into the abyss below, a huge raging wave of red fire rose with it.

Great. Molten tsunami.

“Go!” I screamed to Midnight. “Get the barrier up so we have a chance.”

I barely got my last words out before Dannie’s power slammed Shadow and me into the ground. We hit hard, and if I had been a straight-up shifter still, all my bones would have shattered. As it was, the pain strongly pulsed through my body as she continued to press against us, driving our bodies into the crumbling and broken castle grounds.

How the fuck was she so strong? It just never ended, and even with the cage having drained her as intended, there was still too much for us to counter.

Len had warned us about the stone, and what would happen if it fell into enemy hands, and I couldn’t think of a way to win against her, not when so many of us were losing strength. Digging deeper, I searched for a way to push back again, but there was no give in her attack. No weakness to manipulate.

At least none until our friends finally let loose. Giving us the sort of support Dannie could have had if she hadn’t tried to be judge, jury, and executioner all on her own.

Reece, whom I really hadn’t seen in full-on action before, blasted across the clearing in a literal wall of sand and dust. His power always reminded me of a desert storm, and now I could see why. He stood at the center of it, his energy extinguishing some of Dannie’s as he sent her flying in his cyclonic sandstorm.