Yvan launches himself toward me with renewed force, everything about the scene taking on a horrifying vividness as he blasts his way forward. Vogel lifts my wand arm ever so slightly and begins to murmur a spell through my mind, his focus sharpening on Yvan’s wings.

Get back, Yvan! I yearn to scream. He’s luring you!

And then Vogel thrusts my wand arm violently forward.

A gale-force blast jets through my arm, billowing painfully just under my skin. It blasts through and out of my wand toward Yvan in a dark, churning stream, my gut heaving as this small portion of my magic slams into his chest and he’s blown backward, his wings forced into furious backbeats, shock crackling through his fire aura.

He rapidly rights himself, and even though our bond has been broken I can sense his passionate determination redoubling in the flow of his fire. Gold-glowing hands slashing, he rapidly takes out three more Shadow dragons with bright, sonic booms, then renews his surge toward me.

Vogel’s seismic hate detonates. Winged demon!

The horde parts before me as I’m flown toward Yvan, Vogel once more drawing up only a fraction of the power I’m capable of, even as he patiently gathers an annihilating ball of magic in my center. The rancid certainty swells in my breast—Yvan’s love for me will be his undoing.

Because Vogel will have me strike at him again and again, whereas Yvan won’t strike at me even once.

My heart sheared through, Vogel forces my wand arm toward Yvan.

A huge bolt of blade-sharp vine streaks from my wand’s tip, but Yvan dodges it in a fiery blur, slashing out flame to singe the bolt to ash. He arcs around, his scorching eyes meeting mine, and a feral panic overtakes me as Vogel gathers my fuller power, my body trembling.

“Elloren!” Yvan snarls as he blasts a path forward, eyeing my shielded form. “Can you speak through his hold?”

Slowed to a hover, I level my wand at his chest.

Yvan fans out his wings, halting his momentum as his eyes lock on to mine with burning intensity. Snarling, he throws his palms out to the sides.

Fire blasts from his hands, my dragon bucking beneath me as Yvan’s flame lashes around us to form a great, shielding orb, the advancing Mages and Shadow world cut from sight.

“Drop the wand, Elloren,” he commands, teeth gritted. “Hook into my fire power, force Vogel back, and drop the wand.”

My mouth is forced into a cruel, mocking sneer as the Void presence inside me burgeons. “Beast,” Vogel wrenches from my lips, everything within me violently rebelling against the word. “Filthy. Winged. Beast!”

Yvan’s look of shock lasts for one unbearable second, swiftly replaced by one of lethally intent purpose, his eyes narrowing to two furious embers.

He lunges for me, and it all happens at once.