Someone shouts and then the sound is picked up by students on both sides. More magic explodes through the trees, shaking the air itself and making flashes of light that are blinding. Shadows stretch long as students clash, weapons swinging and sabotaged blades exploding into dust, providing a small advantage for our side.

“Stay to the back,” Raith says, one hand held protectively in front of me as he uses fire to blast away a small vortex of air someone threw at us.

"I can help," I whisper, nodding toward Malakai's closest ally—a muscular earth whose elemental resembles a bull made of living stone. Together, they’re both smashing away students, triggering stasis tokens left and right. "I'll need to get my hands on one of them."

Understanding dawns in Raith's eyes. I feel his concern and worry, but strongest of all is his confidence in me. He believes in my ability to handle myself. To be useful.

Raith gives me the slightest nod. “Be fucking careful, Nessa. I’ll be close.”

We fight our way into the chaos as elementals clash overhead in dizzying displays of power. I see Malakai’s shark swim just past me, biting a girl in the leg and triggering her stasis token.

Raith cuts a line with his sword toward Malakai and the earth. Nobody can touch him. Nobody even gets close. I follow in his wake, rapier ready.

Blue flashes bright and steady like lightning through the chaos. Stasis tokens trigger rapidly at first as the first waves fall and the pace of spells and sounds slows significantly.

Elementals fall from the sky or tip sideways, suddenly frozen as their humans are locked in stasis.

I clench my teeth, trying not to think about what will happen if the last of us falls. Malakai's people will go through us one by one, executing us. We have to win this.

Distantly, I sense Typhon whirling among the elementals like a demon, his serpent form not as deadly as his dragon form but doing more than enough damage. He's single-handedly turning the tide of the elemental battle.

The earth with the stone bull charges me, clearly hoping to overwhelm me with brute strength. I sidestep his initial rush, my blade slicing across his arm. It's not enough to trigger stasis, but it slows him. When he turns for another charge, I don't try to dodge—I step into it, letting him barrel into me just like Brunhild taught me.

Raith senses my intention at the last second, and I feel his sudden alarm and desire to reach me.

But it happens too fast.

The earth charges me, body slamming me as I do everything I can to hold on, hands squeezing as I suck his essence in as hard and fast as I can. Power floods into me, raw and vibrant, filling the emptiness inside. He realizes too late what's happening, tries to pull away, but I've already taken enough.