“
His scales were smooth and hot beneath my palms but I managed to gain purchase by grabbing hold of his wing and hoisting myself higher.
His body was trembling beneath me and he bellowed in pain again, urging me on faster.
I reached up, grabbing a thick spine which ran down the centre of his neck before coming face to face with the creature from my nightmares.
The Nymph shrieked, lunging at me faster than should have been possible and I almost lost my grip on Darius as I fell back.
My heart lurched violently but I managed to catch the top of his wing, swinging myself around as that paralysing rattle juddered through my core, halting my magic in its tracks and stealing my energy from me.
Fear shot through me as the Nymph pounced, its probes aimed right for my chest.
I screamed, throwing my fist out even though I knew it was no good. As my knuckles connected with the bony ridges of its face, pain exploded through my hand swiftly followed by a flood of red and blue flames.
The Nymph shrieked so loudly that I threw my hands over my ears as the flames consumed it, a wisp of black smoke sweeping up towards the sky where it had been moments before.
I fell forwards, my palms meeting the warmth of Darius’s blood as I braced myself against him.
More Nymphs were running straight for us and with an echoing roar which vibrated right through my body, Darius destroyed all five of them with a torrent of Dragon Fire.
His head fell forward as he used the last of his energy and I cried out, grabbing hold of his wing as he tilted sideways beneath me. He crashed to the ground on his side and through some miracle, I managed to keep hold of his wing before falling against his neck. I wrapped my arms around him, scrunching my eyes closed as a tremor tore through his body and the golden colour of his scales seemed to shine with inner power and heat.
My stomach lurched and I released a scream as I found myself falling over ten foot down to the ground as Darius retreated into his Fae form.
I kept hold of him as I fell, crashing down into the mud of the Pitball pitch on top of him with a cry of fear.
All around us the fight raged on but beneath my hands, blood was pulsing from his chest and he was lying deathly still.
“Darius?” I demanded, shaking him while still trying to press down on his wounds. It wouldn’t be enough though, his back and legs were bleeding too. A bloody gouge shone wetly on his neck and his breaths were far too shallow.
“Help!” I shouted, though my eyes stayed fixed on Darius’s face and my heart was pounding the rhythm of a war drum in my chest.
The hairs were rising along the back of my neck, a strange sensation prickling in my chest. This moment felt eternal and fleeting all at once, like we were hanging between two great points and everything could change on the turn of a coin.
“Wake up!” I demanded, pushing my magic towards him in hopes of being able to do something.
Instead of stopping the blood or healing him, my magic spilled into his body, merging with his in the reverse of what we’d been doing when he helped me with my fire magic.
His power welcomed mine instantly, drawing it in, blending with it completely like it had been waiting for this moment. The feeling took my breath away and though it didn’t slow the blood, I felt the tension ease from his muscles and the fear loosen its grip on his heart.
My hands were shaking as they ran slick with Darius’s blood and silent tears tracked down my cheeks.
His heart was slowing down, his power flickering like a candle in a breeze. If someone didn’t get to us soon, Darius Acrux was going to die.
And though it seemed like he should have been the last person in the world for me to care about after everything he’d done to me, I wasn’t sure I could bear it if I lost him here.(tory)
”
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