Koldis the Green (DRAGONWALL SERIES 4)

CHAPTER 33: FROM STONE TO SCALE

The Gable Forest

Claire felt Kane's grasp around her wrist biting into her skin, but she could see nothing. Blind. Vision seared by intense white light, brighter than sunlight. The world froze around them. A voice spoke. A voice that had her crying with relief. The bright glare from Taylynn's magic dissipated, revealing the Sprite princess in the middle of the clearing, arms moving, wind ripping around her, sending her hair wild, drawing dead leaves to her like a furious tornado.

Kane released Claire and stumbled back, cursing. He muttered incants of his own as Taylynn moved against him, snakes of dark smoky magic curling around him as they battled.

"Protect us!" Taylynn shouted at her, keeping her entire focus on Kane.

There was no time to question it, no time for relief. She blinked, recovering, before jumping into action. Stepping close to Taylynn, she took over to keep the torrent of air around them like a barrier, protecting them from the black vines that continued to threaten them.

Taylynn was quick on her feet, her sing-song voice rising over Kane's chanting. A nearby tree, blackened and dying, cracked. Taylynn sent it straight for Kane. He lifted his arm and spoke a few words, blocking the attack. Taylynn moved faster, pulling more dead debris toward Kane, sending more magic to push him back. Kane had the same idea in mind, sometimes redirecting the path of flying objects towards them. It took all Claire's focus and concentration to keep the protective barrier of air and wind roaring around them.

Over the roar, she could barely make out Taylynn's shout. "Claire! We must get him through the portal. Eject him from the forest!"

The portal. Right. She had to get him through the wall of water and destroy it. Her barrier faltered for a moment.

"Stay focused!" Taylynn cried.

She dodged a stray wisp of Kane's magic. It ricocheted around the clearing. Heart thundering in her chest, she pulled more air, wrapping it around them again. She didn't allow herself to think about all the pain Kane had caused her, about how she badly wanted to destroy him here and now. She especially didn't let herself think about what he had done to Cyrus.

You are not ready to take him on and survive, Cyrus said in answer, reading her deepest thoughts even though they were so far buried.

She did as Taylynn said. She stayed focused. Taking a deep breath, she kept the blossom at the back of her mind, then she did something she'd never done before. She partitioned the forefront of her mind, leaving part of it focused on air's element. But only a segment of it. Then she focused on earth, on summoning it.

But...

In a dead place like this, earth wouldn't answer. And yet...she felt a stirring, far, far away, a whispering of life. Felt it responding to her.

She called up what she wanted, called up vines, growing them far from the clearing and bidding them come, to help, to protect. The words of her song formed in her mind without much thought. Lifting her voice loud enough, she ensured that the forest would hear her. She flexed her hands, an instinct, reaching, telling the vines exactly what she wanted. And she saw them obey—willingly. Saw them eager to answer her call, eager to please. They would not refuse Isabella's heir—never.

Deep green appeared—a direct opposite to the blackened deadness around them. Creepers like octopus tentacles flung themselves into the blighted area behind Kane. They wrapped around him, around his ankles and then his legs before he noticed. Then they tugged. He gave a shout of surprise. The vines flung him, sending him backwards before releasing him.

"Good!" Taylynn shouted. "Good!"

Gulping in breaths of air, Claire watched, wide-eyed as Kane flew straight for the wall of water. Then he was through it, landing on the floor of his cave, sprawling. He jumped to his feet, but not fast enough. Taylynn slashed her hand through the air, freezing the water into place. The ice sheet shattered like glass, splitting the silence with a resounding crack so loud it rang in her ears. Thousands of glittering fragments rained down onto the dead forest floor, turning to droplets once more, soaking into the blackened earth.