Memorybound

Chapter 38

Hailey's breaths were coming in ragged bursts and she focused on that, trying to shove the pain out of her mind. She needed to move, needed to do anything. She couldn't heal. There was no magic left. Tears of pain and frustration slid down her face and behind her ears as she watched the sky lighten. She could not even manage to pull herself upright.

The men were staying clear of this area, doing their best to fight the fairies while also staying way from the massive beasts that threatened to destroy anything left on the battlefield.

Lillith lunged for her, and Hailey screamed, knowing that at any moment, she would die, but Isabella slammed herself between Hailey and the other dragon. The claws that would have ended Hailey's life ripped into Isabella's front leg.

"Take a scale and heal yourself!" Isabella shouted in her mind.

"What?"

"Scales are pure magic, even conjured ones like the ones I wear." She gripped a scale in her massive and flung it in Hailey's direction. The silvery scale gleamed despite its being covered in blood.

Hailey couldn't move her legs. In agony, rolled herself over. Then, she dragged her body across the ground, using her elbows to move her forward, reaching for the scale as she went. A man ran past, screaming, a fairy floating in his vision. Hailey tried to scream, but he stomped on her outreached hand. Her entire body screamed at her to stop, screamed at her to lie down and die, but she couldn't give in. The scale was just within reach. Her injured fingers trembled as she grabbed the scale.

"Cosano ossiculum," Hailey chanted, feeling the bones that had crushed mend back together. She cried out in pain. Chest heaving. Magic flooded through her again. She had had nothing yet. Her fingers gripped the scale even tighter. " Cosano nervus, cosano cuticula," she chanted. Feeling shot through her legs, a stabbing pain, and finally the cuts and scrapes all over her body began to heal.

Isabella screamed in pain. The other dragon was on top of her, shredding her belly.

Hailey scrambled forward. She could not let Isabella die, could not let Lillith destroy the mage who had helped Taivalon survive the battle. She clutched the scale and ran straight for the dragons. Aware that she was doing something reckless, she grabbed the tip of Isabella's tail and chanted, drawing power from the scale on Isabella's own hide.

Isabella roared and Hailey jumped back as Lillith was thrown aside. The green dragon glared at Hailey, and charged towards her but Isabella held her off. Hailey threw a fireball at Lillith's face. Lillith growled, but Hailey hit her again and again. Once side of the dragon was a smoking ruin.

Isabella crushed Lillith's head. Lillith kicked at her, scraping her feet down Isabella's stomach and leaving a long red gash on the silvery scales. Isabella was thrown back and Hailey dodged Lillith's green claws.

Isabella was gasping in pain, but Lillith was coming straight for her, a wicked glare on her dragon face.

You can heal yourself, Hailey thought at Isabella. She didn't know if Lillith would learn this, too but couldn't get close enough to heal her ally.

I am a dragon. I cannot speak the words of the spell, Isabella said in Hailey.

You did it before. I don't know how.

Hailey launched a lighting spell at Lillith, scrambling back to stay away from those claws. Lillith froze, lightning crackling over her scales. Then she swiped at Hailey, but Hailey's shield was in place.

Isabella slammed into the other dragon, knocking her back. Lillith launched herself to her feet, wings beating the earth. A cloud of dust and dirt filled the air, making Hailey cough and cringe.