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"The rain to the wind said,

You push and I'll pelt.

They so smote the garden bed,

That the flowers lay lodged;

Though not dead.

I know how the flowers felt."

-Robert Frost

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My hands shook as I placed the final rune.

I could hear the distant roar of the raging war in the distance. I struggled to focus as Dristan's presence in my mind grew less and less like him, and more and more like his dragon. I could feel his feral instincts, could taste his thirst for blood. There was a wild, instinctual fury down the bond, and it frightened me.

I stood, pulling the piece of parchment I'd ripped from my Book Of Shadows out of my pocket. Hastily, I unfolded the aged paper. The words on the page stared up at me, filling me with anxiety. As soon as I spoke these words, the portal would open.

A strong wind swirled around me as my nerves grew stronger. I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, and let out a slow breath.

It was time.

This was it. I was standing on the edge of the future, facing the precipice I'd worked so hard to reach, and the time to jump was here. Summoning all of my determination, I squared my shoulders, turned on my heel, and skated on the wind toward the battlefield.

Trees whipped by, the thorns and branches slicing my skin as I went, but as quickly as the small cuts and scratches appeared, they healed. I pushed myself faster, the aid of the wind beneath my feet and at my back. All of this use of my power should have been draining me, but I didn't feel tired. I didn't feel weak. My body was still thrumming with magic.

When the others had brought me back from the brink of death, giving me a portion of each of their magic, it had somehow filled my being with power. At first, the overwhelming feeling of magic had been uncomfortable, like an itch I couldn't scratch, but now...

It felt more like a blessing in disguise. It couldn't have happened at a better time. While the other's were surely running low on magic after this battle, I was still overflowing with it. It had given me the fuel I needed to have an edge in this fight.

I couldn't help but wonder when that gift might run out.

I shook off that thought and picked up my pace. I was almost there. The ominous sound of the battle ground grew louder with each passing second. The scent of blood hung in the air, the stench sticking to the earth and the moss like fresh morning dew. My nose wrinkled.

Suddenly, the other end of the bond erupted with pain and anger.

An involuntary, sharp inhale of breath sucked into my windpipe, lodging in my throat like I'd just swallowed a stale chunk of mutton. I nearly slammed into a tree, but I twirled to the left, evading the impact.

Dristan...

Something was wrong.

My legs worked into overtime, pushing me closer, and closer...

Until I broke through the treeline.

"NOW!"

The word left my lips just as I flew out of the forest. I hadn't been fully prepared for the sight that appeared before me. I froze, staring at the scene with wide, startled eyes. I was about fifty feet away from the battle, but I could still see everything in great detail.

My stomach rolled and my bowls turned watery as I stared at the countless bodies littering the vast clearing. The ground was stained crimson. The soil, once dry, had turned to blood filled mud, as if the belly of the earth had been cut open and it's entrails were spilling out.

A wave of dizziness crash over me, drowning me with disorientation, and my skin broke out in a cold sweat. The stench of death was overpowering, too much for my sensitive nose to handle. And the scent, combined with the horrific sight of slaughtered soldiers, both human and non-human, sent bile rising up my throat. Sick didn't even begin to describe how I felt in that moment.

I dropped to my knees and vomited.

My hearing seemed to go in, and out, and in, and out. My vision blurred. Distantly, I was aware I should be taking to the skies instead of kneeling on the ground over a puddle of vomit, but I couldn't seem to command my limbs to move. I was frozen with shock. I could hear someone shouting my name. Wiping the back of my sleeve across my lips, I glanced up.

Warrick was nearby, his dark purple wings on full display as they sparkled beneath the sun. He was watching me as he continued to fight, mouthing something at me that I couldn't hear. I wasn't sure if that was due to the deafening roar of the fight, or the incessant ringing in my ears.

I blinked several times, shaking my head as I finally stumbled to my feet. I glanced around the battlefield. All of the dragon soldiers had sprouted their wings. They were taking to the skies, while frantically trying to lift whatever remaining Fae and Wolf soldiers with them that they could manage.

Chaos.

It was absolute chaos.

The human soldiers balked with panicked expressions, confused at the sudden shift in the battle. Several of them began throwing spears toward the flying dragons, shouting and cursing at them. Most avoided the weapons. Some fell.

I tore my eyes away, cringing with horror, desperate to regain control of myself.

My eyes darted in every direction, searching for familiar faces. But my search was interrupted when a group of human soldiers spotted me. They were only a few yards away by the time I noticed them charging toward me. I'd been too distracted by my shock and by my need to locate my comrades.

I whirled on them as they neared, counting four of them in total. A startled gasp left my lips as the closest two soldiers dove toward me, their long, silver tipped spears aimed at my heart.

I responded out of instinct, no thought process involved. I teleported. The two soldiers fell onto the empty ground where I had once been standing, while I reappeared directly behind the other two soldiers who hadn't caught up with them yet.

The soldiers froze in place, stammering in disbelief at my sudden disappearance. My fingers lifted, gliding along the cold, steel hilts of the twelve, small throwing knives strapped to my outer thigh.

Before any of the soldiers could take another breath, I plucked four knives from the leather strap. Taking two in each hand, I twirled in a tight circle. By the time I'd turned and lowered to one knee, the knives had parted from my finger tips, sliced through the empty air, and found their marks.

My aim had been true. Each blade slammed into the back of their assigned soldier's skull, slicing through skin, tendon and bone as if it were thawed butter.

Thunk,

Thunk Thunk,

Thunk.

All four of the soldiers collapsed, instantly dead.

I stood, my eyes latching onto the sky once more. I spotted Torryn in the distance and nearly wept with relief. His golden hair gleamed in the sun, parts of it stained with blood that was not his own. He was desperately trying to help lift soldiers toward the safety of the sky. There was a wolf soldier on his back and a Fae solider clinging to his left calf. He had a Fae hanging from each of his hands, the clothing at the back of their necks clenched in his fists, and was trying to lift them higher into the sky with him.

Away from the danger of the portal that I still hadn't opened.

The clock was ticking.

Tick... Tick, tick, tock... Tick tock.

'Dristan, where are you?!' I shouted down the bond.

Silence answered me.

I turned, searching for my mate. But I found someone else, instead. Warrick was now flying straight toward me, and I thought he might be screaming my name, but I couldn't be sure. Everything was so loud...

Before I could register what he was doing, Warrick dove and scooped me off of the ground. His forearms slammed into me, lifting me into his arms as he ascended higher. If I'd been human, he would've surly bruised the backs of my knees, my upper back, and my ribs.

"Where is he!?" I heard myself shout.

My question was ignored. "You have to recite the spell, Brenya! Now! Hurry!" He answered, avoiding flying spears.

I glanced toward the ground. My stomach dropped. "Warrick, there are still a lot of our men down there!"

"I know." He growled in frustration, tightening his grip on me as he spiraled to the left, avoiding a sudden barrage of arrows. I yelped, gripping his leather chest guard.

"They'll be sucked into another dimension!" I continued, horrified.

"Gods damnit, Brenya!" Warrick snarled, his dark, stormy eyes latching onto mine. Our noses nearly touched. "This is war! Look!" He pointed toward the blood stained field below us, the ocean of men still swarming each other.

He then pointed to the skies before us, where winged men were falling one by one, their wings limp and shredded by arrows and other flying weapons.

"Our men are being slaughtered and with each passing second, more of our brothers and sisters are dying! We must sacrifice some to save what's left! Open the portal, or more of our men will die!"

Tick tock... Tick, tock...

I could taste blood as I bit my lip, my eyes still scanning the crowd below, when a sudden, alarming thought dawned on me. "Is the king down there? Did you see him?" I shouted over the noise.

Warrick frowned, furrowing his brow. "I don't know for sure. I didn't see him, but he must be there. He has to be." He shook his head briefly. "Either way, we have to stop this slaughter!"

So much was uncertain. This plan didn't seem so brilliant anymore. Where was Dristan? Where was the human king? Where was Ronan and his impersonator? How many of our men were dead? How many would be lost in the portal?

Warrick shook me roughly, causing my teeth to sing with pain. "Do it now, Brenya! Now!"

Tick, tick, tock... Tick, tick, tock...

I nodded firmly, reaching for the parchment in my pocket. I pulled it out, eyeing the words on the page while my breathing accelerated.

Here it is. The precipice. And I have no choice but to jump.

I'd never known was true dread and fear felt like until that moment. But when the words left my lips, loud and clear over the commotion below and around us, my voice did not tremble.

"Fi yw'r un pwerus. bydd fy ngair yn cael ei wneud! Daear, dŵr, tân ac aer, dwi'n gorchymyn i chi agor y porth nawr!"

The Dragon Lord's chest shallowly rose and fell as he lay in an unconscious heap at my feet. I'd drained him fully, and before he could fall out of the sky and take me with him, I'd teleported us both a safe distance away from the battle ground.

His breath was labored. He'd been unconscious for nearly five full minutes, now. I frowned as I studied him silently, wondering why I hadn't finished him off yet. Now was the time, and it was a time I had been eagerly waiting for. A time I had imagined fondly, many times.

And yet here he was, still alive, bleeding in the dirt at my feet like a wounded deer ready for slaughter. And I was the butcher, was I not?

Absentmindedly, I tapped my finger against my lips. I had to kill him. Yes... Now was the time. The decision had already been made. He needed to die. He was in my way.

He.

Had.

To.

Die...

A flash of Brenya's face crossed my thoughts.

I winced.

A growl of frustration pushed past my teeth as I crossed my arms and turned toward the fight in the distance. When Brenya lost her mate, it would destroy her. And I would be the cause of her pain. She would be torn apart if he died.

Her heart would break. And I would have to live with the knowledge that I was the one who had broken it. I could never take it back. Killing him would ruin her...

Forever.

The thought was torturing me.

Gods above and demons below, why?! Why the rutting hell did I have to love her?!

I stared out at the scene of chaos, confused. But soon, I rejoiced as my troublesome thoughts were suddenly distracted by a brilliant, growing blue light. The glorious light grew brighter, and brighter, and brighter, as it grew larger, and larger, and larger.

The portal was open.

Dragon's fled higher into the sky, hauling Fae and Wolves with them. They speared through the air toward the forest to escape the growing portal, and I felt my lips stretch into a wicked grin. I watched the earth glow brighter, and the empty space between the light and myself began to shrink. Closer, and closer the portal stretched, covering the land as if it were a massive hand that had reached up through hell.

Immediately, I could feel my body's presence on the other side of the portal. I was there, ready and waiting... Waiting for that split moment when my soul would leave this host, return to my rightful body, and slip back into this realm.

So close... So, so close...

There was a sudden groan from behind me.

I turned, still smiling, and found the Dragon Lord staring up at me in confusion, pain and anger. His hazy eyes sparkled as the light began to reflect inside of them, and he winced, shielding his eyes from the source.

I chuckled, taking a knee to lean close to his ear. "The portal has opened, your grace. The time has come."

I glanced up again, just in time to see the edge of the portal stop only five feet away from where I crouched in the dirt. I had placed us perfectly. I stood, rubbing my hands together in triumph.

But my smile quickly disappeared when Brenya suddenly appeared.

She was flying straight toward us, soaring above the still growing light. The illumination below her gave her an angelic look. She was alone, which was good. I relaxed a fraction. But not fully. She was too close to the light. If she flew any lower, she would be sucked into the portal.

I gritted my teeth, stepping closer to the edge of the glowing, empty hole in the earth. "Get away from it!" I yelled to her.

She arched over me, quickly landing behind me near the treeline. I turned to face her, my back now to the portal. My shoulders sagged with relief, but I instantly felt a pang of jealously when her eyes zeroed in on Dristan.

When her eyes lifted to mine, there was pure fury shining inside of them. She wanted my blood. I'd rather been hoping she would stay away. I needed to kill Dristan, but not in front of her.

But damn it all, the Dragon Lord must've given away our position to her through their mind link as soon as he'd regained consciousness.

"What have you done?" She hissed, taking an aggressive step toward me.

She was still ten feet away, her eyes cautious.

"I see you've gotten rid of those pesky human soldiers." I grinned, ignoring her question. "I killed the king for you... You're welcome."

She blinked in surprise. "You killed the human king?"

I nodded, brushing an invisible piece of dust from my sleeve. "Yes. One less compilation to deal with." I chuckled, nudging Dristan with my boot. He hissed in pain.

"Don't touch him!" She snarled ferociously. She moved toward me, but I was faster.

I teleported, disappeared and then reappearing above her mate before she'd moved three feet. I roughly grabbed him by the throat and dragged him to his feet, holding him in front of myself like a shield. She froze.

I smirked as her expression shifted from anger, to fear. "Keep your distance, mi vida, or I will kill him." I said. "I need you to leave now. It's not safe this close to the portal."

Her brows furrowed with frustration. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

I felt a sad smile touch my lips. "Leave, now."

In truth, I didn't want her to leave out of fear for her safety. She would be fine as long as she didn't walk into the light if the portal. I wanted her to leave so I could kill Dristan. I had to kill him before I went back to my own body, but I didn't want to do it in front of her.

I should've done it earlier, God's damnit.

She bared her teeth as she lifted her hands, palms facing me. They began to glow.

I quickly brought my dagger to her mate's throat. "Ah, ah..." I tutted. "Don't even think about it."

I could feel my body's presence on the other side growing more and more solidified. I had to jump back into my own body, and soon. The portal had already been open for too long...

The consequences would be dark if it stayed open much longer. Not just for Brenya, but for all of us...

Her hands lowered, and tears began to flow down her cheeks, though her expression was pure fury. "I will kill you. Stop hiding behind him and fight me, you coward!"

I grinned. "You want to fight me, do you? You'd like to kill me? Right now, this very moment?"

"Very much so." She hissed.

"Well, you could try..." I shrugged. "But even if you succeeded, I would not die. I would simply return to my own body. Ronan, however... He would definitely die."

Uncertainty crossed her features.

"I don't think you want to kill your friend... So, I'll say it one more time." I continued slowly. "Leave. Now."

Defeat shimmered in her much too large eyes. "Please..." She begged. "I can't leave without him. I've done as you asked. I've opened the portal where you wanted it. Give him to me, and I will go!"

My eyes caught a flash of movement in the skies. My grip tightened on the Dragon Lord, extracting a low groan of pain from his lips, as the dark skinned dragon suddenly shot from the sky and landed beside Brenya. His eyes locked with mine. I smiled at him warmly, pressing the knife more tightly against his comrade's throat.

Closer, closer, closer the time came... I had to leave, soon. But not until I dealt with Dristan.

"Warrick, I told you to go and wait for me-" Brenya began, but he ignored her, pushing her body behind his own, and turned to face my fully.

"Let him go." Warrick growled.

I cocked my head, pouting my lower lip out in mockery. "No."

He took a step toward me, but Brenya pulled him back. "Don't! He'll kill him!"

"I'll cut off his head before he has the chance." Warrick shot back at her.

"And you'll kill Ronan in the process!" She shouted.

He paused, his brows furrowing. He bared his teeth at me, growling deeply.

My grin grew wider. "Good doggy. Listen to your master and run along, now."

"Go..." Dristan groaned. "Take her away from here... Don't forget your promise to me, Rick..."