"Let's not jump to any extreme conclusions." I say hesitantly, blocking a blow from a marble sword at my right with an ice shard I'd conjured up in an instant. Still the better part of me wants to believe the best in this demon that has me infatuated; I almost cringe at how naive I must sound to Claire.

She sends me a look and dodges a swift slice from another sentinel, sliding onto the ground and slicing at its ankles. It howls in pain, and I almost feel like throwing up.

These things couldn't feel pain, they aren't real. They were just doing what demons do best and toying with our emotions. Anything can be deceived when your heart is made of gold and pierces at any sign of hurt.

"Shut it." I bark at it, it's red eyes narrow at me as I swing the shard and dislodge it's head from its shoulders like a hot blade to butter.

"I don't like the hold this guy has on you— he's clearly going to hurt Atticus—!" She's interrupted in her momentum as three more sentinels charge at us, thunderous steps making my sensitive ears shudder.

I scoff at her as I get read to stab and slice with all my might.

"If this were Atticus betraying us—" I start, but the look she gives me is almost too scalding to continue. I'm immediately filled with shame as her eyes soften for a second— that was a big mistake. One of the sentinels take her unready stance as an invitation and slices for her abdomen, she narrowly dodges it but it still somehow manages to nick her a bit. She hisses in pain as I lunge toward the monster and shove my ice shard into its eyeball and kick its body with all of my strength into the other two sentinels reaching us.

At this rate we are going to lose.

Despair clings onto me as Clair clutches her stomach— eyeballs glossy with tears.

I need help. I need help. I need help.

More that twenty sentinels are advancing toward us and we had only just begun the battle— this can't be the extent of my power.

A low thrum of a vibration starts below my feet as the whole palace shudders in— pain?

I look at Claire as her veins begin to glow orange, spreading through her like a wildfire that was untamable. Her eyes grow alight and her smile is too sinister to process as she steadies herself and kicks off her slippers.

"I've got this. Go. Make sure my Atty leaves with you guys." She says, lifting her shoulders in a powerful stance.

"I can't leave you, you're injured and—" I try to sputter out, but she only grins harder.

"What's a couple more hands to rip off?" She says with glee. She's almost got this psychotic gleam in her supernatural eyes, but I shake my head.

"To leave you would be a death sentence." I say, staring in defiance.

"And to stay would be all the same, go!" She all but growls at me.

"Trust me." She closes her eyes as the vibrations in the palace seem to get stronger and I realize, it's her. She's the one hurting everything.

The volcanic floors. My brain almost makes a clicking noise as I realize what's happened and accept what's to come.

She'd probably rip this place up and melt it with lava before she let herself admit defeat. Trust me. She wants me to trust her... and I can't think of any reason not to.

The floors start to glow red in the cracks and heat, I can feel it sizzling, even through my slippers. I curse and make a dash for the staircase; sparing one last glance at Claire.

Except, Claire was no longer herself.

No, what once stood a blonde beauty with a crazed smile and blue gown now stood a creature unlike any id ever witnessed.

Power radiated off of her on waves, almost singing to me. It filled the whole passageway, heating and distorting visions.

Her feathers sprouted everywhere, a Phoenix in every sense powerful and elegant.

Her beak protruded long and sharp, gleaming with light and her wings shining golden.

It was a struggle to grab my mouth off of the floor from gaping at her, and force my feet up the steps to our end goal.

To our father.

And as I heard the screams of false pain behind me, I thought to myself: if my power is anything like hers, I'd die happy. Ice dragon or no.

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