Page 103 of Shadow Wings

With an earsplitting roar, I reared up. The Druman inched forward, and when I hesitated, they took the bait and rushed me. Just before they attacked, I dropped down, slashing my talons sideways in front of me. Like deadly blades, my claws cut through their flesh and bone as if their bodies were softened butter. Their dark blood gushed, pooling on the rocky ground, and their bodies heaved and then fell still. The Druman stood no chance against Drae. I bellowed mytriumph.

Welldone.

The strain in Tyrrik’s voice startled me, and I couldn’t help glancing in his direction. He released more flame, but the fire did not extend as far as it had, nor did it burn with the same intensity as it had before. The flames were red and dull, no longer bright and vibrant, and the deeper reds, oranges, and whites were gone. I turned inward, studying the bond betweenus.

Terror doused me, and I stood ramrod straight. How was that possible? In only a few minutes, the inky black had waned and faded to a hazygray.

Are you okay?I asked, my alarm holding mecaptive.

Don’t getdistracted.

Toolate.

A Druman landed on my shoulder, startling me back to the fight. A heavy pressure pounded on my left and then my right side. The pressure and movement made it impossible to determine if there was one or two of the creatures on me. I mimicked Tyrrik’s earlier movements, bucking and twisting, but the Druman clung tenaciously, and I couldn’t dislodgehim.

Tyrrik’s roar rent the air, but he was surrounded by an unrelenting horde and unable to helpme.

The Druman crawled up my back; I could feel him pulling himself higher, using the bumps on my spine to aid him. I shook my body, arching and whipping my tail, but he continued to climb. Another Druman appeared and ducked under me to get to the softer side of my underbelly. I shuffled to find him, but he rained blow after blow upon my body. Blistering pain made me see stars, and Iscreamed.

I fell to the ground, hoping to crush him, but I saw him dart from underneath even before I landed. As I heaved my body up to whirl on him, a root shot from the ground and skewered him through the heart. The Phaetyn girl raced in, hand bleeding, and swiped her hand across his grizzly wound. In the fraction of an instant, black cracks appeared on his chest, climbing up his neck as her toxic blood entered his system. He opened his mouth and vomited black blood before slumping to the ground. When I’d poisoned Jotun, his Drae side had died in seconds, and it was the same for this Druman except, with a wound to his heart, his human side had no chance ofsurviving.

The Druman on my back reached the base of my neck and wrapped his legs around me. With his feet locked, he punched over and over on both sides. I snarled and boomed in pain. The persistent hammering blows had me seeing red, but I couldn’t find a way to dislodge my opponent andretaliate.

Tyrrik roared in tandem, but he could not reach me. I bent my head to try and escape the Druman, and my vision snagged and halted as I caught my mate’s gaze through the chaos between us. He faced me, frozen at attention, his eyes glowing black. The Druman swarmed him, but he stood still, so distracted by my pain he was unable to fight back. Several of the Druman surrounding him managed to get a rope over his back and thenanother.

Tyrrik,I snarled. You will not be captured because of me.Fight!

I needed this to be over. One Druman was not going to be my undoing. Out of ideas and unable to dislodge my attacker, I rolled onto my back. My instincts screamed in protest, and I couldn’t hold back the bellow of pain as the fine bones of my wings bore the heavy weight of my reptilian body. I wriggled, still on my back with the Druman pinned, and then repeatedly banged my neck backward until I felt his grip release. I rolled back to my feet and jumped, leaping as high as I could without taking flight. I landed, coming down on the Druman’s head with the full weight of my body, and felt his skull pop beneathme.

“There are no more here,” the Phaetyn girl yelled tome.

I nodded once at her, relieved she recognized me as a friend, while panting to catch my breath. Despite all I’d been told about instincts, I was exhausted by this activity I was so unfamiliar with. How was Tyrrik doingthis?

The Druman tossed another rope over Tyrrik, and I took three bounding steps in his direction before pulling up sharp at his menacingwords.

If you come over here, I will never forgiveyou.

I’d never heard him use that tone, and the certainty of his statement rang through me. I whined low in my throat, a sound of worry and care, pleading with Tyrrik to let me help him. There were so many of them, and they were winning. I studied the tendrils of our bond, whining again as I saw the vibrant blue nearly overwhelming all traces of black. No, not black, a dull, flat gray. My mate was weakening fast, and I rose up to count; there were still dozens of Druman alive—dozens of Druman still assaultinghim.

They threw another rope over Tyrrik, and several Druman on either side pulled himflat.

No! Tyrrik, no,please.

Shh, Princess. You must take the Phaetyn and get out of here. I’ll join you back atGemond.

I wasn’t a fool. My mind raced as I tried to think of how I could help him. I could hear the doubt in his voice and feel it through our bond, and while he begged me not to go to him, I wasn’tleaving.

Please, can I come over there?I knew I could help. I could do something. I had to.Tyrrik, please.Please?

The Phaetyn girl gasped beside me as Druman crawled overTyrrik.

My heart pounded, and a roar filled my mind. There was no more time to think. Every fraction of every second lessened the possibility of success, and I wouldnotfail. I would not lose my mate. I would not let him sacrifice himself, not when I could savehim.

And I could. I could savehim.

Even knowing this would change my life—knowing in my mind, my soul, and my body that I would be bound to Tyrrik forever, that we would never be separated, that I would never be just Ryn— Ihappilysaid goodbye to the girl I’d been because somewhere along the line, I’d already accepted this moment. And I wasn’t worried. I wasrelieved.

Closing my eyes, the threads of our bond drifted into focus. So little black, the plainness of my blue threads was heartbreaking. I wanted the contrast of his onyx black wrapped with the blue of my Drae energy. The beauty of our bond was in the contrast and compliment of colors, and I wanted his strength, chivalry, and support in my life. I wanted his wisdom to balance my naivety, his humor to lift me from sadness, his soberness to ground me, and his strength to protectme.