Page 21 of We Steal The Flight

“We need to make a distraction,” Black grumbles.

“Lyra’s doing a spell. We can’t risk the Umbral Authority finding out about her, and I bet the other member of the Umbral Authority is still following,” I remind him. “If we leave…”

“We have to leave the academy, don’t we? For now, help the shifters, and then get back in time.” Maz rubs his face. “We can’t leave them to fight. They are mostly children…”

“If we go and fight for the shifters, are we going to have enough magic left to come here and destroy that thing and link ourselves to the academy? We also have Bael waiting in Bloodstone, and he isn’t going to step aside,” Kane reminds us all.

“Do we have a choice?” I whisper. “This is all pointless if they kill all the shifters. Our people.“

“Good thing we worked out a way to kill that thing…” Maz points out. I have one idea, but it is madness.

“I’m a descendant of the goddess, and I have her weapons. I’ve only tapped into one at a time, but I will use all three to win this.” I lift my chin.

Wini clears her throat. “I’m not the best student, but give me the potion. I’ll make it for you and have it ready. You can then focus on everything else.”

“I’ll help her make it. My Latin is good,” Luke adds in.

“What could go wrong?” Maz says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Pretty much everything,” Black responds. “It’s risky, but we don’t have a choice here. We fight and we get back before it’s too late.”

I stare at all the people I love in this room, and a sinking feeling fills my chest. For a moment, all I can hear is the prophecy that changed my life as a baby. “She will fall.”

Chapter 14

“It’s time.”

Maz steps into the cavern, and his words echo. It’s time, but I wish we had more. Everything has been madness since Lyra’s note, and none of us have stopped making potions, spells and anything we can to save our people. Our notes with Aster have been few and far between, but it has been enough for us to know the Mindless are on their trail and killing any stragglers. The cliff side surrounding the academy island is full of camping witches and some of their bonded they brought with them. Lyra’s spell to bring them here has worked, but now it all rests on us to end this for good. We only take a few minutes to gather our supplies, the potions that we need, and the various weapons that Wini and Luke have been able to get out of the academy for us to use.

Black is already shifted, his dark and broody dragon waiting in the chilly night air on the edge of the cliff facing the pool that leads into the sea. Kane and Vale are close to the weapon wall, and they finish gathering everything they need before coming over to me. I move next to Maz and wrap my arms around his waist, and he lifts me up, hugging me tighter. I know I have all of my mates looking at me out of the corner of their eyes as they clip weapons to themselves.

“You don’t leave Black’s side out there. Promise?” Maz asks, lifting my chin with his hand. “They will be after you more than any of us.”

“I’ll stay with Black, just like the plan we made. You three will shift and fight from above. Dragon fire will take out a lot more Mindless than being on the ground will. I have a bag full of healing potions and enough weapons on me for a fight. I’ll be okay and no one will get near me. Black will stop them,” I remind him softly. His dragon flashes into his eyes for a moment before Maz nods once. My plan is to fight and kill the Mindless as much as I can, but also to help the shifters that are definitely going to be injured on their way here. I’m not the best fighter, and I don’t have years of combat training like they all do, but I have my spells. I have my mind, and that is good in a battle too.

They’ll be fighting off the Mindless with their dragons, and we will make sure the people can escape them for as long as possible. We’ve been tracking the Mindless army movements, and Aster has too. When the shifters reach the forest here, they’re going to be trapped in, and that is no doubt the Umbral Authority’s plan. When they’re completely trapped by an army of Mindless and witches, we have to help. It is time…and yet I want to stay here where my mates are safe. It’s completely selfish and irrational, but losing anyone can’t happen today.

“Are you ready?” Kane questions, coming to my side as Maz puts me down. I miss being in his arms immediately, and I tell myself we will have years after this war ends. Years to be with each other, nothing forbidden and nothing to be hidden away. Just us and everything we have fought for. The peace that we deserve.

“No, but I can do this,” I admit. “I’m not stupid enough not to be scared.”

“We won’t let you get hurt,” Vale growls.

I sadly smile at him. “I’m not worried about myself…only you four.” He sighs, and I quickly change the subject. “Wini will get the potion to the forest, and Luke will defend her until we get there. We need to kill as many Mindless as possible before opening the portal to Earth. The timing has to be right, and we can’t just send through an army of Mindless and refugees for the Nexus to deal with. Pretty sure that’s not the best way to have a peace treaty with them, and we need them to look after everyone on the other side of this.” I pat my pockets in my cloak, making sure I have the tarot cards and watch in them. I can feel Minnie in my hair at the back of my neck, hiding away.

“We’ll make sure there won’t be many Mindless left to go through.” Maz cracks his knuckles. “My dragon is itching for a fight.”

“For shifters and for the witches…we’re a bonded race. It’s about time we all started fighting for each other as one, just like we are. That’s the future we’re trying to build.” I remind them all why we are doing this in the first place.

“Agreed.” Kane nods once.

“Be careful.” Maz kisses my cheek before jumping straight off the ledge and shifting into his swift dragon, and I only catch a flash of scales below the murky surface.

Vale doesn’t take a kiss on the cheek. No, he takes everything. He takes a long, deep kiss with his hands sunk in my hair, before letting go and not saying a word to me and leaving to shift.

Kane is left, and I open my mouth to say something, but I don’t find the right words. I won’t say goodbye or tell him to not die. He wraps his hands around my waist to tug me to him, pressing his forehead against mine. Kane lifts the hood of my cloak over my head. “Better to stay hidden,” he murmurs. “The temptation to tie you up here and make sure you can’t leave is extremely high right now.”

I roll my eyes at him. “This is the last fight now. We won’t be separated again.”