Page 20 of The Last Valkyrie

Magnus pointed and shouted, “Arne, put that fucking fire out!”

“I’m trying!” the iceshaper yelled, but he was forced to keep his shield and sword up to keep draug from feasting on his flesh.

For every one of us, there were at least three of them. It seemed as night dragged on, nearing dawn in the gray sky, the draug only grew more desperate and trained. They fought in wild packs like they were controlled by a hive mind.

I had no doubt they were. We hadn’t located their necromancer, their puppetmaster, and until we did, I feared we were screwed.

The scent of burning flesh, sizzling pine, and sweat filled the theater. Metal clashed with flesh, wood with bone, and I felt myself tiring as I tried to summon my berserk state.

I shifted out of my bear form, realizing it was too clumsy and large to fight in these close quarters. Naked and riddled with nicks and cuts, I found my axe on the ground and snagged it, swinging it wide to keep three draug at bay.

A scream rent the night.

I spun to the sight of Ravinica about to be swarmed.

“Vini!” I bellowed.

Red filled my vision, hyper-focusing my gaze on my beloved. Rage and unbridled barbarism took over, sealing my thoughts away as I tipped over into my berserk trance.

The monsters felt the brunt of my axe—my churning swings and brutal efficiency. My mates had to back out of the way too. I couldn’t control my arms and legs as I got closer to Ravinica. The only incessant thought pounding through my head was the need to protect and kill in her name, until nothing else stood.

One of the cadets nearest me got too close as he fought a draug. I swept my arm out into him, shoving him far—

Face-first into a tree trunk, which he smashed into and slid down, leaving a circle of red blood in the bark.

I didn’t care if I’d killed him. My axe moved seconds later, exploding the draug he had been fighting.

“Grim, no!” Ravinica cried.

She was ten paces from me. I couldn’t calm myself—didn’t know how—until I had her wrapped in my arms. I was her ruthless sentinel and she was my charge. There was no way to blink away the madness swirling through my mind until she was safe.

I got closer. Another cadet fell. Arne toppled onto his back, Magnus stumbled with his bloodsword, one of Sven’s siblings went howling and skittering off to the side, the draug surrounded us.

The turmoil, the pressure, it was too much.

Ravinica screamed again, but not in pain.

In anguish.

Gold motes of light spun through the darkness as I got to her and lifted my axe to protect her.

But she didn’t need my protection.

As the draug throng closed in, great black wings circled our group and beat outward in a huge flurry. Ravinica beat her dragon wings again and sent the dozens of draug sprawling back, flying and careening away.

Her yellow eyes darkened to flames and she became lost in a destructive trance of her own. Energy crackled from her body. The cadets still living gawked at my dragonkin mate in all her glory as she summoned power from deep within her.

Jagged streaks of blue lightning shot out from her, uncontrollable, and nailed everyone around her. They stopped me cold, stealing my berserk state in an instant, before hopping bodies and striking another victim.

With her eyes turning from orange to blue-white, Ravinica struck the entire field with a blanket of sheer energy that put everyone on their asses.

She breathed heavily, murmuring, “Fuck,” as she realized she’d struck her allies just like her enemies.

The draug were worse off, getting the brunt of her elemental lightning strike. They were on the ground, twitching, momentarily unable to get up.

I grabbed Ravinica under her arms and wings. “Come on!”

Our pack and the surviving cadets joined us, getting their bearings before following us north as we escaped the deadly battlefield and made for a new one.

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