Page 59 of Fated for Dawn

The first wave of shimmering figures charged at us. I swung my sword in a wide arc, cleaving through two of them as Raven conjured a spell and hurled it at the oncoming threat. She wasn’t fast enough, but Viper was there instantly, taking it out with a swift, calculated kick.

“Thanks, Viper!” Raven shouted as he slipped back into formation, moving in perfect sync with Ryker as they dismantled foes with terrifying precision.

“Incoming from the left!” Rafe’s voice rang out from above.

I spun just in time to see a group of warriors materializing. Before I could react, a shimmering shield sprang up, deflecting their attacks.

“I’ve got you covered,” Adrien called out, his focus unwavering as he maintained the shield.

“Nice save!” I shouted back.

Suddenly, Lucien’s voice rang out. “Duck!”

We all dropped instinctively as glass vials arced over our heads, shattering on impact and releasing clouds of thick, swirling smoke. When the haze cleared, the attacking figures vanished, leaving only the scorched ground behind.

“Damn,” Chad whistled, momentarily shifting back to human form. “Remind me never to piss you off, Professor.”

Lucien’s lips twitched into an amused smirk. “Noted.”

The battle raged on, with warriors pressing in from all sides. Rafe soared overhead, raining down celestial energy and calling out enemy positions. Zade flickered in and out of the shadows, his presence unnervingly ghost-like, appearing when we needed him most to turn the tide. His shadow-shifting still made me shiver, but I was glad he was on our side.

Alister, despite being human, proved his worth. His centuries of combat experience shone as he directed our movements, spotting enemy patterns I would have missed.

“Evelyn, on your six!” he shouted.

I spun around, blade flashing, and took down the figure creeping up behind me. “Thanks,” I panted, flashing him a grateful smile.

He nodded, already scanning for the next threat. “Ryker, shift now! We need air support!”

With a roar that shook the ground, Ryker transformed into his massive dragon form, obsidian scales glinting under the fading sunlight. Alister vaulted onto his back with surprising agility, and they soared into the sky.

The battle reached a fever pitch, with ethereal warriors pressing in from all sides. Just when I thought we might be overwhelmed, Alister’s voice rang out from above, “Now, Evelyn! Use your lightning!”

Without hesitation, I raised my sword high and channeled every ounce of power I had. The air thickened with the scent of ozone, crackling with anticipation. Lightning exploded from my blade in a blinding web, vaporizing the warriors in a flash and leaving the world momentarily silent.

When the light faded, I stood in the courtyard’s center, panting with my friends. We were battered and exhausted but undefeated.

“Holy shit,” Raven breathed, wiping sweat from her brow. “That was intense.”

Chad nodded, shifting back to human form, grinning ear to ear. “But we did it. We held our own.”

Zade approached, his usual disdainful expression softened ever so slightly. “Not bad,” he said, which was high praise from him. “But don’t get cocky. The real thing will be much worse.”

“Way to kill the mood, Zade,” Chad muttered, but his grin never wavered.

Ryker, the dragon, disappeared behind a tree to change before reemerging in human form and wearing a pair of joggers.

“Zade’s right,” Rafe agreed. “You all did well, but we need more practice if we’re going to stand a chance.”

Alister stepped forward. “With more training, we just might survive this.”

I nodded. “We will survive this.”

23

Evelyn

Iwoke up Monday morning with a knot in my gut. An unshakable sense of dread followed me as I walked toward the Academy.

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