Page 126 of Circle of Shadows
Because of that, she tried to act like everything between them was the same as it had always been, though it felt like wading upriver in a storm. “Wow,” Sora said, rolling her eyes affectionately at Fairy. “You’re still a flirt, even in the middle of a war.”
“It’s evidence of good character that I’m consistent,” she said.
Daemon nudged Fairy playfully with his nose.
Sora looked away. She had to think about something else. “Come on, we should probably catch up with the rest of the taigas.”
But then a voice boomed from the top of the hill. “Did you think it would be that easy to walk away from me?”
“Prince Gin.” Sora paled.
Suddenly, the road beneath them roiled and broke open. It roared as more spears of bloodstone shot out of the ground, like thousands of dragon talons. One of the claws knocked Daemon into the air. Sora screamed and clung to his back.
He righted himself before they hit the ground, and they darted into the sky.
Beneath them, the path that had once led to Rose Palace continued to rip itself asunder. More talons pierced through the earth. Some speared straight through unfortunate taigas. Others closed around them and lifted them ten stories offthe ground, trapping the soldiers in prisons of stone dragon claws. Those who were trapped tried fruitlessly to smash the claws or pry them apart as the talons curled together, the spaces between narrowing to close the prisoners in.
“Wolf! Help!” Fairy teetered at the top of one of the talons. She held Broomstick by the back of his tunic, but the fabric was slipping. If she lost her grip, he would fall into the stone claws’ clutches.
“Hang on,” Daemon shouted.
Sora pressed herself flat onto his neck and clamped her legs to his sides. They dove straight down. Blue light streaked behind them. The wind shrieked in Sora’s ears.
As they descended, new claws shot out of the ground and tried to snatch them from the air. Daemon swerved.
“Crow’s eye!” Sora clung to his fur as they dodged in and out.
“I can’t hold Broomstick much longer!” Fairy shouted. The talon she perched on began to close toward the others, threatening to impale her on another claw.
“Go now!” Sora yelled into Daemon’s ear.
He darted out of reach of another stone claw and streaked toward Fairy and Broomstick again.
Sora held out her hand.
Broomstick reached.
Their fingers met and locked. “Let go!” Sora said to Fairy.
She released Broomstick, and Sora swung him up onto Daemon’s back. They flew up and away from the claws.
“Are you all right?” Sora asked.
Broomstick nodded, securing himself into Daemon’s blue fur. “We have to go back for Fairy.”
“Already on it.” Daemon looped around and dove down again.
“My dear taigas,” Prince Gin’s voice projected from his bloodstone castle to the soldiers captured below. “Your empress is dead. I am the ruler of Kichona now, which means the Society answers to me.”
“Hurry!” Sora said. “He’s going to hypnotize everyone!”
Daemon growled and flew faster. Sparks flew in Sora’s face, briefly burning as they bounced off her skin.
They neared the dragon’s claw. Sora stretched her arm out again, and Broomstick held her waist to help keep her on Daemon’s back.
“Fairy! Give me your hand!”
Fairy climbed up onto the talon, trying to keep her balance as it shook her, attempting to jostle her into the cage of taiga prisoners in its palm below.
