Page 155 of Nightbane
She was back on Lynx in a moment, hurtling through the battle. Hope bloomed once more. Much of the Nightshades were dead.
They had a chance, Isla thought. It looked like they could win.
Until a crack sounded through the world, and dreks filled the sky. There were hundreds of them. So many, they looked like nighttime sky ripped to flying shreds.
They were everywhere. Skylings fought back, with their metal-tipped arrows, and some of the creatures were shot down, but they were quickly replaced.
A flash like a bolt of lightning shot above her—someone was twirling a special metal-tipped sword and traveling so quickly, they went through one of the dreks. The creature died instantly and fell, crushing a group of Nightshades.
Zed.
He really was that fast.
Isla breathed in and out, trying to focus her energy to the sky. She had one of the metal-tipped blades in her belt. With a shot of power, she might be able to take one of the beasts out. Just as she was about to try, a drek dipped low, and she was knocked off Lynx with the force of its wings. She hit the ground, and the air was stolen from her lungs.
Lynx lunged for her but was immediately surrounded by Nightshades. She gasped for breath, watching helplessly as he was surrounded in shadows.
No.
Two figures came crashing down from the sky.
Ciel and Avel.
Relief rained down her spine. “Thank you,” she croaked as Ciel reached a hand to help her up.
Even now, they were still watching out for her. Even—
Ciel’s kind face twisted in shock as a drek’s talon went clean through his stomach.
Avel’s scream shattered the world. She rushed to catch her twin in her arms, her hands shaking as she tried to keep all the parts that were falling from him together.
No. With a roar, she turned the drek to ash. She fished in her pockets for one of her last remaining vials of Wildling healing elixir. She poured it all over Ciel’s injury, hand shaking.
It was too late.
His eyes were cold and unblinking.
Avel cradled her brother in her arms and screamed.
This was her fault. Ciel was trying to helpher.
Dreks landed all around, tearing limbs.
“You need to get up,” Isla told Avel. “They’re going to—they’re going to—”
She refused. She cradled her brother and wouldn’t even look at her. Tears swept down Isla’s face as she created a small dome of Starling energy around them both, hoping it would hold.
She heard a growl. Lynx. He was fighting off too many soldiers. Isla gathered her power and raged against all of them, until they were nothing but dust.
Her energy was drained. She fell to her knees, and Lynx shielded her with his body.
Through his legs, Isla watched, helpless, as death drowned everything around her. The dreks were endless. Grim must have made more.
It was just like her coronation. Limbs being torn. Screams turning to silence. Bodies fell from the sky more than dreks did. The flight force had been reduced to just a few units.
They didn’t stand a chance.
The island would fall. Oro would die. She would die.
