There was nothing that could tear us apart, except Airitech, perhaps, and he was storming the gates, so to speak.

Somehow, the wolf had managed to break into Wruin’s protected lands, and had brought a proper army with him this time. Screams pierced my ears, smoke filled the air, and all I could do was run to find Aska. It had been three weeks, we had all started to hope that Airitech had admitted defeat at least, but we should have known.

Aska was blossoming here, in this place where she didn’t experience pain every day, where she was treated as a being that deserved respect. Her relationship with Abigail had certainly helped. At first, she’d bristled to meet her sister, but now, they were the best of friends.

They understood that their father had kept them apart, and any resentment Aska had felt towards Abigail disappeared upon meeting her almost-twin. Aska’s father had made Abigail out to be the golden child, the perfect one, but Abigail wasn’t perfect to anyone except her mate.

She had her foibles, the same as all of us, and Aska was unsurprisingly pleased to know that. She’d worked hard to build a bond with Endre’s mate, Thyra as well, and Holly, Abigail’s friend.

Aska loved Thyra’s tattoos and wanted some of her own, but said she’d have to travel to all of those places again and she didn’t want to do that without me. I’d been on the verge of moving all of my people back to our own land and couldn’t take the time off so we’d been waiting. Now, we might never get the chance.

“Endre!” I shouted my brother’s name as he fought a ravenous wolf, one bent on latching down on his arm in the hopes of pulling it off. “Shift!” I cried out to him, and Endre did as instructed.

Wruin and Endre might have forgotten our training all those centuries ago, but I hadn’t. I’d been a berserker in those days, wild on mushrooms and the training all men such as myself had come to learn. I went through the mantras now, driving myself into a frenzy as I clutched at the sword in my hand.

I would stay in my human state as long as I could. Then I’d shift.

Wolves and goblins launched themselves at me, but I batted them away with the sharp steel of my blade, blood spraying over me until I was covered. My heart beat out a tattoo, Aska, Aska, but I had to help Endre first.

I heard Endre shout in pain and turned to see two goblins tearing at his legs. I ran to him, hacking at the goblins until they scrambled away on what was left of their own legs.

“Cover my back, I’ll cover yours.” I could see people screaming and running, some in terror, others in glee, as Endre and I forced our way to the tree that was Wruin’s home. He was there, sending the children of his land through a portal to my home.

“Where are the women?” I shouted, looking for Aska but not seeing her. Aska had been released from the prison the night she finally gave in to our bond and had been living with me since.

“On the other side, directing the children.” His face was calm, without panic, but I could see a vein pulsing in his head.

“Where is Aska?” She’d come to visit Abigail earlier in the day and hadn’t returned when I heard the first scream. Now, I looked out, searching for my mate, but saw only a stream of fleeing people headed for portals, and a river of Airitech’s army. Cold, killing fear flooded me as I saw just how many there were.

“I haven’t seen her, Taka.”

I barely heard Wruin’s reply.

Even as dragons, we might not be able to destroy that entire army without destroying Wruin’s lands. I turned back to my brother’s, and knew that this might be our last day in this land. We may soon find ourselves in the halls of old gods.

I shifted as I flew out of the window of Wruin’s home, wanting to get a head start, wanting to give the children a chance to escape at least. Endre followed suit, his mate safe in my lands.

Endre’s black and blue dragon-shape was easily discernible in the sky, but my near invisibility made me a harder target to track. I searched the ground with dragon eyes, but could not see Aska. I rained down fire from the sky, at the back of the river of evil beings flowing into the village that Wruin’s people had built. Endre blasted his own path, and I knew he’d seen what I had; we couldn’t kill those already in the village without killing Wruin’s people.

We had to do this carefully.

Women and men from both of our lands fought the invaders, some were even succeeding, but there were far too many. Even with our efforts, there were just too many. I stopped looking for Aska, and kept spewing fire below, hoping that the day would be one.

Thousands perished beneath our wings, the sounds of our beating wings making the air vibrate. Fires started, went unchecked, and soon, started to consume what was left below. That was what finally drove Airitech’s army out. The fires began to spread.

Wruin joined us just as a fire tornado formed, a demon itself, which sucked up everything and spit out ashes. Those of our people that were left screamed as they ran for portals. I looked at the destruction and felt my guts twist.

There’d been no other way.

From below an unintelligible shout could be heard. This was followed by the sound of a bolt being loosed. The bolt, four feet long, an inch thick, and tipped with a vicious spear, flew at Wruin.

And my brother fell as Airitech fled.