The impact was hard enough that he remained dazed for a second. All he could think of was that he had to get up, that he had to go on. He was all that stood between the dragon and his mate.
Painfully, Jared dragged himself back up, ignoring the way his left wing ached. Only then did he become aware that the light had changed.
He’d thought that the blinding flash of light had been caused by hitting his head on the stone when he fell.
But he’d been wrong. The light was still there.
It was so bright now that the shadows dimming the light earlier were burning away like mist in the light of the sun. The cave had come to life around them. The crystal had awoken.
Chiara had managed to rouse the fifth dragon at last.
Before the dark dragon could gather his strength for another attack, Jared hastily shifted back into his human form. He forced himself up onto his feet, ignoring his aching body, then grabbed Chiara’s hand.
Quickly, he pulled her with him into the dragon’s cave that had opened for them at last.
He was halfway through the cave, eager to put as much distance between them and Zane as possible, when he realized that something was wrong.
“No one’s there.” Chiara’s voice was shaking with disbelief. “The wall opened—but there’s no one here!”
“There has to be!” He kept running forward as quickly as he could.
Behind them, another roar shook the cave. The crystal vibrated beneath their feet as the sound of claws on rock told them that Zane had shaken off the shock as well.
“Maybe there’s an exit.” Chiara was panting as they kept running. “Maybe somewhere above—that light has to come from somewhere!”
In dismay, Jared stared at the empty dais before them.
It was small, if it was really meant for a dragon. Most importantly, it was empty, although it was lit by a brilliant ray of silver light that fell in from somewhere far above, hitting the center of the dais like a spotlight.
Again they heard Zane’s angry roar.
And then even the new, powerful light dimmed briefly as the dragon breathed a cloud of darkness their way. Through the bond, Jared could feel Chiara’s terror as tendrils of shadows wound around their legs.
The shadows felt strangely solid, like tentacles grasping at them. It was like walking through deep mud—or like quicksand, something malicious and dark that wanted to pull them under.
But the attack was not as powerful as Zane’s earlier attacks had been. It took less strength to fight free.
Something had weakened Zane.
The light. Maybe there’s no dragon here—but the light still harms him.
Gritting his teeth, Jared pulled his legs free from the tendrils of darkness, then helped Chiara break free as well. She was panting for breath, her eyes wide with terror—but she still kept going, her hold on his hand strong and determined.
The dais was right in front of them now. It was made of cool marble that shimmered silver in the eerie light that fell in—and it was unmarked. No dragon’s claws had left grooves in the rock.
Jared swallowed. Still, even without a fifth elemental dragon on their side, they weren’t defeated yet.
If the light weakened Zane, then what would happen if they could lure him into the brilliant cone of focused light that shone straight onto the dais?
Hand in hand, they ran for the light. Through the bond, some of his plan must have filtered through to Chiara, because she ran as if her life depended on it, without stopping for questions.
Behind them, Zane roared in anger when he at last seemed to realize that his shadow tendrils had failed to trap them. A moment later, there was the rushing sound of huge wings beating—Zane had to be coming straight at them now.
Jared didn’t dare to turn around. Even if he shifted into his griffin to face Zane, he wouldn’t buy Chiara more than a few seconds. And then she’d be trapped in here with Zane, all alone.
No. The light was their only chance. If he could trick Zane into entering the cone of light, they had a chance of defeating him. And then they’d get out of here alive.
The sound of wings was terrifyingly close now—but they’d nearly reached the dais.