I felt as if my world didn’t matter anymore. My heart was heavy. The one thing I had sworn wouldn’t happen, did. Myra had died thanks to a god! Damn him! He could return her life instead he disappeared and the council attacked us pushing us to the brink. I didn’t have the spirit to fight anymore. Neither did the others. Our reason for fighting was gone. Myra was gone. Nero was in shock. Datha was trying to help him but he didn’t respond well. I understood it wasn’t his fault but I felt anger at him still. He should have done something to stop himself! He should have...what? Who of us can fight against a god? I couldn’t and Myra might have had a chance if it was just powers but there was also physical ability in it and she didn’t know how to fight.

  She could throw a mean right hook though as evident from Nero’s nose. Aithne had us bound in her chains and was happily searing us. I growled as another pulse of heat flashed down the chain and over my skin. Arriana had pleaded to make me her new slave but Aithne said they needed more creatures and I would make a spectacular one. Yeah? Over my dead body! We were raised by the chains and wind blades cut through them like cheese. I glanced in the direction of their origin and my eyes widened as I spotted Myra glowing golden and standing hand outstretched. How? She was dead! I was there when her heart stopped and why is she glowing? I twisted and landed unsteadily on my feet, breaking off the chain and rushing to her.

  “How!” I asked.

  “Amel brought me back. Now let’s kick some council butt,” she said as she summoned stone spikes and tried to impale the council. They each took running. Thorn disappeared through a rift taking Gale with him. Siegfried summoned a large spear and attacked, while Medina began to chant. I realized we were all still in the Morgan circles and summoned some wind. I began chanting my anti bird spell I used to rid myself of the spell. The two spells clashed in a bright flash of light gold and red. I grit my teeth and kept chanting. The rings glowed gold and red and began to melt around us from overpowered runes. Myra shot a spike of stone at Medina causing her concentration to break and her spell to waver.

  My spell gained ground. A vortex of gold overpowered the red vortex and shot into Medina causing an unholy shriek to sound from her. Aithne shot her chains at us but Myra made whips of water and batted them away. Shrieking Aithne went up in flames brighter than the sun and like a flamethrower opened up and began spewing fire. I dodged while Myra wrapped herself in dark water and evaded the blast. Siegfried came from behind with his spear and I ran and intercepted with Whirl Devil. I blocked the big stick and gritted my teeth at the strength behind it. I didn’t know how to fight a spear so I summoned my wind and blew Siegfried back before aiming ether blasts at him. He dodged and came in low. I was no match for one of his skill. The move was blocked by another spear and I followed it to a face.

  “I’ll fight my grandfather,” said Boulder as he got into a stance. “Help the others with the witch.”

  I glanced at Myra who was fine then I glanced at my sister and the others and sighed. Except for my sister, the rest had their thumbs up their collective asses! Atesh was gazing at Myra admiringly doing jack to help. Niran was trying to decipher the rings. It was too complicated for him. Ruckus was watching Boulder get his ass handed to him. Nice move there bud. Real smart. Nero was summoning a time rift behind Aithne. Well, at least one was doing something useful. Good old Nero. Oops, Aithne realized the plan and fled to high ground and by that I mean she’s now standing on her thrown and blasting fire. Medina is out. I have to find a way to trap Siegfried so that Boulder doesn’t lose against his grandfather or at least make it out alive! I watched Boulder parry a strike but not be fast enough to avoid another one that sent him reeling to the floor. The floor! That was it! A barrier spell! I rushed to Niran.

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  “We need to make the strongest barrier spell we can,” I said ducking as a water tentacle flew past my head.

  “Watch it!” I yelled.

  “Sorry!” called Myra as she directed the tentacle at Aithne who dodged again.

  “Why?” asked Niran.

  “To trap Siegfried,” I said. We all dodged the fire chains after us.

  “Where?” he asked.

  “Over there. It’s a free patch of stone ground,” I said, pointing to where I was standing before.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  Ruckus finally decided to join Boulder and now Siegfried was having a little trouble between his grandson and him.

  Niran and I developed the ring of runes in a few minutes substituting the Earth symbol for the water symbol. This would cause the barrier to be Siegfried’s enemy.

  “Now what?” asked Niran wiping his forehead.

  “Good, now we get him over here,” I said, smirking and picking up Whirl Devil who I’d discarded for a brush and ink. I joined the fray against Siegfried and slowly led him toward the barrier seal. I ducked a strike and pushed the heavy man into the circle.

  “Now, Niran!”

  “Close the gate! Protect us from this enemy!,” he chanted and the barrier was up. It was made of water, Earth’s mortal element. I turned to face where Myra was battling Aithne. How could we stop that witch? I thought for a moment and saw Myra sigh before covering herself in water and rushing the witch. Orange power left her and the witch was immobilized. When Arriana tried to free her mother, she found herself wrapped up in water tentacles that loved squeezing every time she said Behemoth. I sighed. Three council members were down and two were unaccounted for. Those two were pretty important, but right now all that mattered was that Myra was alive. I raced over to her and gave her the biggest hug I could, picking her off the ground and swinging her slightly. She laughed and someone cleared their throat. It was that man! I growled and pointed Whirl Devil at him. Myra chuckled and left my arms.

  “Alright, you can take them,” she said and the man sunk a hand into her chest and pulled a glowing ball of squiggly things. A time rift opened where she was standing sucking her in. She didn’t even scream as she disappeared. I bent over it and screamed her name before glaring at the man.

  “Why!”

  “Because it’s time you returned,” he said and kicked me in. I tumbled through stars and galaxies and then the dark sky was above me and I was falling head first through the clouds. I closed my eyes and let the wind take me wherever.