Zia and Rik began to swoop down near the edge of the island, just where the bridge to the center island connected. A stone spear protruded from the ground, awaiting Rik as Zia softly floated him down.

  “They're going to try and stop us from moving forward,” Will assessed. He turned back to Irina. “Can you and Prodikor hang behind for a few seconds inside the tower?”

  Daimona expected Irina to protest, but surprisingly, the normally fork-tongued blond nodded amicably. Even Kell seemed shocked by the sudden obedience, practically needing to be dragged by Irina down the stairs.

  “Rik's range isn't far, so as long as we keep the height advantage--” Will didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as Daimona slung one arm around his waist and grabbed Norok by the collar with her other hand. Will squeaked, pounding on Daimona's shoulder blade with a panicked fist. Norok dug his heels into the stone of the tower, his boots scraping noisily behind them as Daimona brought them both to the edge of the tower. They both began rambling frantically at the same time when Daimona took a step onto the edge.

  “Daimona, wait--!!”

  “--You're not seriously about to--”

  But the wind was rushing through her hair, the blood pumping through her veins with excitement. She couldn't hear her brother and Captain's frightened interjections. She was too busy watching Rik hit the ground, pulling the spear free from the ground with ease. Initially, Daimona had hoped Frode would be the first to appear, so she could rightfully get him back for abandoning her back in the woods, but Rik was a much, much bigger fish for her to fry.

  “Norok,” she said eagerly. “Catch me.”

  “She means us, Norok, catch-- catch us!!” Will screamed, a high pitched wail that amused Daimona as she walked them off the edge. Norok's flailed helplessly behind them in the air, before Daimona roughly yanked him forward and held him by the back of his head so he could see their rapidly approaching landing zone. He threw his arms out with a grunt, cushioning them with his magic and floating them down moments before they would've splatted against the ground.

  Daimona landed elegantly, extending a pointed right foot down and slowly lowering herself. She dropped the two boys in a heap on the ground, each falling face first. Norok was the first to sit up, glaring at her with an indignant pout.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  “Just cause I can catch you,” he grumbled, “doesn't mean I always will.”

  “You said that last time too,” Daimona replied with a smirk. “Guess you're too good of a big brother to let me down~!”

  Norok repeated her mockingly under his breath, sneering at her with annoyance as he dusted his knees off and stood up off the ground. “I only did it this time because you threw me off with you,” he huffed, then seeing Will’s offended look quickly corrected, “and you took our cherished captain too, so-- obviously, I had to do my, uh, my duty…”

  “That's enough, Norok,” Will raised his hand with a sigh, lifting himself up off the ground to join the other two. Zia and Rik approached, with Zia trailing behind Rik’s arrogant pace. He held his spear over his shoulder with a mischievous grin.

  “Pretty bold of you to come out to meet us yourself, Saint,” he said airily, aiming the sharp end of the spear towards Will. “But don't think we'll handle you any differently from your joke of a squad. You're just another hurdle to us.”

  Rik continued to taunt them, gesturing to Norok and Daimona and calling them “useless to the cause.” But his monologue was beginning to fade to the back of Daimona's mind. She kept her attention on Zia instead. The strange masked girl seemed idling by, her head slowly tilting off to the side to look up at the tower. Despite the mask, Daimona could tell Zia was just as bored by Rik’s pathetic insults and jabs as she was.

  Zia’s head bobbed slightly, and as she raised a gentle, gauntlet-covered hand over her opaque mouth, Daimona knew she had to strike. Before Norok and Will could interfere, Daimona surged forward, her fist connecting with Rik’s chin from below. His eyes rolled back in his head for a moment, the impact stunning him.

  Zia jumped, visibly startled by the change in action. A bolt blazed in her hand, and she quickly flung it out. The bolt whizzed through the air, inches before Daimona. Then, a bullet pierced through the air, sailing between the space between Daimona's head and shoulder to make direct contact with the bolt. The two collided, and both fizzing out with an array of white and yellow sparks. Zia readied a second, but from behind Norok shouted, “Up!”

  Suddenly, Zia's left ankle flew upwards, sending her tumbling through the air. Her wings blazed behind her, but the force causing her ankle to fly was too strong for her to catch herself.

  Rik groaned, steadying himself and lowering the spear. He charged forward, attempting to drive it into Daimona's midsection, but she leapt upwards and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back. His grip around the spear weakened, and Daimona seized the chance to go for a second kick, causing him to stagger back and drop the spear. She crushed it with her feet as it fell.

  Rik spat at the ground, blood dripping from his lips as he snarled at Daimona. “Now you're in for it.”

  The dirt under her violently erupted, and Daimona suddenly felt herself falling away to the ground below.