Atop the van, a triumphant Torina nocked another arrow, but Raxtus swooped down from the sky and sent her flying with a vicious swipe of his claws. She had drawn the arrow back, but the impact sent it wildly astray. Wings flapping, Raxtus rose to engage the final wyvern.
Kendra watched in agonized suspense as the Gray Assassin battled Bracken. She could not risk helping with an arrow for fear of hitting the wrong person. Bracken seemed on the defensive, barely able to hold off the two swords with his single blade. Whenever he attempted a counterstroke, the attack was blocked and he had to duck or spring back to avoid a deadly blow.
Kendra rushed to a cabinet in the storage locker, retrieved a sword, and ran to help. The thought of challenging a warrior like the Gray Assassin terrified her, but if she could provide a distraction, perhaps Bracken could finish him quickly.
As she returned to the aisle, Bracken held up a hand and produced a blinding burst of light. Lowering his sword, Bracken narrowly dodged two hasty slashes without parrying, and then, blade flashing like lightning, cut down the Gray Assassin with a single stroke. Bracken turned and stalked toward Mirav, who was lying on his back, hands held up to maintain the shimmer of his magical shield.
"I'll break you if I must," Bracken said.
Eyes brimming with malice, Mirav spat at him.
Bracken held up a fist, his whole arm trembling. The shimmer in the air seemed to fold, then shattered. Mirav screamed. Kendra looked away as Bracken used his sword to finish the wizard.
After facing the other way, less worried about Bracken, Kendra ran to Civia and Niko. The flames had gone out. Niko lay beside her charred body. Beyond them, Warren continued to grapple with Trask.
Kendra reached the tiger, who had a glassy look in his eyes. His head turned as she crouched beside him. "She's gone," Niko mourned, voice groggy. "I'm going. The final Eternal has fallen. I failed."
"You saved me," Kendra said, patting his thick fur.
"My pleasure," Niko mumbled, the words slurred. "Perhaps it will be enough. When Roon fell, I worried all was lost. I always expected he would be the last. Close enough. I go to him."
The tiger went slack, and he and Civia dissolved into fine black dust.
Bracken ran past Kendra toward Warren and Trask.
"He's a friend," Warren grunted. "I think a narcoblix has him."
Setting down his sword, Bracken promptly helped Warren pin Trask on the ground. While Warren held Trask down, Bracken retrieved his sword. The weapon reverted to the shape of a horn, and Bracken held the tip against Trask, who continued to struggle. "Begone," Bracken commanded. Once again, Kendra knew he was not speaking English.
There was a harsh flash of light, and Trask no longer resisted. "Warren?" Trask asked, sounding befuddled. "Oh, no. Where are we? What have I done?"
As Warren explained the situation, Bracken hurried over to Kendra.
"Are you all right?" he asked, extending a hand and helping her to her feet.
"She's dead," Kendra said numbly.
"I know," Bracken replied.
Kendra gritted her teeth, fighting back tears. "We blew it."
"It's a terrible blow," Bracken admitted. "What are we going to--"
Bracken thrust Kendra aside and held up his shield. An arrow thumped against it. Down the aisle, Torina knelt with her bow in hand. She had deep gouges in her side where the dragon had swiped her, and road rash on one arm and leg from her fall off the van. Raxtus landed on a van behind her, the vehicle wobbling beneath his weight. After a hasty glance over her shoulder, Torina tossed her bow aside and ran toward Bracken, hands in the air. "I surrender!"
"On your knees," Bracken ordered, striding toward her.
She complied immediately, wide eyes frightened and innocent. Even injured and with her hair disheveled, she looked strikingly attractive. Bracken kept walking toward her.
"Careful, Bracken," Kendra warned. "She bites! She can drain your life."
Reaching her, he turned and looked back. "I've got it covered. She can't possibly--"
Torina lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Bracken's torso and sinking her teeth into his neck. Bracken went limp in her arms.
"No!" Kendra shrieked.
Torina latched on a second time. Her skin shone with an inner glow. The brilliance intensified, making her veins and bones temporarily visible. And then she burst apart in a stunning surge of white flame.
Tears falling, Kendra ran to Bracken, who rose to his feet and caught her in an embrace. She squeezed him as hard as she could, burying her face in his shoulder.
"Are you all right?" she gushed, confused.
He pulled back and smiled down at her. "Not many viviblixes get the chance to drain a unicorn. Those who do never get to warn the others. They can sense the immense supply of vitality, and they ardently crave it, but none have ever been able to handle it."
"Kind of like filling a water balloon with a fire hose?" Warren remarked, approaching with Trask.
"That's the idea," Bracken agreed.
"Did you cure him?" Warren asked, jerking a thumb at Trask.
Bracken gave a nod. "With my horn back, I can undo most curses, heal most injuries." Bracken placed a hand on Trask's shoulder. "The narcoblix no longer has any hold on you.
"You have my gratitude," Trask said. "Sorry for any part I played in your troubles."
Warren looked up and down the aisle. "We're leaving a trail of destruction wherever we go."
"All in a day's work," Trask mumbled.
"We came so close," Warren grumbled in frustration. "What do we do now? This was our last chance." Warren had always been resilient. Kendra had never seen him so defeated. She felt the same way, but was striving to hold herself together.
"Our last chance to prevent Zzyzx from opening," Bracken clarified. "Unpleasant as our prospects may be, this still isn't over." He turned to Raxtus. "You get the firedrake?"
"Got him," the dragon replied. "My scales are tougher than I ever knew. I'd never really tested them. The fire barely tickled. And even though the wizard jinxed my invisibility, I managed to handle the wyverns."
"You're a chip off the old block," Kendra said.
"Hardly," Raxtus huffed. "At least I'm learning to stand my ground and fight. Small as I am, I must have inherited my dad's scales. His armor is almost impenetrable."
"What now?" Kendra asked.
"Your role in this is over, Kendra," Bracken said. "Our paths part here. I'll be going to Zzyzx. I have to make a last stand."