The shadow was no longer just a spot of darkness inside his chest. It felt as if it had spread tendrils of darkness through him, making it harder and harder to defend himself against Steele, no matter how desperately he fought.
Braeden gritted his teeth. He pulled on the flame that burned inside him, the element following his call and erupting into burning heat once more—although it wasn't enough to burn away the shadow within him.
But it didn't matter. If Steele won, all would be lost. Alyx would be lost.
If he couldn't defeat Steele, then he'd at least make sure that Steele died here with him.
Braeden took a deep, panting breath, the scent of smoke and charred grass filling his senses. The shadow inside him seemed to tighten around his lungs, but he still forced himself to breathe in as deeply as possible. In response, his fire burned brighter within him, red flames turning into white-hot heat.
Cloaked in darkness, Steele came right at him. His eyes were the black of a starless night, wisps of shadow trailing from his open mouth.
And then, a heartbeat before Braeden could release the fire that would consume them both, he felt it.
There, deep inside him, a golden flame had sprung up.
A moment later it bloomed into clear, hot fire, threaded through with the golden light of the mate bond. It cut right through the shadow that had wrapped so tightly around his lungs. Suddenly Braeden could breathe freely again, and the fire within him turned into a blazing inferno.
The shadow burned wherever the fire touched it. It burned as easily as paper, the glorious flames within him consuming Steele's taint as if his darkness had never touched Braeden.
And in its wake, there came a wave of love and strength.
Alyx!
Braeden didn't know how she'd managed to save him. He could feel her even now, the golden light of her love for him wrapping around him like armor.
And without the shadow, he was at last free to fight with all of his strength.
Inhaling deeply, he released a lance of fire that shot straight at Steele.
Steele was coming directly at the fire, as if he hadn't even entertained the notion that Braeden might have some fight left in him. Now he roared in rage, his eyes widening in shock.
At the last moment, Steele managed to beat his wings, rising above the cloud of fire, although it enveloped the tip of his tail.
A furious sound of pain escaped Steele as tendrils of smoke rose up from the burned scales. For a moment, his flight was strangely wobbly—but then he regained his balance and turned in the air.
Even with his full power returned to him, Braeden knew that Steele was still a formidable opponent.
Braeden didn't waste any time. As soon as he'd released his fire, he'd risen high into the air himself.
Steele was still slightly above him—but that just meant that his vulnerable belly was exposed to anyone beneath him.
Again Steele roared as he saw Braeden coming. Steele beat his wings to hold his position, inhaling deeply. Shadows ran all ov
er his body, growing ever darker. Shadow-flecked fire sizzled between his teeth.
Fearlessly, Braeden came straight at him, thinking of Alyx, who'd somehow defeated the shadow inside him.
He'd thought he'd die in this fight. He'd thought he'd have to sacrifice his own life to keep her safe.
But she'd shown him that there was another way. They could do this—together.
Steele flung his wings back. From his open jaws, a stream of darkness was hurled at Braeden.
Without flinching, Braeden kept racing straight at Steele—and at the darkness that had almost killed him before.
At the very last moment, he folded his wings against his body. He dropped like a stone, although his momentum kept carrying him forward. The torrent of darkness passed harmlessly above his head.
And then he was right beneath Steele and his unprotected belly.