“He’s coming soon,” Elric said. Along with an entire village of elves, but Elric didn’t mention that part. He hoped Osmund was healed enough to make it. In his heart, he knew Lexi wouldn’t leave him behind. She would hold up her end. Now he had to do his part. “Get Wynn to safety.”
“Zeph,” Wynn said, throwing her arms around him as if the shield weren’t about to shatter at any moment. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
He returned her hug even as he pulled her toward the shield. Elric scooped up Mildred, placed a hand on Zephyr’s shoulder, and pushed all of them through the shield. The fog passed over Elric like it was nothing, and suddenly he had to squint in the bright light of the heart of the fairy realm.
After being in the dim of the wood, the colors under the dome were so vibrant he could see lingering shadows of them if he closed his eyes. The weight that had been like a yoke around his neck lifted, and the oppressive dreariness finally left him.
The storm thundered outside the cracking shield, but it sounded distant, and the cold rain no longer fell on them. Elric looked back at the shield. Hob stood with his hands pressed against it, and his ears tucked back into his mop of black hair.
“Get him and bring him through,” Elric demanded, pulling Zephyr up.
“But that’s a darkling creature,” Zephyr protested. Mildred pecked him on the foot. “Ow!”
“That darkling creature risked his life to save me and my sister. He belongs with us.” Hob looked behind him, his small chest heaving in fright.
Zephyr twisted his expression into one of resigned uncertainty, but he flew through the shield and reached down for Hob. Hob jumped on his shoulder, then scrambled around and clung to the back of Zephyr’s head. “Ugh, get off!” Zeph flew back through the shield while batting at Hob. He knocked him off into the flowers.
Hob bounced up, then scrambled to sit on top of Elric’s shoulder. “Run!” Hob squeaked as he pointed toward the cracked dome above them.
Another large block of stone was flying toward the shield. It hit with a deafening crash and smashed through.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENElric
THE STONE HURTLED INTO THE old oak. Broken pieces of wood and dirt sprayed into the air. Zephyr pushed a gust of wind toward the blast, and blew most of the debris away from them. “The shield has been breached. It won’t be long before it falls now.”
Elric looked up at the gaping hole high in the shield. He could see the black clouds swirling above the trees and hear the wind howling on the other side. He turned to his sister. “Wynn, listen to me,” he said. “You have to run. Run as fast as you can to the palace. Find the queen. Heal her before the shield breaks. It’s up to you.”
Wynn blinked at him. “And what do you do?” she asked.
He drew his sword. “The Grendel is coming. So are the elves. Someone has to stand and fight.”
Wynn threw her arms around him and clung tightly to his neck. He wrapped his arm around her and held on as long as he could. He could feel tears begin to sting his eyes. “No, no fighting,” she said against his shoulder.
“Go, Wynn,” Elric said, knowing this might be the last time he would ever see his sister. He was mortal, and this was war. “I will fight to protect you. I love you. You can do this. I’m counting on you to save us. Now go.”
She gave him a teary nod and started off through the vivid green fields, Mildred only a step behind her.
Elric had to force himself to look away from Wynn. He wanted to watch her until he couldn’t see her anymore, just to have one more moment with her.
A different sort of thunder rumbled through the hills to his left. An army of fearsome animals was charging over the rolling hill toward the broken shield. The fairies were coming. He had to stop them somehow. If they fought with the elves, they wouldn’t have the strength to stand against the Grendel. “Zeph, come with me!” he shouted.
“We can’t fight!” he shouted. “We’re not warriors, Elric, we’re just kids.”
“We’re not going to fight,” Elric called back as he ran as fast as he could into the gap of land between the approaching army and the breaking shield. “But we have to stop them.”
“Have you lost your head completely?” Zephyr flew in front of him and hit him with a gust. It made Elric stumble enough that he stopped.
He stared up at his friend. “You said you wanted to be a hero. Now’s your moment. Are you with me? Or not?”
Zephyr looked up as the cracks in the shield turned into a dark web above them. “This is too big for us,” he said. “The shield is breaking.” The dome of the shield buckled, and pieces of it shattered, falling away and turning to glittering rain.
“I have to do something!” Elric shouted as he turned to run again.
Headmind Axis rode through the breach on an enormous boar. His army of elves rode behind him.
Elric had to stop this. He ran straight for the gap between the elves and the fairies. Hob bounded along bravely at his heels. He didn’t see Zephyr, but a strong wind at his back pushed him faster. To his right, a snow-white stag charged with the shining points of his antlers held low and deadly. To his left, Axis rode to battle, his arrow-slinger pointed directly at Elk.
Elric closed his eyes and ran with all his might until he slid to a stop between them. He drew his sword.
“Halt!” he shouted, and even though he could barely draw breath from his exertion, his voice rang out over
