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Sensing her approach, Gorgrog backed away from the Fairy Queen and turned to confront the newco by at either side, Vasilis shining like a white sun The demon stoodhi up so that she was almost level with his head as their swords clashed explosively
The i shower of sparks, a white-edged notch in hisin her hand Behind the De at one of the black chains dangling fro to free a dehydrated corpse fro was entirely focused on Kendra, eyes squinted against the brightness of Vasilis The surrounding de charged her Guided by an impulse from Vasilis, rather than try tohis sword in an enorround beside her Springing forward, Kendra hacked at his leg Flashing brilliantly, her shining blade sliced through fur and flesh like light through shadow
With pure white fla collapsed heavily Kendra leapt forward, and
Vasilis glared like lightning as she slashed hi forrown tranquil The astrids and fairies around her began to fly away From the mass of stunned dehtly s His antlers branched reat battle-ax
"Orogoro," the Fairy Queen said, now standing beside Kendra, a withered brown corpse cradled in her are de fororo reached for the crown, face contorted in pain froarol landed behind hisword, slashed off one of his huge feet Orogoro wailed in anguish
"Away," the Fairy Queen cried, flying skyward, the corpse still in her arhted beside Kendra
"Well done," Crelang said
"We have orders to take you away," Rostio," Kendra said With the fall of the Deer, her euphoria had abated She saw Bracken, Warren, and Vanessa being carried away by other astrids
Rostilided at their side A flying de pierced its neck with a javelin No other enemies harassed thean to hear voices crying, "Dragons! Dragons are coht Kendra to the top of a wide ridge behind and to one side of the shrine Many of the other creatures of light already awaited thee point, Kendra looked out to sea, where at least twenty dragons were speeding toward Shoreless Isle Kendra watched for a long ht , but a vast host of de?" Rostimus asked
Kendra patted herself "I don’t think so" She studied the crowd around her, searching for familiar faces "Have you noticed any of uided Kendra to Trask, Newel, and Doren She asked if they had seen Seth, and Doren pointed her in the right direction
Kendra found her brother seated beside Bracken Both had already been revived by the Sands of Sanctity Seth rose excitedly when she approached
"I watched you with the binoculars," he gushed "I think Vasilis may like you even more than me! After you took the sword, I reht take to you I couldn’t believe you did it!"
Kendra hugged her brother tightly, relieved that he seeht Then she turned to Bracken, and they embraced desperately
"None have ever seen a blade shine so brightly," Bracken said into her ear,no attempt to hide his awe "What you did was impossible Not in our "
Kendra released the e pleased and embarrassed "What happens now?"
"Noe pray our plan works," Bracken said, brow furrowed
Behind Seth and Bracken, Kendra saw the Fairy Queen seated beside an older gentleman with a frail build She held his hand and spoke softly to hi a vacant expression
"Who is that with the Fairy Queen?" Kendra asked
"My father," Bracken said softly
"What?" Kendra exclaiht he was dead!"
"None of us actually saw him die," Bracken explained "We assu, Mother sensed his presence, but she hardly recognized hiht he had been changed into one of the undead But then we realized that he was cocooned in powerful de, but on the brink of death Gorgrog had been wearing hi hiine ht hied well, and there is no sign of his horns He’s catatonic"
"How terrible," Kendra said "Is there hope he’ll recover?"
"There is always hope," Bracken said "Unicorns are a the most skilled healers, and Father had a resilient spirit Ti fell"
Kendra, Seth, and Bracken watched froe the oncohtning flashing fro strea like platinu Raxtus had described--enorile, powerful Whenever his teeth or claws struck, deons ski theo threw his ons froons--the smallest of the foursome had to be Raxtus--swooped to the rescue While the other three dragons defended their fallen coet back into the air, Celebrant opened his o The energy split open hishis wings, Celebrant ra ferociously When Celebrant returned to the sky, Brogo lay crisscrossed with deep lacerations and had lost an ar the shrine turned and fled, wings flashing Orogoro hobbled near the front of the de his lead, the de
"Oh, no!" Kendra exclairim silence "I ordered our forces to withdraw"
The Fairy Queen came up beside thewill please thee it"