Olly couldn't stop his face from breaking into a massive grin. Leave it to Victoria to let them all think she was dead and then be resurrected in such a dramatic fashion. She'd definitely looked better; she had a huge gash above her temple and blood still leaked from the wound in her side, but the fire in her eyes was the same as it had always been. His father's eyes were locked on Victoria, and Olly could tell that he wanted nothing more than to run to her and wrap her safely in his arms, but they had more pressing matters to attend to. Saving her from Draco's wrath, for example.

"Let my sister go," the witch beside Draco demanded.

Olly watched with pride as Fiona's brow creased and the knife pressed harder against her prisoner. "I don't think so," she spat venomously, her lavender eyes flashing.

He knew there was a reason he adored her.

Kellan stepped forward, his eyes darting between Skylar and Cassie, the gears in his mind working to figure out how to save them both. Olly could care less about Cassie, but he would do anything to save Skylar. He'd already lost Orion, he wouldn't lose her too.

Draco huffed in irritation. "Let the girl and the witch go. Now." When neither female moved, he continued in his sneering, almost bored voice. "Don't think I won't kill Skylar. In this state, I could even make her kill herself. I have complete and total control over her." He glanced back at the four new arrivals with a taunting smirk.

Olly remembered the confusion in the blue dragon's eyes after seeing the damage she had done to Orion, and he couldn't help but think that the king's statement was untrue. Skylar was in there, and if anyone could overpower Draco's will, it was her.

Victoria's eyes never left the king and his entourage, she hadn't even glanced at Olly and Leo yet. The Alpha female was out for blood. Olly thought she also recognized that Skylar was still in there somewhere, because she completely ignored his taunt.

"You tried to hurt my son," she spat. "You've killed members of my clan. Why shouldn't I return the favor?"

"Well to start off," Draco reasoned with a long hand on his chin, "one of them is technically yours."

Victoria finally tore her gaze away from Draco to snarl down at Cassie. "This bitch was about to hand my son over to you. She will never be one of mine. I'll kill her myself." Cassie whimpered as the knife pressed harder into her fair skin and blood trickled from the wound. Olly felt no compassion for her. She'd picked her side, and because of that choice Victoria and Fiona nearly died, Skylar was under Draco's control, and Orion was dead. He'd help Victoria if she asked him to.

"Victoria-," Kellan began, his voice carefully controlled, but close to the surface was his concern for his youngest child.

Her spring green eyes flew to him, full of murder. "She was going to kill my son, Kellan. My boy. This is all her fault and you know it." Kellan's face was stoic, but his eyes showed his turmoil. The side of him that was a father begged him to do whatever it took to save his child. The Alpha side argued that this female, daughter or not, had sided with a man who had pledged his life to killing their kind.

"Daddy, Daddy, please," Cassie cried, fighting Victoria's hold around her neck. While the Alpha female was injured and weak, she was using the strength that only came to a mother when her child was in danger. There was no way Cassie was escaping her grasp.

Kellan apparently decided to compromise with his two sides. "Don't kill her yet, Victoria. She's my daughter and my clan member. I'll handle her."

Victoria snarled in Cassie's ear and more tears fell down the young female's cheek, but Victoria didn't kill her.

"Division in the ranks," Draco clucked in tongue in mock disappointment. "That doesn't make for strong fighters."

"We're still strong enough to kill you," Leo snapped.

"I don't think so, because you won't let me hurt Skylar. That means I own you." He looked over his shoulder at Skylar, who stared blankly ahead of her, waiting for instructions. Olly glanced up at Draco's witch and observed her staring intensely at the witch in Fiona's grasp. The second witch stared back in exactly the same way. If Olly wasn't mistaken, he would say they were communicating. But about what? Neither one appeared to be paying any attention to what any of them had to say, and Olly was forced to wonder which side they were on. Isabel had told him about Benny, but she was also working for Draco. Did he have the same control over her that he did over Skylar? If he did, why was she able to think for herself when Skylar acted like the shell of a person? Either way, it didn't seem like she was entirely happy being under Draco's thumb. Olly hoped that worked to their advantage.

"What good is she to you anymore?" Leo snapped. "You used her to kill my son, but now she's greatly outnumbered. She can't protect you."

"Perhaps not, but I'll need to get back to the battlefield. Flight is a very efficient form of transportation. Maybe I'll keep her around once I've beaten you all, just to save me time when I travel."

Percy growled this time, along with Olly. Not only was Skylar a member of their clan and a fellow dragon, but she was their friend. There was no way they would let her become nothing more than a glorified horse.

Draco nudged the witch next to him and motioned to Fiona and Victoria. His meaning was clear enough. He wanted her to take care of them. Olly, Leo, Percy, and Kellan wanted to stop whatever was about to happen, but they had no idea how to do such a thing. They'd seen the way Orion had plummeted from the sky when the witch had made him shift. If she could do that, what else could she do? The witch in Fiona's grasp obviously meant something to her, which meant that she would do whatever it took to save her.

She lifted her hands and aimed them at Fiona and Victoria. Magic crackled through the air and they all realized there was nothing they could do to stop her. She was a powerful magical creature, powerful enough to force an Alpha to shift against his will. Knowing it was a stupid idea, but desperate enough to try it, Olly raced forward slammed his entire, massive body into the witch. Whatever spell she had been about to cast died before it could be released, and the woman landed beneath him with a loud grunt, caught off guard by the physical act. She was obviously used to magical fighting. Though he was amazed that such a simple act had stopped her, he didn't let it distract him from the fact that he needed to restrain her.

Surprisingly, the witch did not fight him as he held her to the ground with a snarl. She could have killed him with a flick of her fingers. Instead, her lips tilted up in the smallest of smiles.

"The ruby," she told him softly. "You must break the ruby."

He blinked in confusion as he heard his companions rush forward. Without the witch and with his soldiers lying dead all around him, Draco had no one to protect him. If Olly had only tackled the witch sooner. It seemed to be what she wanted. She seemed to know something the rest of them didn't. The twinkle in her eye resembled that of a child with a secret they couldn't wait to share.

"Don't touch me," the king snapped and began to run away after realizing his predicament, but Kellan had hold of him in two strides. Even with only one arm, the Alpha was far stronger than Draco.

He grabbed the back of the king's neck and threw him to the ground as Leo and Percy flanked him. Kellan had been waiting over twenty years for this moment. Twenty years to face the man who had kidnapped his child and given her away. The child who currently stood dead-eyed in front of him.

Olly rose to his feet and the witch mimicked his movement in a much more graceful fashion, brushing off her dress. She made no move to help Draco.

Olly stepped forward and looked down over Draco's prone figure. Kellan's eyes screamed murder, as did everyone else's, but they all knew they needed to make an example of Draco. They would get their moment for revenge, but they needed to do it where everyone could watch and enjoy.

Olly knelt beside the king, and the man's black eyes flashed with fear for the first time. That was when he seemed to remember that he still had control over someone.

"Kill him!" he cried, desperation leaking into his voice. They all felt Skylar shift, even in her mind-controlled state she was aware that she had no chance of killing them in her human form. Her white teeth gleamed as she opened her mouth to bite him in half. Leo, Percy, and Kellan gazed up at her with wide eyes. They thought about shifting, but that would provoke her into fighting. Then they would really be forced to hurt her to avoid injury themselves.

Olly knew his time was up. He yanked the ruby from around Draco's neck, just like the witch had said, and slammed his boot on top of it. Nothing happened. Leo, Percy, and Kellan finally started to shift to defend him, but a couple of sharp words from Draco and the witch was forced to stop them. They all groaned, but Olly was more focused on the angry dragon advancing on him. That was when he saw the sword in the sheath at Draco's hip, the one that had been pointed at his neck no more than thirty minutes before.

He yanked it out roughly, held it above the ruby, and slammed the tip into the gem just as Skylar's jaw opened to engulf him.

His eyes were squeezed closed and he opened them slowly to find Skylar frozen before him, the ruby shattered to pieces at his feet.

Blood spilled from the glittering red pieces, seeping into the dirt they rested on. As the blood leaked from the gem, the blue dragon's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Olly breathed heavily, staring at her large form, grateful she hadn't landed directly on top of him. Beside him, Draco made a small noise as he realized he had lost. He had no more cards to play.

"Well that certainly took you all long enough," the witch huffed, stepping forward to standing next to the blue dragon.

"We've been distracted," Leo snapped at her. "And who are you?"

"Isabel, Draco's wife," she answered flippantly. At the growls she was greeted with, she waved a hand nonchalantly. "Not by choice, I assure you. Skylar won't wake up for a while but will still need to be on our way back to the battlefield."

She rested a slender hand on the dragon's hide and the slow process of a forced shift began, leaving the human Skylar in her place. She was still unconscious, but if what Isabel said, she was no longer under Draco's control.

"Olly!" Fiona's voice reached him and then she was wrapped around him like a vine. He stumbled in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around her just as tightly. She was okay. She was safe now.

"Hey," he pressed his nose into her hair and inhaled deeply. How he wished things were different between them.

"I was so worried about you. I'm sorry about Orion," she whispered into his shoulder.

He hugged her tighter and nodded in acknowledgement. They might have won, but not without so many losses.

He looked up to see Leo standing with Victoria and Benny tucked safely in his arms. Percy stood over Draco, a steady growl emanating from his throat. Kellan knelt next to Cassie with his hand on her shoulder, but he wouldn't look directly at her. The girl still cried, looking completely lost. The two witches stood together, looking... impatient?

Isabel cleared her throat. "Perhaps no one heard me, but we must head back to the battlefield if I have any chance of saving Orion Nogard."

They all froze and stared at her. They didn't dare believe that she was serious.

"Did I forget to mention that I'm a talented necromancer?"

<><><><><><><><>

Skylar slowly blinked her eyes open, as if waking up from a deep sleep. Her mind was foggy and slow. Where was she? What had happened? The last thing she remembered was Draco... his knife. Her blood. He'd killed her. So why was she conscious now? Was this the afterlife? No, she didn't think so. She hurt too much, and her dragon was too restless. And something was missing, something important. She felt like half of herself. She groaned and closed her eyes again as she turned her head to the side.

"She's awake," a vaguely familiar voice said as cold hands cradled her face. "Skylar? We need to hurry."

She couldn't place where she knew the female voice from, but blinked her eyes open anyway, mostly so she could try to figure out her situation. The first thing she saw was Orion's face, and relief washed over her. But as she studied it, she noticed how pale he was, his skin was a ghostly white... and he wasn't breathing. She blinked again and let her eyes travel further down his body as she tried to process what was going on. He just looked as though he were sleeping, nothing more, but something was terribly wrong with him. As she encountered his chest and the huge gashes stretched across it, her heart jumped to her throat. Memories came thundering back to her. She hadn't been in control of herself, had been fighting as hard as she could against the magic forcing her actions, but she could vividly see her claws contacting her mate's chest. She'd never seen so much blood, which still soaked the ground around him. Her dragon keened in misery, the sound echoing sadly in her head. Pain tore through her as she realized her loss. She felt broken, alone. Her mate was gone. Her other half was gone. It was her fault.

"Orion," she sobbed, crawling over to him, ignoring the headache that was pounding at her temples as a result of her dragon's intense emotions. Skylar's fingers brushed his arm, and all she could feel was how cold he was, how rigid his body was. He had always been firm when she touched him, the man had been made of muscle, but he was always warm, always ready to take her into his arms. Now he wasn't moving. She clutched at him while tears streamed down her face. "I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry. Come back to me, come back," she whispered into his hair.

She rested her forehead against his and cradled his cheek. This was her fault. Whether she had been in control of her mind or not, her body was the one that had nearly torn him in half.

"Skylar." Gentle hands touched her shoulders to pull her back into a tight hug. Olly was there, her ever loyal friend. "Isabel says can bring him back."

She looked up at her mate's brother and then the witch. "You can what?"

Isabel nodded once. "I'll need your blood," she stated frankly. "You are his True Mate, are you not?" She nodded quickly, looking back down at his prone figure, begging for this to all be a terrible dream. "Yes, I am."

"Then you are his strongest connection to this plane. We need to bring his soul back, and I have the magic to do that, but I need something for him to anchor to, something he's connected to. That's you."

"Anything, I'll do anything," she answered. "How much do you need?"

Isabel just held out her hand to Skylar, who immediately placed her arm in the witch's grasp. Isabel pulled a knife out from her skirts and sliced a deep line over Skylar's forearm, but the bite of the blade was nothing compared to the turmoil inside of her. She would do anything to save Orion. As the blood pooled along Skylar's fair skin, Isabel pulled her arm forward and let the blood fall onto to Orion's chest.

"When you marked each other, you took in his blood, that is what forged your bond. Because of that, a piece of him will always be inside of you. That, along with your bond as True Mates, will guide his soul back to this plane," Isabel explained as the blood dripped onto his body. Skylar didn't care about the why's and the how's. She only cared about Orion and having him back.

Once the blood was sufficient, Isabel released Skylar and reached for the other witch, grasping her hand. Magic crackled through the air as they made contact. They were sharing their power. Isabel began to chant softly, leaning over Orion's body. Skylar couldn't take her eyes off her mate, and she knew those around her couldn't look away either. Olly stood close behind her, giving her the support she needed. Percy was off to the side with Laura tucked tightly against him. Leo and Nana stood next to them, Leo with an arm around the old woman who was still crying softly. Kellan and Penelope were there as well with Jed, watching the dark magic that was their only hope of saving Orion. At Jed's feet cowered Draco, defeated and submissive, as he should be, and Skylar would deal with him once Orion was back in her arms. She could feel others watching the proceedings as well, a mixture of humans and dragons, but she couldn't find it in herself to wonder who had won the battle. She could only focus on Orion.

As the magic permeating the air grew stronger, Orion's body began to convulse. She wanted to look away from the scene but couldn't. She needed to be here for him. He would have been here for her. If their positions had been switched, none of this would have happened. Orion was the strongest person she knew, and there was no way he would have let himself fall under Draco's control. Even if he had, he would have been strong enough to stop himself from hurting her. Orion would never hurt her, not the way she'd hurt him.

A small whimper escaped her throat as the convulsing continued. Isabel's words grew stronger, her voice louder. The spot where she clutched her sister's hand began to glow with the power passing between them. The witch's voice sounded even slightly desperate if Skylar weren't mistaken. Dread washed over her. What if this wasn't possible. What if Isabel only thought she could bring him back? What if she could only bring part of him back? Skylar knew that even if it was only partly Orion, it was still Orion. He was still hers, their souls were still one. He would find his way back to her.

Orion's body was suddenly still, falling limply back to the ground as if nothing had happened. Everyone watched in confusion; they could all sense that the body was still dead. Isabel and her sister panted from exertion and they looked up at Skylar.

Isabel was the one who spoke. "He's been gone longer than I'd hoped. My magic, even with your blood guiding him, isn't enough to bring him back. We'll need something stronger."

"Like what?" Skylar ground out. "I meant it when I said I would do anything."

The witch didn't hesitate, her green eyes gleaming dangerously. "We need a sacrifice, enough blood to strengthen my magic."

"How much blood?"

"A human."

Withouthesitation, every dragon in the small circle turned to look at Draco.