There wasn’t much time to think about it. The appearance of a body falling in their direction was both a relief and anxiety provoking, particularly since Cadence recognized it was Christian immediately. As he shot out of the portal, he swung out close to the edge of the cliff, and Elliott twisted around just in time to grab hold of Christian’s leather jacket and pull him back over the drop off.
He was bleeding and breathing heavily when Elliott flung him back around and sat him down on the ground. Cadence couldn’t help but bombard him with questions. “Where’s Aaron? What was that sound? Is Hines okay?”
“He’s... coming....” was all Christian managed before Jamie hit him with his blue light. Christian collapsed back onto the grass, and Cadence realized he had been hurt pretty badly. There was blood all over his clothes, as well as a black powdery substance she assumed had come from some sort of avalanche.
“Is Hines still alive then?” Elliott asked. Cadence’s eyes were glued to the portal opening. It was still acting erratic, but she could see it was shrinking. They were running out of time.
“He was,” Christian managed. Despite Jamie’s powers, he was having trouble orienting himself. “We had to use grenades to clear a path, and it brought the ceiling down. Hopefully....”
He didn’t have to finish his sentence; Cadence knew the rest.
The portal opening was high, and she wished she had a Vampire handy to fling in there, but she didn’t. Without much clearance between herself and the opening, it would be difficult to jump straight in, but she was fairly certain she could do it. She took a few steps closer, surveyed her approach, and felt two sets of heavy hands on her shoulders.
“Nope,” Elliott said as he pulled her back.
“Not happening, girlfriend,” Jamie added.
“Let go of me.” Each word was measured as she tried to break free of their grips. She might’ve been able to get away from one of them, but not both, not when they were just as determined to keep her here as she was to go.
“That doesn’t solve anything.” Elliott’s voice was sympathetic but firm.
“Besides, he’ll find a way out, Cadence.”
She turned her head to look at Jamie for only a moment before turning back to the portal. “It’s closing!”
“Then we try again.” Elliott’s words were drowned out slightly by the shriek of a fire breathing dragon swooping toward them, but Cale and several others opened fire, causing Holland to change her trajectory. “Too bad we can’t push her sorry ass in there,” Elliott muttered.
“Maybe we can.” Cadence could see Cassidy’s services were no longer needed where she was originally stationed. “Cass!” Her sister was intuitive and immediately swiveled around, focusing her attention on the dragon. “Hold your fire!” She needed Cale and the others to back off if Holland was to get close enough for Cass to move her in.
The dragon’s back was billowing ash, but it was clear her anger outweighed the pain. As she changed courses and flew back toward them, Cadence decided to give her a little bit of hope. “Pick me up,” she told the two Guardians, starting to climb them before they even registered what she’d said.
“If you think we’re throwing you in there...” Elliott said, even though he was already doing as she instructed.
“No, just lift me up where she might think I wanna go for another ride.” Cadence was already standing on their hands now, and they each lifted a leg far above their heads. Since Jamie was shorter, she was crooked, but it didn’t matter. As Holland came back around, Cadence screamed, “Come and get me, you stupid bitch! I killed your little asshole, freak of nature, baby and your beloved Carter! What are you going to do about it?”
With a scream of rage, the dragon roared down at Cadence, fire shooting from her mouth, a trail of black smoke behind her red, charred wings. Cadence locked eyes with her as she narrowed in, and while it was clear she was angry, she could see pain there as well. Those weren’t the eyes of a dragon; they were the eyes of a defeated monarch.
Cassidy began to lift the dragon as she drew even with the portal opening, moving her up and over. At first, it was clear Holland didn’t recognize what was happening, but then she shifted, and rather than attempting to swoop down on Cadence, she was trying to get out of the tractor beam-like hold of the Hybrid. But Cassidy was both strong and determined. There was nothing Holland could do to escape the portal opening.
Just before the dragon’s tail disappeared, Holland shifted form. She was her human shape again, her red hair disappearing behind her as she screamed obscenities and threats. “Cadence Findley! I will be back! And I will destroy you!” The portal seemed to want her; it sucked her in like a gaping, hungry mouth longing to be satiated. With one more shriek, Holland disappeared inside of the portal.
The opening was small now, and Cadence didn’t think it would be possible for anyone to get in or out. Tears streaked her face as she began to formulate what they would do next, where they would go, how long it would take. She had managed to turn and face the portal though was still standing on Elliott and Jamie’s hands. They’d lowered her slightly, but her eyes focused on the opening. She’d stay there until it was gone.
There was another popping sound, and then, Cadence found herself falling. A rush of wind, an impact, and then nothing but air and space and the sound of crashing waves beneath her—and the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen in her life staring into her own.
She hit the water first, hard. The wind was knocked out of her, and she was sinking fast. But she didn’t even care because Aaron was with her. He had her hand. Even though the waves were pounding against them before they shot back to the surface, he managed to pull her in close to his chest. When they resurfaced, they were immediately tossed into a craggy rock, but he took the brunt of the impact. The sea pulled them out slightly, only to shove them in again. Cadence struggled to extend her leg, to kick off of the rock, but it only prevented the collision slightly, and he hit the rocks again, but he didn’t make a sound, and she realized he was likely already in so much pain a few more jabs from sharp rock wouldn’t matter.
