Kazimir didn't waste time staring.
The moment he saw it, he loosed a flurry of arrows at its wings.
Nothing.
The arrows bounced off without leaving so much as a scratch. The queen didn't even seem to notice.
Kazimir clenched his jaw.
The wings were supposed to be their weakest point, yet his attacks were useless. If he couldn't even wound her, what was he doing here? What use was it for Selis to have saved him if he couldn't fight beside her?
But then, he saw the swarm of wasps still surrounding her. He shifted his focus, picking them off one by one to clear the way.
Selis noticed, and for the first time in a long time, she felt something unfamiliar.
Gratefulness.
She had never needed anyone before. Had never trusted anyone before.
Growing up as the sole heir to the Umbrax Empire, she had been surrounded by snakes, people who sought to control, manipulate, and use her for their own gain. She had learned early that trust was a weakness, one that could be exploited. So, she had locked her heart away, buried it beneath cold indifference.
And yet, despite everything, her empire had still fallen, destroyed by that thing. Her people were gone. Forgotten by time.
She had thought she had made peace with it. That she had grown used to being alone.
But then he came.
At first, she had thought little of him, saving him had been nothing more than a duty to Umbrax, a meaningless obligation.
But over time, she noticed things. The way he followed her. The way his eyes lingered on her, filled with something she couldn't quite name. The way he softened his arrows when sparring, even though he knew they wouldn't hit her.
The way he smelled. The way his touch felt, hesitant and soft.
The way he worried for her.
The way he had looked at her after they landed, as if seeing her wounded hurt him more than his own injuries.
Something burned in her chest, brighter, hotter than even the flames around her blade.
She didn't understand the feeling. But she liked it.
And the strangest part?
Her fire, her cursed, all-consuming fire, didn't burn him. To everyone else, it was either indifferent or agonizing. But he alone found warmth in it.
Just like her mother once had.
But now wasn't the time for these thoughts.
She had a queen to kill.
Selis leapt between the branches, dodging the queen's lashing legs. Around her, wasps fell one by one as Kazimir's arrows struck their wings, sending them plummeting to their deaths.
But the queen was different. Her outer shell was too strong, Selis needed an opening, a weakness.
Then, she saw it.
A long, thin crack ran down the center of its chest, connecting the reinforced plates. If she could strike there, she could kill it.
But getting close meant risking the queen's countless sharp legs impaling her before she could land the blow.
Kazimir, meanwhile, had finished off the last of the wasps. Now, he stood on the branch above, staring down at the queen. He had to do something, he couldn't just stand there while Selis fought alone.
Then, an idea struck him.
Selis had condensed her flames to make them stronger. Could he do the same with shadows?
He didn't know if it would work. But he had to try.
Closing his eyes, he reached for the shadows around him. He pulled them close, forcing them together, weaving them into something more tangible.
Slowly, a massive black arrow formed in his hands, far denser and heavier than any he had ever conjured before. It still paled in comparison to Selis' fire, but it was stronger than anything he had made before.
He nocked the arrow, exhaled, and aimed carefully watching Selis' shadow to ensure he wouldn't hit her.
Then, he let go.
The arrow shot forward, cutting through the air like a streak of darkness. It struck the queen's wings.
A small dent.
Kazimir clenched his jaw.
But this time, she noticed.
Her countless unblinking eyes turned toward him.
Then, she moved.
In an instant, the queen dashed toward him at terrifying speed.
Kazimir's heart pounded. He reached for a nearby shadow to escape, but there was nothing left. He had used them all for his arrow.
He barely had time to lift his arms in defence before she was upon him.
Then, out of nowhere, a white flame burst to life in front of him.
Selis.
She leaped out of the fire itself, appearing between him and the queen.
Just in time.
The queen's razor-sharp legs shot forward, Selis met them with her blazing sword.
She gripped the hilt tighter, the white fire raging around her blade.
And just as the queen lunged to strike, she slashed.
Right down the crack in its chest.
The flames tore through the queen's insides, consuming her from within.
With a final, piercing shriek, the queen fell, crashing onto a lower branch below.
Kazimir heard the impact. But his relief was short-lived.
Because in front of him, Selis stood still.
A black, jagged leg was protruding from her back.
His breath caught in his throat.
If she hadn't teleported in front of him,
That would have been his chest.
The queen had impaled her in its final moment.
And Selis, Selis had taken the hit for him.