The Dragon's Scale (COMPLETE, EDITING)

||Chapter 28||

WHEN THE REAPER charged, Josh had no choice but to plant his feet and brace himself. The air rushed from his lungs at the collision. Locking his jaw, he leaned forward and pushed back.

Eli was behind him. He repeated the fact until the words echoed through his bones and became the willpower holding his feet to the ground. He surged lightning into his shield. The reaper pushed onward, unaffected.

Light shot over his shoulder and slammed against the reaper. It threw itself back, the sudden upward jerk finally sending Josh into the air. He hit shoulder blades first, then continued with the momentum to a kneeling position.

Before he could dart forward, a small, shaking voice made him pause. "I'll do it," Eli said.

It? It what? Josh hesitated, though he didn't take his eyes off the reaper. It shook its head, trying to rid itself of whatever daze the beam -- into the eye, based on how it screwed shut -- left behind.

"It's very dangerous," Xander whispered.

"What is?" Josh demanded. He blasted a beam of light at the reaper. Even if he only hit its shoulder, he kept the creature back for a little longer. The grotesque figure at least provided one benefit -- the reaper was easier to hit.

"You're not going to like it." Mara attempted to speak in a level tone, but the minor strain told him she didn't like it either.

"What? Don't really have time for indirect answers." Josh directed another blast the reaper's way. This time it dodged, so only the edge of the beam clipped its leg.

A wave of heat crashed into Josh as the room flared yellow. He winced. Moshe's avatar held a giant orb of fire over its head. With a cry from the Paladin and a mimicked action, the avatar brought the orb crashing down.

"We need the blood of a child."

Josh's next blast missed, and it had nothing to do with losing his advantage from the reaper recovering. He flashed back to the water-filled room, watching as Aharon ran up to the reaper, waving his bloody hand.

Except, a moment later, Eli's form replaced Aharon's.

"No," he breathed.

"What other way is there?" Mara asked.

He knew the reaper was his enemy, but at that moment, he wanted to dart back and protect Eli from Mara. She hadn't even felt like a true threat when he thought himself crazy and her a figment of that insanity.

They needed the blood of a child, and there was only one left in that realm.

"I'm doing it," Eli said.

Before Josh could spin on Eli and tell him no, he wasn't going to risk something going wrong, Mara moved forward and pulled at his forearm.

"Come," she said, eyes forward. "We have something else to focus on."

Josh swallowed despite the bitter scoff caught in his throat. Yeah, they needed to fight off a reaper while his brother was perhaps preparing to do something stupidly dangerous.

Boomer directed a calm focus through the bond. Josh took a deep breath and let it wash over him. Memories of the reaper vanishing from Aharon's actions accompanied the feelings.

Josh forced a deep breath and rushed forward, though he wasn't sure if it was because of Boomer's assurance or because Mara had already run ahead. He had to run full speed to get between her and the reaper before it brought its pronged-hand down on her.

She went to stab at its arm, but the reaper had learned. Before her dagger could make contact, the reaper retracted its arm and spun. Its tail slammed into Josh's legs. He went down. Mara jumped over the incoming sweep, but the reaper hadn't slowed its turn. It brought a momentum-carried mandible crashing into her.