Ace kicked off the cliff edge and let the wind catch her wings. Pegi rose beside her, both of them climbing fast toward the Titans gathered below the ridge. They needed to pull attention — give Harold his opening. She scanned the sky above them, searching for the shape she'd seen twice before. The white-domed retreat on the clifftop fell away beneath them. Ace banked left, leading Pegi in a wide arc over the valley. Below, the scorched meadow spread out like a black scar across the green hillside. Orange bursts of withered flowers marked where the fire had burned hottest. Those patterns matched the southern coast. She'd seen them before, and she'd been right then too. The Titans spotted them. Energy blasts crackled up from the shattered column in the clearing. Ace rolled right, felt the heat pass her wing. Pegi dove low, drawing three more shots. Good. Harold would have his window now. But Ace kept her eyes on the clouds above. The thing that made those burn patterns was still out there. A shadow moved through the mist overhead. Ace's chest tightened. She pulled up hard, putting herself between Pegi and whatever was coming. The Chimera broke through the cloud cover, all three heads breathing fire. She'd drawn its attention. Now she just had to keep flying.

The Chimera's heads split their fire in three directions. Ace banked hard, felt the heat sear past her left wing. She climbed fast, pulling the creature's attention up and away from Pegi. It worked. All three heads turned toward her, flames building in their throats again. She shot higher into the clouds. The goat head struck first. Fire exploded across her flight path, forcing her to veer east. The lion roared and breathed another blast, cutting off her dive. She twisted away, gained altitude, but the serpent tail whipped around and sent a stream of flame straight up. Ace pulled into a steep climb, the heat scorching the air behind her. Each breath pushed her higher, farther from the valley. Farther from Pegi. Blackened feathers drifted past her as she broke through the cloud layer — pieces of the Chimera's own wings, charred and falling. She'd pulled it off course too, but that didn't matter. She was too high now, and Pegi was alone down there. Ace circled back, trying to find a gap to dive through. The Chimera stayed between her and the valley, all three heads tracking her movement. Below, she caught a glimpse of stone walls — the old fortress on the ridge. Pegi was there, grounded, using the fortress entrance as cover. A wooden spear shaft jutted from the rubble at the gate, braced across the opening like a barricade. Pegi had dug in. She was holding position, but she couldn't hold forever. Not alone. Not without someone watching the sky above her. Ace stopped trying to break through. She angled away from the Chimera, drawing it farther east, keeping its attention locked on her instead of the fortress below. The creature followed, gaining speed. Good. As long as it chased her, Pegi had time to regroup. Ace didn't need to get back to her partner right now. She needed to keep the Chimera away from her. That was the job — even if it meant flying alone.