Book 5: Chapter 9 — Turning Up the Heat
The Embercrest Shimmerwolf had backed Aurelia against a wall of crystals, its molten plates glowing white-hot from all the fire it had absorbed. Heat waves distorted the air around them both, but Aurelia was clearly getting the worst of it. She was fire-resistant, but not immune, and sweat dripped down her face as she slashed her chain-blade for all she was worth to keep it back.
The beast opened its jaws, and Noah saw fire building in its throat—enough stored thermal energy to incinerate everything in a twenty-foot radius.
He hit it from the side at full speed.
The impact sent them both tumbling, Noah's Dragon Scales sizzling from contact with the superheated crystals. The wolf snapped at his face; he caught its jaws in his clawed hands, straining to hold them apart.
Dragon Scales have resisted [Thermal Burn-III]
"Aurelia! It can't absorb what I'm giving!"
She understood immediately. While Noah held the creature's attention, she darted around behind it. Her blade bit deep into the wolf's hindquarters.
The Embercrest wolf howled, thrashing. Noah felt the heat building in its chest, the stored fire straining to release. If it let go now, this close—
He shoved his hand down its throat.