Chapter 32
Leaf
Arrow launched himself into the air, his body spinning inside a vortex of blue storm magic, silver lightning forking out from the center of his chest as he flew over the arena in a jubilant victory circuit.
For a moment, I stood frozen deep in the crowd, my fists clenched, breathing raggedly as screams from the remaining courtiers and howls from forest creatures pierced the air. Shock at the Fire King’s death rippled throughout the kingdom.
“ I thought a knife to the heart was the only way to kill a king ,” I told Arrow silently as he swooped low over the crowd.
“ A bolt of lightning is quite an effective stand-in for a blade . Have you seen Melaya ?”
“ No ,” I replied. “ He’s probably with Nukala . And hopefully not killing Estella as we speak .”
Arrow made a grunting sound through the bond, then shot high into the starry sky, disappearing from view. “Be safe,” I whispered.
Ruhh, absent for most of the mayhem, now floated above the pile of ash that was once the king and his last few loyal soldiers.
“It was you, brother, who bound me to your corrupt kingdom, to my rotting flesh and this tattered gown. You deserve this wretched fate. I hope you spend eternity in the hell realms.”
Fae still trailed out of the arena’s scrolled gates and into the Fen Forest, either flying, running, or trampling over others, likely terrified that the Storm King was about to raze the entire city to the ground.
“There you are, filthy human,” a low voice snarled behind me. “I’ve been looking for you.”
I whipped around, my boots scraping over stones, and found Neeron, the Sun Realm envoy, grinning before me. He scanned my body, now flickering in and out of visibility, and fixed me with a predatory stare, hungry for revenge.
“Come get me,” I said as I gripped my sword hilt with two hands, holding it vertically along the center of my body. “I’m more than happy to finish what we started back in Coridon.”
Wishing I could tear my horrible, movement-restricting gown off, I chanted the Mydorian war song in my mind. By branch and root, soil and stone, lend strength to muscle, heart, and bone.
“Why should I bother fighting with a sword when I can simply destroy you with these?” Neeron asked, spinning several balls of fire magic on his palms.
I ducked and whirled as he threw them at me in rapid succession, missing me and setting many fae ablaze as they fled the arena.
“Why? Because I’m too good at dodging them,” I replied, running up a wall and landing directly behind Neeron. “If I were you, Envoy, I’d try using your sword.” I swiped my blade diagonally and a line of blood wept from his right shoulder to his left waist.
I hissed my people’s chant through my teeth. Crush all to live. Conquer and prevail. Mydor blood will never fail .
But Mydor blood had failed Quin after he’d polluted his veins with enough gold serum to dishonor the blood of our ancestors. And if I could kill my own brother—an addict jacked-up with fire magic—surely I could take out a whining envoy without breaking a sweat.
Neeron whipped around, snarling like a newborn troll as he drew his sword, lunging and slashing at me three times. I blocked each strike, the third catching his collarbone, another dark stain blooming over the royal blue material of his jacket.
Dropping my right shoulder, I pretended to hack with a downward strike, but went in for the kill instead, raising the blade fast and aiming for his head. Neeron spun out of the blow just in time, then we pushed back and forth, the clash of swords dull thuds over the din in the arena.
Concentrating on precise movements and rhythmic breathing, I lifted my sword above my head, feigning another downward strike, and as the fae moved in to counter it, I kicked him in the balls.
Neeron fell backward, groaning before immediately springing back onto his feet.
Before I could launch another attack, Arrow landed between us.
“I thought you were hunting Melaya,” I grumbled.
“Changed my mind. I’ve been watching the Sun Envoy closely instead. Neeron ,” Arrow said calmly, as if he’d just bumped into him at a garden party. “Good to see you again. You’ve been well?” he continued, his wings folded along his spine and the arches raised above his shoulders, reminding me of a bristled cat preparing to tear its prey to shreds.
Neeron mumbled an incoherent response. Sweat beading his brow, he collected himself and bowed. “King Arrowyn, I apologize. I wasn’t aware you were still interested in the human’s welfare.”
“Consider me deeply invested in my Aldara’s wellbeing.”
The envoy’s knees shook, a dark stain spreading on the crotch of his pants.
Arrow looked at me over his shoulder. “Do you trust me, Leaf?”
“More than I trust myself.”
“Good answer.” He grinned, tipping his chin toward Neeron. “So then, may I have the pleasure?”
Pointing my blade toward the ground, I considered Arrow’s question.
First, it was nice of him to ask permission before killing Neeron on my behalf. And second, I was exhausted. In addition, I hadn’t spied Melaya since the fighting had commenced. Perhaps he’d already fled the kingdom and was halfway across the realm. Or perhaps he hadn’t and would appear any moment and burn us all to crispy cinders. Therefore, I had to conserve my energy and be ready for anything.
I nodded at Arrow. “By all means, go ahead.”
Thunder cracked, and with a smirk, he spun a vortex of storm power on his palm. Threads of lightning whirled so fast they blurred into mini-twisters of blinding light. Neeron turned and ran, and Arrow raised his hand, but his magic just… fizzled out and disappeared.
Frowning, he tried to connect to the storm again. Once. Twice.
But nothing happened.
With a snap, my failing reaver cloak completely slid from my skin.
Shit. Our magic was dead. Had twenty minutes passed since we began our attack? It only felt like ten at the most. Something must have happened to the queen or Nukala. I glanced around the arena. Still no Melaya in sight.
Fuck.
What was going on?
Arrow frowned at my solid body. “Time’s up,” he said, grabbing my sword and running forward, splitting the envoy in half from head to groin before throwing the blade back to me.
I caught it and spun the hilt in my hand. “Nicely done.”
A dark-gold eyebrow cocked. “High praise indeed coming from you.”
“True,” I agreed with a dark laugh, then sobered and asked, “Are we fucked now? As good as dead?”
He shrugged, and we both scanned the arena.
The chaos showed signs of easing. Most soldiers had fled, and Raiden, Zaret, and Esen, their blood-splattered bodies flickering in and out of visibility, were busy helping injured courtiers who’d gotten swept up in the battle.
Where was Ari? The last time I saw the results of her invisible sword wielding, she’d been in the crowd. Icy fear slithering through me, I wiped ash from my face with my sleeve, the smoke from scores of fires stinging my eyes.
I patted my leg. But the pouch containing Estella’s pendant and my remaining orchid petals was gone. Fuck.
The last of Arrow’s storm clouds dissolved. Then, with a loud crack, Melaya appeared in the sky, his body surrounded by flames and crimson wings that I never knew he possessed, spreading wide.
Arrow moved in front of me, then sighed, wrapping a wing around my shoulders as I sidestepped to stand beside him.
“Your king is dead, Mage,” he said. “And the fight is over.”
Melaya landed on the dais just above us. “Debatable. By old Talnian law, if I don’t kill you now, then you’ll become the Sun Realm’s new ruler. Or perhaps you would allow our queen to hold power.”
Arrow crossed his arms. “Whatever Estella wishes, she shall have. Where is she?”
Melaya’s lips formed a savage smile. “I’m more interested in your Sayeeda’s whereabouts.”
Arrow frowned as Ari called his name from the other side of the arena and stepped through a group of fae that she appeared to have been healing. Raiden shouted, but she kept her face averted, shoulders stiff as she climbed the dais steps, not stopping until she stood four feet in front of the mage.
“Stay there, Leaf. Don’t move.” In a blur of wings, Arrow left my side and flew onto the dais, landing next to Ari.
“Give me your Sayeeda, Arrowyn,” ordered Melaya, “and I’ll bind your power to the land, making you king of two powerful realms. Let her depart Taln with me now, and I vow to leave you in peace for now.”
A laugh rumbled from Arrow’s chest. “You think I’m a fool? You can’t have the Sayeeda. She is bound to my kingdom, to our friendship, and her heart is forever linked with another’s.”
“Her heart is worth nothing to me. I need the gold in her veins, not her friendship , and I care not who she’s bound to, lover or king.”
Arrow thrust his hand toward me, the word sword sounding in my head.
Without hesitating, I threw Bakhur’s sword to him.
He caught it one-handed without taking his eyes off Melaya. “Stop talking, Mage, and fight me instead.”
This time, Melaya laughed. “You cannot defeat me. Not without storm magic.”
“Guess I’m fucked, then,” said Arrow. “Let’s find out for sure.” He lurched forward, stood on the tips of Melaya’s boots, and then shoved him off the dais, leaping after him with his sword raised.
Power surged around the mage, and a whooshing sound tore through the air at the same time blinding orange light exploded. I squeezed my eyes shut, opening them two heartbeats later.
Arrow was gone.
Heart pounding, I scanned the arena.
No sign of him.
Where in the hells was he?
Spying the sword on the ground where Arrow must have dropped it, I ran forward, snatching it up and turning toward Melaya as he walked back up the dais stairs toward Ari with slow, deliberate steps. She unsheathed a knife from the belt on her hip and bent her knees, ready to pounce on him.
“Sayeeda, wait!” Estella’s voice rang through the air. She strode across the arena with Nukala slumped in her arms, a knife sticking out of his heart and blood pouring from the wound.
The flames in Melaya’s eyes flared brighter. “Star Witch,” he shouted, his voice reverberating with fury and banked power. I closed my eyes for a moment, praying the death of his twin had diminished his strength, just as we’d hoped it would.
“I saved my brother from drowning. Blocked your magic. And yet, you undid it. How ?”
“That’s my business, Mage. And I believe we are now even,” said the queen. “Your greed has caused the death of my only child. But unfortunately for you, I am not so easy to kill. You shouldn’t have left Nukala’s bathroom so soon. But you were too eager to hurry off and attempt to claim more power, and now you’ve paid the price. Your twin is dead, and all you have left without him is limited magic. So how will you choose to use it?”
Melaya’s black robes swirled as he shot forward, swooped Ari up, then blasted into the sky, tucking her under his arm. Then they disappeared.
“No,” I yelled at the same time Raiden howled like a wounded wolf.
Estella dropped Nukala, and his body crumpled on the dirt. She released a high-pitched scream, the sound as terrifying as a thousand banshees wailing at a funeral.
With her head back, mouth open wide, she raised her palms to the sky and crouched low, her entire body shaking. An answering drone reverberated from the planets above, growing louder and shriller, until the ground shook, and I thought my eardrums might explode.
The air in the arena pulsed as the stars embroidered on Estella’s black gown peeled away from the material and swirled in a spiraling mass into the celestial dome above. It changed color from sparkling silver to flat black, creating a strange void directly above us.
Bats, birds, and glowing insects spun through the sky, sucked into the black hole’s gravitational pull. I ground my teeth and did my best to keep my boots planted on the ground, my flesh crawling as though the force of the dark chasm pulled me toward its depths.
Wind whipped, tearing at my clothes and hair, and with horror, I watched my fingernails grow, as if every part of me yearned to merge with the cosmic void.
New screams of terror pierced the night as everyone in the arena experienced the same symptoms, nearly drowning out Estella’s chanting. She had the voice of a goddess, resonating with ancient, destructive power. The queen was a realm destroyer.
Just when my organs felt like they would burst through my skin, Melaya suddenly appeared in the sky again, his wings beating wildly against the void’s force.
Estella’s power had reeled him back like a fish caught on a hook.
The mage’s mouth tore open in a grimace of terror as he screamed and screamed, the Sayeeda hanging limp in his arms.
“Ari,” I yelled.
Estella stopped chanting, her eyes closed and hands moving in an elaborate pattern. Melaya cried out again, clawing desperately against the hungry void as a ball of light, the queen’s star magic, exploded on his left shoulder.
He released Ari, and as she tumbled down, the queen whipped her hand toward the ground, and a blanket of light appeared a few feet above it, glittering as if it was made of stars.
Ari landed on the protective barrier, rolled off and onto her feet, and then ran toward the exit. I’d never seen her move so fast, but she was wise to put as much distance between herself and Melaya as possible.
I looked up and watched the void swallow the tail of Melaya’s cloak—the rest of him had already disappeared inside it. Good fucking riddance , I thought, as Estella crumpled to the ground.
Stars flowed from the void, reversing their spiral and spreading across the sky. And the moment the night reabsorbed the cosmic hole, the droning sound stopped, silver pinpricks glittering serenely in the sky, and the unruly wind settling at last.
“Help the queen,” I said to anyone nearby who might respond. I couldn’t stay. I needed to find Arrow and Ari, make sure they were all right.
Ruhh appeared at my side and pointed at the group of fae gathering around Estella. “Don’t worry, Zali. I will oversee the queen’s treatment.”
“I don’t know why you’re helping us,” I said, “but I’m very grateful.”
Ruhh circled me like a wasp about to get tangled in my hair. “My brother bound my body to this realm, but the Zareen has promised to restore it.” She bared decaying teeth in a deranged smile. “Just think, one day soon, I may be able to hug you.”
I laughed. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather throw me off a cliff?”
“Since my death, I have realized many men are stupid, making decisions with their egos and cocks instead of their hearts and brains. We females must stick together and clean up their messes. But, please, tell Arrow not to get too comfortable in Coridon. If I know Melaya, he will find a way back from the fringes of the cosmos and cause him more trouble.”
With a heavy heart, I nodded, and then spun on my heel, wiping sweat and blood from my face as I moved quickly through the arena, searching for my friends. For my love.
“Leaf!” Ari shouted.
I ran toward the sound of her voice, finding her back in the arena and huddled over a dark shape slumped beside the ancient gates. A body. A large male with his wings flung limply over his bare torso.
Arrow .
No, no, no, no, no.
Please gods, no.
I’d do anything if only he was alive.
Anything .
I let out a scream and bolted forward. Skidding across the dirt on my knees, I knocked Ari sideways as I crashed into her, then stopped by Arrow’s body.
Golden tears painted her face, and she wrapped an arm around me, an offer of comfort that I shrugged off as I leaned over Arrow, sobs wracking through me.
I smoothed hair off his face, tucking strands behind the points of his ears. Blood trickled from his mouth, his feather glyphs a dark flesh color. No pulse thudded through his veins.
“No, Arrow. Please . Please, no. Come back to me. I can’t do this without you.” I kissed the blood from his lips and soaked his blanched skin with my tears.
“Help him, Ari,” I said. “Please. I’ll do anything. If you need blood, I have plenty to spare. A life in exchange for his? I’ll gladly give mine. Just don’t let him die. I couldn’t bear it.”
Fires raged around the arena, small ones merging and growing, smoke obscuring the stars. The flames roared around us, cleansing, purifying, clearing space for new beginnings.
New blades of grass.
New saplings.
New kings and queens.
My Aldara mark suddenly flashed, searing the flesh of my neck as white sparks from its magic singed my hair. That was a good sign. It meant Arrow was reviving.
Didn’t it?
But then the magic faltered, falling dormant with a final, soft hiss.
And I knew without a doubt…
The Storm King was dead.