38. Chapter 38
F uck, that hurts.
I bounced off the roof like a rag doll, feeling the impact in every inch of my body. My ribs cracked as I hit something else, trying to slow my descent, but I used it to twist around and grab whatever I’d collided with.
‘Shit!’
My legs whipped around while I clamped my hands onto the cold object. It took a moment to focus, my arms straining, until I realised what I was holding onto. I was face-to-face with a grinning gargoyle, my life depending on the strength of its stone fangs.
Jumping off Vahin’s back mid-flight was one of the stupidest things I’d ever done, but it was necessary. My dragon was fighting the ?mij with unyielding ferocity, and I realised I was more of a burden than a help. He’d received too many injuries protecting me from his enemy’s venom-laden fangs, so I had to give him the chance to fly freely without worrying for my safety.
This entire battle had been a clusterfuck of epic proportions from the very start. Whatever plans we’d made were scrapped the moment Annika entered the city. I was riding Vahin, watching as she disappeared behind the gates, when the ?mij attacked, the rest of the monsters following suit. Reynard had organised the ground forces, but all I could do was draw a sword and direct my riders to where I saw an opportunity.
My fight never came, and now I was dangling from the roof, watching as Cahyon led Annika towards the strange-looking portal.
After several attempts, I contorted my battered body enough to catch the edge of the highest window with one boot, and then, praying to All-Father, I threw myself forward, barrelling into the light frame and crystalline glass with all my strength.
After yet another round of cursing that would make a pirate wince, I opened my eyes to look around. I was in a dusty attic room full of bird nests that stank of mould bad enough to make me gag.
‘Kill it!’ The voice from below sent my heart into a painful stutter, and for a split second, I considered jumping down to shield Annika. Then I realised the man said it, not her , and that even with my heavy build, I wouldn’t survive falling from such a height.
Instead, I ran.
Despite the intricate carvings that adorned its surface, the tower’s design was simple and utilitarian. Narrow at the summit, it widened as I descended the spiralling staircase, leading to rooms on the lower levels. I’d been lucky with my landing because the moment I opened the door, I found myself face-to-face with a monster.
The wild magic in my blood hummed with approval as I gave it free rein. I didn’t even need my sword, jamming my fingers into the monster’s eyes before smashing its head against the wall until it collapsed to the floor, dead.
‘Is that all you’ve got?’ I roared, charging down the staircase.
The beast within me revelled in the carnage. Each step I took left a trail of blood. Monsters, corrupted Moroi—it didn’t matter. They all fell under my fury, every one of them a barrier between me and the woman I loved. The woman I needed to reach before that undead bastard could harm her.
By the time I reached the tower’s base, my armour dripped with ichor and gore. I barely paused to wipe the mess from my face before bursting into the chamber. The sudden brightness blinded me, but I pressed forward.
And I still arrived too late.
The air thrummed with magic, heavy and volatile. It stung my skin like icy needles, as though I’d plunged into a freezing mountain stream. Annika’s power roared around the room, so potent it locked me in place. I fought against its snares, my skin cracking with frost the harder I struggled.
Then Ani said something to the Lich King, her voice sharp and defiant, just before blue fire shot from her hands, engulfing him in a raging inferno. My breath hitched as Cahyon, his eyes filled with darkness, stepped forward.
The flames recoiled from his body, leaving him untouched. He laughed—a deep, mocking sound—and with a flick of his wrist, his magic surged towards Annika. Oily black tendrils wrapped around her, searing her skin and leaving red, angry welts wherever they touched.
My woman screamed in rage, her magic answering her fury. The torrent of blue fire intensified, punching through Cahyon’s dark shield. The ground trembled beneath me, the clash of their immense power shaking the very foundation of the world.
The Lich King, with the strength of the land at his command, met Annika’s unyielding might—she, a conduit capable of limitless spells, wielding raw elemental force. Black flames writhed against blue fire, and for a moment, time itself seemed to hold its breath.
But Annika wasn’t alone.
A faint, otherworldly presence emerged behind her. The air shimmered as though the Veil had thinned, revealing nineteen spectral women. Their forms were indistinct, but their power was undeniable, a force that bolstered Annika’s own. Her blue flames burned brighter, their light searing through the choking black tendrils.
I didn’t fully understand what was happening, but when Cahyon staggered back, his face twisted in disbelief, I roared in triumph. He stared at Annika as if seeing her for the first time, his expression contorting with fear. Her icy fury burned through his defences, and for the first time, the Lich King hesitated.
‘Impossible ...’ he mouthed as he was forced another step back, wailing as his gaze fixed on something behind Annika. ‘ Rowena! ’
Following his line of sight, I surged forward, desperate to intervene, but ice and ash clung to me, slowing my movements. I watched in horror as Rowena raised a beautifully ornate dagger and sank it into Ani’s back.
My Nivale responded instantly, whipping her arm towards Alaric’s sister. A blast of magic flung Rowena against the wall with a sickening thud. It was an effective counterstrike, but it cost Annika dearly. The interruption broke her focus, and Cahyon seized the opportunity.
His black magic surged forward, engulfing her.
‘ No! ’ My scream mixed with a dragon’s roar and Ari’s anguished cry.
Annika choked, blood pouring from her lips as she fell to her knees. One of the ghostly figures standing behind her moved suddenly, its ephemeral form darting between Annika and the oncoming attack.
The spirit took the brunt of the death magic, its shape solidifying momentarily. A familiar scent of herbal remedies filled the air as I saw Katja protect my treasure one last time. Annika’s shock reverberated through our bond, but with a guttural cry, she pushed herself to her feet.
Time stood still. My breath hung in the air, frozen mist suspended mid-motion as Annika drew on the aether with an intensity that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
It felt as though the Void had opened beneath our feet, draining the life from everything around it. I was sure we were dying. Darkness crept at the edges of my vision before, just as suddenly, it all stopped.
The world shifted, and Ani’s voice, low and cold, whispered a spell that resonated with finality.
‘ Tae niti tue etera mago . 1 The thread of your existence will end here.’
Pain shot through me when a bolt of aether shot from her hand, brilliant as the sun and icy as a winter storm. It struck Cahyon square in the chest, and he screamed, thrashing in agony, but Annika was relentless. The black tendrils of his magic shrunk and vanished under her assault while the Lich King howled in fury, clawing his chest.
‘You can’t do it. My magic ... you fucking witch!’ he screamed before his voice pitched when crimson dragon fire replaced blue flames.
His body burned like a torch, but Ani didn’t stop. The more blood she lost, the more the fire intensified, and I stared in utter shock at how she destroyed Cahyon’s magic, leaving nothing but a burning effigy of the immortal lich.
The ash thinned, and the storm subsided, ice and snow falling lifelessly to the ground. Freed from the magic that had held us all in place, I moved with desperate speed, but once again, I was too late.
My Nivale crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.
I reached her just as she looked up at me, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the dying embers of her power. Blood foamed at her lips as she mouthed, ‘ I love you .’
‘Annika! No ... gods, no! Dark Mother, save her!’ Alaric’s voice broke as he rushed to her side.
Cahyon’s burning husk writhed in Ani’s flames as I kicked him far away. ‘I bet you regret your immortality now,’ I growled before turning back to Alaric, who was cradling my Nivale against his chest. His hands trembled as he pulled the dagger from her back. I dropped to my knees beside her, laying my hand on his as his green, healing magic enveloped them both.
‘Orm, I need to focus ... I need to ... Hrae! She’s gone so far ...’ he whispered frantically, and I pulled away, barely breathing, desperate not to disturb the spell he was casting.
Fight my love, fight for me, fight for us .
I repeated it like a mantra, my world narrowing to those three words and her face where the ash mixed with the tears flowing down her cheeks.
Movement behind me caught me off guard and I twisted just in time to intercept Rowena, her dagger aimed for my throat. The blade grazed my shoulder, but I caught her wrist and twisted it until it snapped. I’d forgotten about Ari’s sister, but there she stood, all sanity gone from her pale blue eyes. With a snarling curse, I squeezed harder. I wanted to punish her, to crush the hand that wielded the knife, but Annika came first.
As I prepared to send Rowena after her burning master, she screamed, and my vision blurred. Thoughts not my own invaded my mind, insidious whispers telling me that my mate was dead and urging me to join her beyond the Veil.
My consciousness was thrust from my body, and I watched in disbelief as my hand grabbed her dagger, turning the blade towards my heart. I knew it was wrong, but the compulsion was too hard to resist.
The tip of the blade passed through my armour like butter, scoring my flesh and drawing blood. With a snap, everything stopped, and Rowena sank to her knees, whimpering in pain. A net, woven from smoke, had wrapped around her body, its coils tightening with each breath she took, slowly suffocating her.
Valaram’s rattling laugh echoed in the courtyard. I glanced at the fae, shocked at his appearance. He held his bloody throat, the same green healing energy pulsing around his hand, while the other grasped the smoky tendril wrapped around Rowena. I was in awe; I had never heard of a mage who could wield two different kinds of magic simultaneously.
‘Lara’mei, I loved you last, but I’ll follow you first,’ he wheezed, more blood seeping between his fingers.
I frowned, my gaze locking on Alaric, whose eyes swirled with crimson. He whispered an invocation, his hands pressing against Ani’s chest, but the desperation in his voice revealed his thoughts.
‘I can’t ... I can’t heal her,’ he muttered, his voice thick with grief. ‘The death spell that bastard used—it’s unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s limitless. The wound ... Her spirit isn’t drifting behind the Veil, it’s hurtling through the Void like a fallen star. I can’t stop her or even call her back ... I tried to close the Veil, but ... The one time I truly need my necromancy, and I’m failing.’
With a quick, urgent motion, I pulled Ani from his embrace. The gaping wound in her chest had vanished under Alaric’s healing touch, but her chest remained still, an ominous silence hanging in the air. I pressed my lips to hers, forcing air into her lungs in the hope that she would respond, that maybe, just maybe, she needed a breath of life to bring her back.
‘Breath for me, Nivale. Please, my beloved. I’m lost without you,’ I whispered desperately, trying to breathe for her, but my efforts were in vain.
Above us, the two titans collided, their roars shaking the heavens. Vahin’s cry split the sky, and lightning rained down, striking the palace walls with enough force to turn rock to ash.
The world trembled as the storm tore the air apart, lightning and thunder clashing in a vicious dance. The dying convulsions of the ?mij sent shockwaves through the earth, and fire and molten rock surrounded us. The very skies seemed to scream in agony.
I cradled Annika’s lifeless form, wrapping my cloak around her, as if the simple act of protecting her could somehow tether her to this world.
‘I will never let you go,’ I told her. ‘How could I? You have my heart, my soul. I would give you my life if I could ... Annika, you are the strongest of us all. You can’t just fucking die!’ I shook her body, praying she would just open her eyes and scold me for waking her too abruptly. I would happily endure her harsh words if I could only hear her voice again.
Ari rose to his feet, his gaze locked on Cahyon, whose soul clung desperately to his charred body—an impotent spirit in a broken vessel, suspended between life and death.
‘You took her from me.’
Alaric’s voice was a low growl, thick with anger. ‘I wanted to kill you ... just kill you. But now, I’ll make you suffer for eternity.’ His eyes burned with an intensity that sent a ripple of dread through the air.
‘You will never die, Cahyon Abrasan,’ he said. ‘The gods themselves will pity your fate. The mountains will turn to dust, the oceans will dry up, but you— you —will remain here. Powerless, locked in unending torment, knowing that one woman was your downfall. And even that won’t be enough for what you took from me!’
Alaric’s skin glowed, his power surging outward. Cahyon’s lifeless body was lifted off the ground, crashing violently into the walls of the palace. On impact, his chest split open as flames erupted from his still-beating heart.
But as the Lich King’s heart began to fade, Alaric’s power held it in place, encasing the organ in a shimmering, purple glass shield—preventing death from taking its due. Cahyon’s decaying form twisted in anguish, his silent scream a grotesque mockery of life, but this time, it was not his body that burned—it was his very spirit.
Molten stone flowed like thick syrup, controlled by Alaric’s will, until it encased Cahyon in a crystalline prison. Only then did my fae turn his attention to his sister.
Terror flashed across Rowena’s face as Alaric approached, death dancing gleefully in his eyes. He leaned over her, trailing a finger over her cheek with chilling tenderness before shaking his head in disbelief.
‘What are you?’ he asked softly, his voice a rasp of disgust. ‘What pit of nightmare spawned your hateful soul?’
He seized her throat with brutal force, the smoke net around her vanishing under his touch. From the corner of my eye, I saw Valaram slump to the floor, hand holding his bleeding throat, reaching towards Ani.
‘I .. . He forced me. Ari, I didn’t want this, but the Lich King . .. He made me suffer until I complied ...’ She shrieked when Alaric squeezed her throat tighter.
‘Your lies won’t work anymore,’ he hissed, his voice empty. ‘I’m dead inside, sister. You took everything from me and turned it to dust. My last wish is to see you dead before I follow my domina behind the Veil.’
Alaric pressed the dagger he’d pulled from Ani’s back to Rowena’s chest. Slowly, with deliberate precision, he drove the blade deeper, the sound of the metal scraping through her ribs a sickening melody. Rowena’s screams were raw and agonizing, but I didn’t look away. I drank in every moment of her pain as she thrashed until, with one last gasping sob, her body hung lifelessly in Alaric’s grasp.
The courtyard was eerily quiet. The man I loved approached me, pain and loss finally cracking his emotionless facade. I glanced down at the dagger in his hand, his sister’s blood still dripping from its blade.
‘Help me, my love. I can’t let her walk alone,’ he said, his voice cracking as he passed the knife to me hilt first. I pulled away from him as if he’d offered me a poisonous snake.
‘No!’ I shouted. ‘There must be another way.’
He shook his head. ‘If there is, I don’t know it. Such power is beyond me.’
The earth trembled with the heavy thump of Vahin’s landing and I shielded my eyes from the blinding blue light that coated him. My dragon was a broken sight—bloodied and battered, with scales missing and one wing hanging flaccidly, bone jutting from his flesh. But despite the carnage, he was alive.
Vahin’s eyes widened as they fell on Ani’s lifeless form, and a sharp pain twisted in my chest. He took a tentative step towards her, but his legs buckled beneath him. ‘Bring her to me! Now!’
Without hesitation, I did as he commanded, placing Ani’s body into his gentle embrace. She looked almost as if she was sleeping, cradled by the dragon.
‘What are you going to do?’ I asked when he lowered his head, his muzzle touching her chest.
‘A miracle.’
I stumbled back, nearly tripping over Alaric, who was kneeling beside us, whispering prayers in his native tongue. I mimicked his posture, drawing a sword and resting it across my thighs as I prayed to the All-Father, pleading for the life of the woman whose bravery put the heroes of old to shame.
‘My troublemaker, this time I’m locking you in my lair,’ Vahin murmured, his voice tender as his breath stirred Ani’s hair. The blue glow of his scales deepened, radiating with intensity, while lines of lightning flickered across his wings. A tremor ran through his body, and from deep within his chest, a low rumble echoed, accompanied by a strange melody that seemed to resonate through my very soul.
Then, Vahin spoke. I didn’t recognise the words, but there was a decisiveness to them. A chill ran down my spine as his head dipped lower, his breath hovering over Annika’s lips. I blinked, stunned by the golden mist that swept across her heart-shaped face, a faint ethereal glow that twinkled in the stillness of the moment.
Annika no longer appeared as if death’s embrace held her so tightly. My muscles were painfully tense, but I was afraid to move, afraid to lose this sliver of hope and disturb a ritual I didn’t understand.
‘Dark Mother, she gave you everything you asked for and more. Please do not cut the thread of her fate. It is not her time,’ Alaric whispered in prayer.
‘Come back, Little Flame,’ Vahin’s weary voice spoke again. His scales, just now vibrant with power, had dulled, the fire within him dimming with every agonised word. ‘I know it hurts. I know it is easier to shy away, but we cannot lose you. Not yet.’
He continued, his voice growing softer, ‘Come back to me, my light. My beautiful soul ... Take my gift and live for me. I offer my immortality. For you, I give Veles everything. I’ll stray from the endless path and no longer soar the edge of eternity.’
Though Ani remained still, a faint blush of life seemed to paint her cheeks. I wasn’t sure if it was wishful thinking or Vahin’s power, but something shifted in the air, and my heart dared to hope.
Alaric broke first. With a sudden, determined movement, he threw himself towards them, his hands drawing healing sigils in the air that burned with the force of his power before sinking into her body.
‘I’ll seal the Veil for you—consequences be damned,’ he cried, his voice cracking with anguish. ‘Hear these words, Domina. Hear the one who commands the dead. You’ll not join their ranks. I forbid it!’ He turned to me, desperation etched into every line of his face. ‘Do something! She loves you the most.’
His words cut through me like a whip, urging me to act, but I had no magic like Vahin or mastery over the dead like Alaric. All I had was the heart of the beast she’d tamed and the words I swore never to say again.
I stripped off my armour and tore my shirt off, ignoring the raw pain of my injuries and the crackling magic coursing through my veins. Kneeling beside her, I cradled Ani’s head to my chest, pressing my heartbeat against her ear.
‘My beautiful Nivale,’ I whispered, my voice trembling. ‘Can you hear my heartbeat? I still remember that first night, when you were so delirious you ripped my shirt off just to feel it.’ The memory burned in my mind, a blissful sweetness I could never forget. ‘I remember everything—the confusion, the bliss, the certainty that my life would never be the same.’
I willed my heart to beat faster, pushing the blood through my veins with all my will until the roar of it drowned everything else. I lifted her gently, cradling her head in my hand as I pressed my lips to her ear to speak the words of her geas.
‘ Iru?ai efsun khavarin . 2 Come back, Nivale. I command it.’
A sharp gasp was the only warning I received before Annika’s eyes snapped open, the golden ring around her irises identical to mine. She screamed, wrapping her arms around me as she buried her face in the crook of my neck.
‘I don’t want to die ... I don’t want to ... I’m not ready. Please, let me go ... Please, I can’t leave them ...’ she cried out, frantically clawing at my chest. I was sure Ani didn’t realise she was back with us.
‘You’re safe,’ I whispered, stroking her hair gently as I tried to calm the tremors that wracked her body. ‘Listen to me, my love. You’re safe. No one will take you away.’
After several gasping sobs, she finally spoke again, her voice clearer this time. ‘How?’
‘It was a joint effort, but ... Annika, I used your geas. Forgive me, please, but—’
‘You used my geas?’ she croaked.
I crushed her to my chest. ‘You were dead. You were fucking dead. I want you to know the truth, but I would use it again and again if it brings you back to me. You can be mad, but I have no regrets,’ I said vehemently, waiting for her punishing response.
She cupped my face in her hands, her gaze steady. ‘Orm, fuck the geas. I’m back.’ She threw her head back and laughed.
The gentleness of her touch and the unbridled joy in her laughter shattered my control. I buried my face in her hair, and sobs shook my body, releasing all the pent-up fear and despair.
‘Yes, fuck the geas, Nivale. Fuck everything except us,’ I replied, knowing I should release her and let Alaric and Vahin reunite with the divine creature we’d saved, but I couldn’t make my arms loosen their grip.
‘ Take your time, Orm. I can feel her deep in my soul. I can see her joy. That is enough for me. But your fae ... he needs her, too. ’
Before Vahin had finished the thought, I reached out, grabbing Alaric’s jacket and yanking him over. I couldn’t let Ani go, not yet, but it didn’t mean I would make him wait.
‘If you ever dare to die on me again, I swear I will revive your corpse and turn you into a fucking lich,’ he muttered, kissing her neck.
I rolled my eyes. ‘Mind your manners, fae. We’re surrounded by dead people,’ I joked, the relief flooding me making my voice lighter than usual.
‘So?’ Alaric shrugged, grinning. ‘I’m a necromancer. Dead people are the spice of my life.’
Annika slapped him playfully before turning towards Vahin, her gaze softening as she took in the sorry state of our dragon. She was still for a moment before she lunged at him, and I had no choice but to let her go.
She slammed into Vahin, wrapping her arms around his neck. ‘I heard you. Your voice was calling to me in the darkness. The golden thread that tethered me ... It was you, wasn’t it? How did you do it?’ she asked, placing a hand on her chest.
‘I gave you a dragon’s final gift,’ he answered softly. ‘Your life is now tied to mine. We will live, and live well, for a very long time. And when the time comes to cross the Veil, we will go together. I am no longer immortal, Little Flame. I have chosen my last rider.’ He glanced at me with a wry smile. ‘I’m afraid you were also caught in the spell, as it extends to anyone bound to the dragon who grants it.’
If I thought I couldn’t have been happier, Vahin had proved me wrong. Now I knew I wouldn’t be the first to say my goodbyes to those I loved. Looking between Vahin and me, Annika must have sensed the dragon’s contentment, for she didn’t question him further. Instead, her gaze drifted to where Valaram sat, slumped against a wall, a faint smile still on his lips.
‘He fought for you,’ Alaric said quietly. ‘He could have healed himself, but with his last breath, he thwarted my sister. I was wrong, Domina. He was worthy of you.’
Bowing his head, Ari’s remorse was evident as he approached the fallen fae. ‘Thank you for your help, my lord. May the Dark Mother be merciful to you, too.’
Annika joined him, but instead of kneeling, she moved to Valaram’s side, her hand stroking his face, avoiding the half-healed cut on his throat.
‘I’m sorry, Val,’ she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. ‘You were my best friend during the most difficult time. I wish I could have loved you like you wanted me to, but my heart was already taken.’ She kissed his forehead, her tears falling quietly as she whispered her goodbyes.
When the sounds of the fight disturbed the silence, Alaric helped Annika to her feet, and they joined me.
‘We won,’ Annika murmured, almost to herself. ‘But at what cost?’
‘I know, sweetheart, but maybe now we won’t need to fight again,’ I said, stepping in front of her just before Reynard and his men charged inside and skidded to a halt.
1. I unbound the essence of your power.
2. Rule by your heart.