Chapter 40 #2
Just as I could feel the water molecules in the air, I could feel something else—the life force of the trees, the warmth of the ground.
My fingers tingled, a new power forming—no, not forming, awakening .
It came from some deep, forgotten crevice within, something that had been there all along, just hidden.
I leaned into it, and like a powerful wave, it swept over me, dragging me down in its immense power.
Light illuminated from me, encasing my body in a bright, white glow. A mighty roar passed my lips as I thrust my arms into the air, raising my bident above my head, my hair floating around me.
The ground groaned. Then, it heeded my command.
Trees, stones, clay, and earth shot into the sky, forming mountains , made by my own will. Like a mighty fist, they smashed into the soil-crafted asteroid and sent it careening off course, obliterating the riders caught in its destructive path.
“Holy shit,” Kaleb spoke in a stunned voice as the mass sailed over us, blotting out the light of the moon.
My legs trembled, my hair fell, and the light emitted from me wicked out.
I collapsed back down, panting as my lungs cried out for air as if I had been holding my breath, even though I hadn’t. My body felt weak, zapped for energy. Like a well, drained of water, albeit I could feel the droplets slowly starting to trickle back in.
“Sage, you just made mountains,” Artemesia whispered in wonder.
“Fucking mountains!” Kaleb exclaimed.
In the land mass’s wake, the current it created was so strong that it sucked Vatara in, sending us into a spiral. I let go of my bident and held onto Vatara for dear life. Kaleb and I screamed, while Artemesia desperately tried to correct us.
The world went around and around and— oh gods . Like a butter churn, my stomach rolled, the contents working their way up my esophagus.
Finally, we quit spinning, but the damage had already been done.
“I’m going to be sick.” I covered my mouth.
“Don’t you dare puke on her again,” Artemesia hissed with disdain, having all but forgotten the miracle I’d performed a few seconds ago, thus saving our lives.
“Or me,” Kaleb interjected.
Apparently, he had too. Ungrateful siblings.
“You two suck,” I groaned, fighting another wave of nausea. When I felt the acidic contents of my stomach start to glob up on the back of my tongue, I leaned over to the side.
“No!” Kaleb cried out .
But it was too late—I hurled my guts like a cat evicting hairballs. Yes, with an s . One after another. Some of it landed on Vatara’s side, the chunks sticking to her fur. Some of it landed, well, I don’t know where it landed.
She let out an insulted screech. I couldn’t blame her. I would feel the same way if things were reversed.
“Sorry, Vatara,” I wheezed, my eyes stinging. Creator above, that stunk.
“Sage,” Kaleb said, voice flatter than roadkill.
“Yeah?” I asked as I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve.
“I have . . . puke spray on me.” He gagged.
“Don’t you dare, Kaleb,” Artemesia warned.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” he replied, although he sounded nothing of the sort.
My stomach eased, a sense of relief washing over me. “I feel better now,” I stated, smacking my lips. My energy seemed to be swiftly returning too.
“I’m so glad,” Artemesia replied sarcastically. “Now, if you are done chundering, can we get back to focusing on the priestess?”
“Um, girls?” Kaleb said.
“What?” we asked.
“You might want to look to your left.”
Artemesia and I did as he said.
My breath stilled in my chest. “Von,” I whispered.
“No,” Artemesia spoke softly. “That’s Nockrythiam, the Ender of Realms.”
Standing taller than the mountain giant, was a lethal figure painted in shadows. Forged from darkness itself. His presence was commanding, terrifying. Powerful.
Onyx horns shot out from his head, sleekly twisting back, tipping up at the points.
Sharp and menacing. The black of his pupils claimed the whites of his eyes, making him look .
. . other . A species entirely of his own.
And then there were the veins beneath his tanned, tattooed skin.
They had doubled in size, feeding his muscles with immense strength.
“Retreat!” one of the riders screamed.
“No!” the priestess yelled, but no one seemed to care as the warriors began to flee. “Cowards!”
Von raised his sword, pointing it at the giant. Moonlight reflected off the wickedly sharp edge, highlighting its lethalness.
Then, he charged, and the world trembled.
Bits of shadow broke off behind him, unable to keep up.
Taking a defensive stance, the priestess dropped into a crouch and raised her fists beside her face.
The giant did the same. They threw a punch at Von’s sword, but the giant’s slowness caused it to miss, and Von’s blade sailed through the air, narrowly missing the priestess and finding purchase in the giant’s neck, sweeping all the way to the other side and cleaving the giant’s head straight off.
The priestess floated up higher, eager not to make the same mistake again of being too close to the battle.
Von leapt back, lowering his sword to his side, watching as the giant’s head slid off its neck. When the head struck the ground, the earth shook, and the sound cracked like thunder. So loud that we covered our ears.
Snarling, the priestess thrust her hands forward, and the headless giant began to move toward Von, its fist still raised. Von held firm, waiting for it to come to him.
The giant threw another slow punch at Von, which Von caught.
His grip turned crushing, and the giant’s hand disintegrated, as if it were made of sand, not stone.
Von shoved the giant back, his movement agile and swift as he raised his leg.
In one mighty move, he kicked the giant square in the chest, sending it careening backwards.
When it fell to the ground, it crushed the trees behind it, causing a plume of dirt and debris to erupt into the air.
Again, we covered our ears.
The priestess raised her hands, and slowly, the giant started to get back up again.
“Can you get me another shot?” I asked Artemesia, eyes on the priestess.
“You bet I can,” she said. With a click of her tongue, we veered to the left, giving a wide berth around the ensuing battle.
As we closed in on the priestess, her back turned to us, I readied my bident.
And this time, when I fired it, I did not miss.
After the battle was over, Vatara landed in front of Von.
Horns receding, he returned to normal size, which by mortal standards meant he was still a goliath. A muscular, tall, tattooed, dripping with unbridled masculinity, positively sinful, definitely going to ruin me later goliath.
Above all that?
He was mine .
I leapt down from Vatara, my legs picking up speed as I rushed toward him and he to me. Blood evacuated my veins, replaced by urgency—urgency to get to him. It lit every fiber within my body on fire.
Conquering the distance between us, I leapt from the ground and threw myself into him. My arms wrapped around his neck, my legs around his waist. His grip turned crushing, his arms like shackles as they banded around me, holding me tightly to him.
We were two desperate souls, finally returned to one another.
Together.
The place where we both belonged.
“Never again,” he pledged, his heated breath drifting across my skin.
“Never again,” I promised, nuzzling into his neck and inhaling his scent. There was once a time when the smell of burning birch reminded me of home, but now, that had changed. Now, home smelled of amber, sandalwood, and leather.
Unfurling my arms, I took his face in my hands and kissed him with such intensity I realized I was starving for him.
It was a hunger like no other. It wasn’t just sexual—no, it ran much deeper than that.
It was a need, like how the rain needed to fall, how a seed needed to sprout, like the stars needed to glow.
It was a need to live. Like blood in my veins. Air to my lungs. I needed him as if my body had been poisoned and he was the antidote, the only thing that could save me.
I needed him.
So, I kissed him. Until the world fell silent, until it was just us.
Until I swore I heard the moon whisper to the wind—
They’ve found each other at last.