Chapter 37
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ladon
The second I saw Emilie lying on the ground on her stomach, the light in her eyes fading, I almost lost my mind. Reyna let go of Emilie and glared at me, and I grinned when I noticed one of those cat-like eyes was missing.
That’s my girl.
Reyna cocked her head and bared her teeth. “And what are you so happy about? Thrilled to see your lover one last time before she incinerates?”
“Touch her again and I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Tell me what you’ll do to me, my sweet Ladon.”
A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I realized I was biting my cheek. It didn’t matter that she’d interrupted me, though. I was done with threats. I was here to act.
Without another word, I darted toward her and swung my sword.
Reyna pivoted. Even with a missing eye, she moved with agility and precision. It fueled my rage even further.
I sliced my sword through the air and struck her in the back. She cried out, but it wasn’t good enough. I needed more, needed to see her blood entirely spilt on the ground. To watch it drain from her body.
She tried to attack me with her lightning, but I created a shield of rock, tossing dirt in her face for good measure. She howled in frustration.
Bringing my blade down again, I aimed for her neck. To my dismay, she dodged it, but not fast enough. My sword cut deep into the back of her leg. Blood sprayed from the wound, some of it landing on my hand. I looked at it with fascination and a desire for more.
“This is hardly a fair fight,” she said. “Shouldn’t I have a blade too?”
“What was fair about keeping Emilie and me imprisoned and using us for your sick fantasies? Hmm?”
She chuckled, and I swung my sword at her again, aiming for her chest. When she evaded it, I struck again and again and again. Over and over, I lashed out, striking less than half the time. My movements were erratic, but I couldn’t control my anger.
Just as my energy was almost spent, I connected with her left arm, slicing all the way to the bone. Before I could celebrate, though, lightning struck directly in the center of my back, sucking the air from my lungs.
I dropped my sword and clutched at my chest, watching as Reyna cradled her arm with anger in her remaining eye. Blood poured freely from the wound.
I laughed, earning myself another blast of energy. Although pain radiated through my body, I pushed forward, stumbling in her direction. She sent another lightning strike at the same time I blasted the ground beneath her feet.
She wouldn’t get the best of me. Not today.
We volleyed back and forth, each sending damage toward the other. Blinding light flashed before my eyes, and I wondered how much more my body could handle. If I had to die to take her down, I would. My drive to see her dead was unparalleled.
Somehow, she found her footing, and I cursed under my breath. By now, the bolts of lightning were raging through my system, and all I could do was crawl to reach her.
“Pathetic,” she snarled.
I didn’t respond.
“You’re going to die in this cave with your precious darling Emilie. Is she worth it?”
Of course she was. She was more precious than any gem in Baumheim. Nothing in this world meant more to me than Emilie did.
“Will your brother even come to save you? After you stole his bride?”
She unknowingly struck a nerve with that one, but I was close enough to reach her now. My sword had fallen out of my grip a while ago, so I lunged for her ankle and wrapped my hand around it.
Reyna laughed. “Are you going to beg me for your life? Say the magic words and I might let you be my pet again. You were the best I ever had.”
I tightened my grip, and she showed the first sign of alarm as she realized what I was doing. She tried to kick me away, but my hold was too strong for her bloody, injured leg.
“Stop it,” she cried.
Her magic was rapidly leaving her body and siphoning into mine. I spat at her and dug my nails in. “How does it feel, Reyna? To be completely powerless? To be at someone else’s mercy?”
She shook her head and fixed her hair with her good hand, like she needed to appear proper before meeting the ruthless gods. “You think too highly of yourself, Ladon. I could stomp the life out of you right now if I wanted to. I don’t need magic to—”
Her words were abruptly cut off, and I stared up at her, wondering why she hadn’t finished her threat. Her face dropped to the center of her torso, where a blade was protruding from her abdomen.
My blade.
The tip was covered in her blood, and a drop fell, landing on my arm. I craned my neck to see Emilie standing behind Reyna, her hand on the hilt of my sword, her expression wickedly victorious.
Reyna choked, and blood spilled out of her mouth. Her good eye flicked from her fatal injury to her blood-soaked hands. Then she stared at me again, confusion blanketing her face.
Emilie pulled the sword out, and Reyna fell forward. I moved out of the way just in time to avoid being trapped under her weight. With effort, I pushed myself up to my knees to find Emilie hovering over Reyna.
Reyna raised her hands—as if she could surrender. She blinked and said, “You don’t need to do this.”
Emilie smirked. “I know. I want to do this.”
Then she plunged the sword into Reyna’s chest, pulling it out and driving it back in repeatedly, carving her like a beast for consumption. Reyna screamed, but eventually her cries faded into shallow breathing, and then nothing at all.
Once Emilie was satisfied, she bent down and pressed her hand to Reyna’s disfigured chest. I couldn’t quite see what she was doing, so I sat up straighter and watched, mesmerized, as she pulled Reyna’s carved heart out and held it in her palm.
Gods, what a magnificent woman.
She squeezed the heart, her nails digging into the malleable organ. But then her cold expression cracked. Her eyebrows pinched together and her mouth fell open. She opened her fist, and Reyna’s heart fell to the ground.
“Emilie,” I said softly.
She briefly looked at me. “It’s done. She’s finally fucking gone.”
“Yes, princess. She’s gone for good, and we never have to think about her existence ever again. We don’t have to spend another second of our lives worrying about her whereabouts. We are finally free of her.”
“We’re free?” she repeated.
“Yes.”
I moved to my feet and embraced her, kissing the top of her head. She tilted her head back, and I sought her lips, melting into her when her tongue flicked over mine.
Her body shook, and I wasn’t sure if she was laughing or crying.
Maybe a little of both. For months we’d been tormented, haunted in our nightmares, and it had felt like this moment would never come.
Reyna escaped our grasp on too many occasions, and I had started to think I would spend the rest of my life chasing her.
But it was over.
Emilie grabbed my shirt, yanking me closer to her, and I winced.
She immediately released me and pulled back, her eyes roaming my body. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not. I saw what she did to you. She could’ve killed you. You’re going to need rest and—”
“Emilie,” I whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I will live. And what about you? She did much more damage to you.” I shook my head. “I should’ve gotten through sooner. You shouldn’t have had to fight her all alone. I never would’ve forgiven myself if I’d… if…”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak the words.
Emilie cupped my cheeks. “You weren’t too late. Nothing she did will leave permanent damage.” She smiled then and licked her lips. “Nothing she has ever done will leave permanent damage.”
It sounded idealistic, but I loved her optimism. One day, I hoped, we wouldn’t carry these scars with us. Everything that had happened—physical, emotional, and mental—would be left in the past.
The future was something to look forward to, and I was elated that I would get to share it with her. This dark chapter of our lives was finally over, and we had an entire story yet to be written.
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I gently pressed my forehead to hers. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
She huffed a laugh. “I think I do. But I will never say no to hearing it again.”
“I’m going to spend the rest of my life confessing my love for you, Emilie Duval.” I kissed her cheek, and then her neck, then gently nipped at her ear.
Her hands slid around my neck, massaging my shoulders and the back of my head, driving my hunger for her.
I wanted to stay here and get lost in her, savor her in every way imaginable, but my brother and Jade would likely show up soon.
There hadn’t been many surviving followers when I’d left them. Surely they were all defeated by now.
Grudgingly, I took a step back and pried her fingers from my body. I held both of her hands and laced our fingers together, giving her one last kiss on the lips. “Are you ready to head back?”
Emilie took one more look at Reyna’s lifeless body on the ground. At the blood-soaked area surrounding her. Her mangled heart was a foot away, and the way her body had fallen, it looked as though she was reaching for it—an exquisite vision of justice and reckoning.
I wished I could paint a picture, but on second thought, it was best for her to remain here in the dark—alone and forgotten.
“What the hell happened?” Cyrus demanded when Emilie and I stepped out of the cavern and walked back into the campsite. “You two look like you’ve survived a fire.”
He was right. Emilie and I both had burn marks on our skin, some of which had even blistered, though they didn’t hurt much. The adrenaline and bliss must’ve concealed the pain. We’d probably feel them later.
“Where’s Reyna?” Jade asked.
Emilie and I exchanged a look, smiling.
“She’s dead,” Emilie said, her eyes still fixed on me.
Jade gave a frustrated huff. “Are you sure? How do you know? She’s fucking cunning, so if—”
“I removed her heart,” Emilie said, whipping her head toward Jade. “She is absolutely, definitively, and irreversibly dead.”
Jade considered her for a moment and then nodded with a wicked smile. “Perfect.”
“What happened?” Cyrus asked again. “I was so caught up in the fight, I didn’t notice you disappear.”
He sounded scared, but that didn’t make much sense. I was a trained warrior, and he had no reason to doubt my abilities. But he also didn’t need to know how close we’d both come to defeat.
I scanned the campsite before I spoke. “We can fill you in, but first, has everyone here been taken care of?”
“Yes,” Jade replied.
“Are you certain? Did you do a sweep of the tents?”
“Twice,” Cyrus responded, crossing his arms. “Now, could you please tell us what happened?”
His temper was beginning to show, and I didn’t want to see what would happen if we made him wait any longer.
Emilie recounted chasing Reyna through the cavern, and I had to listen to each horrific moment that occurred before I had reached her.
I clenched my jaw and swore that I’d do better—be better—in the future.
While she told us how she fought Reyna, she caught my distressed gaze and paused long enough to whisper, “I’m fine.”
I brought my hand to my forehead and massaged the stress lines I’d developed over the past couple months.
Once she made it to the point in the tale where I’d entered, I took over.
Cyrus and Jade listened with rapt attention and, thankfully, did not interrupt.
I wasn’t sure how to tell them about Emilie carving Reyna’s heart out—it was violent and messy, and I didn’t think they needed to hear that bit.
But Emilie happily provided the information.
“I took Ladon’s sword and stabbed her. Repeatedly. Her heart came out pretty easily after I cut a square into her chest.”
She said it with zero emotion. Cold and confident. I almost crushed my lips to hers again because of how attractive I found her in that moment.
Jade looked equally impressed. “Well done. I suppose we should climb out of this place. Although I’m not sure the tide has rolled out yet.”
“Probably not,” I said. “We likely have a few hours left.”
She looked around, and her eyes fell on the mess tent. “I bet they have a bottle of something to celebrate our victory.”
Cyrus rolled his eyes, looking like the last place he wanted to be was drinking in a cave with the rest of us. It hurt, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. He needed more time, not an evening of drinking and merriment.
Or maybe a night of drinking was exactly what he needed.
Jade disappeared into the tent and came back holding three dark bottles and a basket. Looking inside, I found two whole loaves of bread.
“To soak up the alcohol,” she explained. “I can’t imagine the trek will be very safe if we’re all sloshed.”
I grinned, and so did Emilie. We looked at Cyrus expectantly, hoping he would join us and put everything aside, at least for the night.
He waited, forcing me to hold my breath, until he finally grabbed a bottle from Jade’s hands and uncorked it. He held the bottle up and said flatly, “Cheers.”
He took a long swig and passed the bottle to me.
Before I took a sip, I echoed his sentiment. “Cheers, brother.”