45. Astraea
Chapter forty-five
Astraea
My world is shattering, or maybe that’s just the remnants of my heart.
I can’t tell the difference anymore. I can hardly hear anything past the furious sound of the rushing blood in my ears as panic seizes me.
I don’t even fight Viltarin anymore, though he’s stopped pulling me altogether, likely in just as much shock as me.
Blood drips from Kyros’ blade and the palm he just ran along its sharp edge, and Phaedra’s eyes gleam in a way no one's gaze should when looking at my twin flame. A possessive surge of heat fills my chest, and Kyros pauses, feeling me stoke those flames. It’s too brief, though.
He’s made his decision. He steps forward, his new form towering over Phaedra, where she awaits her prize.
“Why doesn’t he just kill her?” I growl, not understanding.
I know nothing about magickal bonds. I pull again at Viltarin’s arms to release me.
All my life I have given into the fact that I would be a pawn in my father’s game.
Why is it that the moment I decide that I want to accept that I could have happiness, the choice is ripped away from me?
Viltarin grunts when my elbow sinks into his stomach.
I refuse to sit back and watch as others make decisions for me again.
Kyros won’t be a martyr in my name, and I know Mavros would think the same.
“Because—” Viltarin struggles to keep his grip on me as I begin to thrash in his arms again.
“He doesn’t know the full terms of Mavros’ oath with her.
Killing her—could kill Mavros.” He says through clenched teeth.
I give up my fight for another moment, reserving energy and collecting my thoughts about what I need to do.
Mavros hasn’t moved. His face is frozen in shock and worry as he watches his brothers approach.
Mavros wouldn’t do this for power. There has to be a reason he would ever make a deal with Phaedra.
But as I sit with that thought, a more worrisome one immediately follows. Where is Zinya?
As though summoned by the direction of my mind, Phaedra smiles, snapping her fingers.
Two guards storm through the high arched doors with a slumped-over form between them.
It’s her. They drop her unceremoniously to the stone floor.
Mavros moves for the first time; it’s barely visible, but I saw it.
He flinches as Zinya hits the floor in a heap.
Her blonde hair is more red and brown, caked with blood and dirt, than it is her usual light honey color.
My heart drops when she doesn’t move once released.
Viltarin tightens his grip on my arms as though sensing my urge to run to her.
It wouldn’t help anyone if I did that. It’s likely the only thing keeping him from going to her himself.
“Call this an act of good will,” Phaedra says with a fluttering gesture with her fingers, her hand waving out toward where Zinya lies listless.
The state of her body is of no conscience.
My lip curls as a snarl builds low in my throat like nothing I have ever released before.
The fury in my core is becoming uncontainable as Phaedra steps in closer to Kyros, waiting for his next move.
“Take this,” Kyros starts, and I watch as the muscle in his jaw jumps with how he grinds his teeth together.
Drilling his gaze into Phaedra, he plants his feet, squaring his shoulders.
He braces himself to finish his next words.
“My oath,” Kyros says loudly, in a voice that sounds both near and far.
His words punch the air from my lungs as thunder cracks, the branching lightning splitting the sky outside.
It brightens the throne room with a glaring flash of light, coming through the beveled stained glass mural behind the dais, lighting more of Kyros’ new and terrifying features in a vivid mosaic of color.
Long curved horns protrude from his head, through his long dark hair.
The horns are so similar to the nightmare creature who haunted me for decades, but where it was bony and bleached white, Kyros is completely opposite.
He is made of darkness and cloaked in shadow—like death reincarnate.
Shadows solidified to charred bone; his face is his, but sharper and with more darkness than light. A deity stepped straight from Zameil.
Phaedra's pupils dilate and a wicked curve tilts her mouth as she steps even closer to my twin flame, her face mere inches away as she tilts her head. Kyros doesn’t flinch, and I don’t know what hurts more, the fact that he has no reaction at all or that I am forced to watch.
Looking down, I notice my shadows coiling along my arms. They twist and curl like a snake as if ready to jump from my skin and strike.
Phaedra then turns her gaze at the last moment, meeting my eyes as she slices her own palm on the edge of Kyros’ sword.
Her blood mixes with his, trickling down the onyx blade where he has the tip planted in the ground in between them. My stomach clenches as my mind spirals.
Heat wraps around me too tight. My blood is boiling and I can’t breathe.
This can’t be happening. You could hear a pin drop with how quiet the room is.
The room that was just a melee of terror, anguish, and death—now waits on baited breath.
My future has changed twice in the same place they now stand.
One moment, Kyros was on his knee offering me the future I didn’t know I wanted, and now… Phaedra is once again ripping it away.
“Release my brother from his bound word in its entirety and I will replace his fealty with my own. In exchange, you pledge to me that you will not harm my people, my brother and Astraea included.” Kyros continues devoid of all emotion, but from where I stand I see the storm raging in the darkness of his eyes.
I feel our dark flame blazing between us.
As Kyros lifts his chin, his dark eyes flick to mine. It’s too brief, too fleeting, but just enough to show me that he is still there. It’s that simple warmth in his gaze that he spares for just me that gives me even a minuscule amount of strength.
“Kyros, don’t do this. There has to be another way!
” I beg him to listen with a broken, whispered sob.
He keeps a straight face, but I can see it in the way he swallows hard and his brow furrows that he doesn’t want to do this any more than I want him to.
This is who he is. Always needing to be in control, always needing to protect.
This is who he’s convinced himself he needs to be, to be worthy… of what?
“Me for them. Let every one of them go,” Kyros adds dejectedly, his eyes cast down and over his shoulder. I know he can see me from the corner of his eye and I plead with tears streaming down my face for him not to do this. There has to be another way.
Shayd thrashes in his binds. His mouth split with the rope that’s tied around his head, keeping him from saying whatever it is he’s trying so hard to say.
I had barely even noticed him there. Phaedra glances at him once, but I see the slight smile curving her lips.
Something isn’t adding up. I have to stop this.
“I accept your oath, and I give you mine. I will not harm your people or your brother.” She turns her gaze to me, “and the girl included.” Phaedra says with a saccharine smile.
“Astraea. Say it. Say her name with the oath, or it is void.” Kyros demands in that same otherworldly voice.
He takes a step forward as though he will force the words from her lips, but Phaedra only rolls her eyes.
They land back on me. She doesn’t remove her gaze from me as she recites the oath again.
Warning bells are going off in my head the whole time.
The heat wrapping around my ribs is starting to overwhelm me.
“Let go of me, Viltarin!” I demand, stomping down on his foot.
I would use my magic, but fear what Viltarin told me about the bonds.
He hisses in pain, and his grip loosens just enough for me to slip free—only for Colette to step in front of me.
Her expression is somber. Defeated. She places a hand on my shoulder, and I shake my head.
Phaedra slowly saunters toward Kyros. An animal of prey playing with her food.
Viltarin’s grip tightens as Phaedra laughs.
Viltarin and Colette might be the only thing keeping me up as the heaviness in my soul threatens to pull me down.
“Cole, I can’t.” My voice is barely audible.
Time has frozen as I watch the magick twist around the sword.
Kyros’ beautiful, glittering black sand and smoke mix with smoky gray that creeps from Phaedra’s blood like poison vapors.
They snake up the Tsalalerian steel and then wrap around their hands.
Kyros’ grip on the hilt of the sword blanches his knuckles, while Phaedra smiles wickedly as she looks down on her upturned palm where the oath is binding them together.
I can’t take it. The heat, the pain, the fury—it’s unbearable.
Then it stops.
Not the pain, not the fury, not even the heat, but the magickal display from Kyros and Phaedra as the bond sinks into their bodies and wraps around their souls. Shayd slumps, watching just as I have. Both of us are frozen in place by the hands that hold us.
“GO!” Kyros barks at his brother the moment the magick clears.
Mavros doesn’t wait, but the press of his lips and shake of his head are enough to know he’s not happy about this either.
Mavros bolts for Zinya, and the moment he reaches her, more guards pile into the room.
Kyros asked me to portal out of here, but I can’t just leave alone.
I try to take account of everyone I want to get out of here with me.
Zinya and Mavros are so close to where I am held back by Viltarin and Cole. Between Kyros and—where is Ruaan? Shit.
“Shula, now.” Kyros finally turns to face me. He urges me. I know what he means and what he wants for me. He wants me to leave, to open a portal and run. But I can’t do that. Not like this, not without him.
“I want you to kill them.” Phaedra’s words are like glass shattering on stone.
Kyros lifts his sword. Looking at it like it’s completely foreign to him. Genuine fear paints his features, an emotion I have never placed on Kyros before now. It overwhelms his face, and his eyes round when they meet mine again.
“Go!” The word is a choked sob, and my blood runs cold at the sound coming from him.
“Somewhere I can’t follow. Somewhere I won’t think to follow you to.
” His jaw clenches. The muscles in his body jump as he plants his feet firmly in place.
Viltarin starts moving before I’m ready, and my feet drag along the rough stone.
“We have to go now! He won’t be able to hold back much longer.” Viltarin rushes the words past gritted teeth, pushing me to turn around, to turn my back on Kyros. I shake my head in denial even as guards unsheathe their blades and the fighting starts all over again.
“Astraea,” Cole pleads, begging me with her eyes. I can only shake my head as my world disintegrates. The flame in my chest surges, and I gasp.
“Fight for your queen!” Mavros yells from somewhere behind me.
Then Ruaan appears seemingly from nowhere, slicing the throat of the guard holding Shayd.
He and Rowan pull Kyros’ traitorous friend to his feet, shuffling and fighting through bodies as they make their way to where Mavros is scooping Zinya up.
Chaos surrounds me. Hot, furious tears fill my eyes as I’m dragged away from him.
My future. My twin flame and the man I finally chose to give something I never thought I would give to a man. My love.
I point my finger at Shayd. “He lives,” I demand. Ruaan only nods his head in agreement before he pushes him further into the room, toward Mavros. They’re all right here.
“I’m sorry.” A tear rolls down the sharpened angle of Kyros’ cheek bone and disappears into the shadows.
He shudders, his sword scraping along the stone floor as he tries to refuse the call to lift it.
I don’t respond to him, though. I can’t acknowledge this.
I won’t say goodbye to him. This is only temporary.
Phaedra found an asinine loophole in the oath, and I will find a way to release Kyros from his end of the deal.
I try to tell Kyros as much with my eyes alone, and then I turn my gaze to Phaedra as my anguish turns to fury in my gut.
“How do you feel about fire, Phaedra?” I cry out, tears streaming down my face.
I don’t give her a chance to answer before I bare my teeth with a scream.
My shadows whip out, igniting a portal with one hand, and in the other, that black flame is conjured to my palm.
Her eyes widen. “Get everyone through—” I growl, a new furious power coming from the center of my chest where I still feel the fire of my connection with Kyros burning.
“I can open—” Ruaan starts, but I throw my fire magick out, ignoring him.
I’m taking control of this now. A blast of furious black flame catches the rug leading up to the dais where Phaedra stands.
Once it ignites, it burns red hot. The dark flame ripples past Kyros so closely he should be burned, but he doesn’t even flinch.
Phaedra screams as the fire catches the long curtains that line the walls between the pillars.
“Go! NOW! I yell. Person after person disappears through the portal I’ve conjured, and Viltarin finally eases back as he too steps through with a promise I am following after.
Mavros and I are the last two standing in front of the crackling vortex of magick.
Kyros’ forehead is sweat-slicked, and his body is trembling where he holds back his attack.
“You will regret this!” Phaedra screams, shielding her body from the blazing drapes as they fall and burn.
“No, I don’t think I will. The only one who will be sorry is you.
” I look at Kyros, but I say the words for Phaedra.
My brows drop before I take Mavros’ hand and step backwards through the portal and let it snap shut between Kyros and me.
The last thing left in my gaze is the flames and the look of complete and utter desolation on Kyros’ face.