Chapter 20
Twenty
Jasyn squeezed his thighs tight as he situated himself. His sword was now long forgotten on the ground, and his hands had nothing to grip. If he wasn't careful, he would be another victim.
He gritted his teeth as Iskra swerved, and his body slid to the side. He expected her to do another loop around the cavern, but she seemed to slow her flight.
At first, he thought maybe Iskra didn’t realize he was on her back. Then, he was being jerked around side to side as she landed on her perch.
He screamed as his body could no longer hold on, and he tumbled off her back onto the ledge with her.
He hissed as rocks poked into him, his wounds agonizing, but the pain was barely noticeable as he scrambled away from her.
He hit the cave wall, which wasn’t far away at all.
Her back was to him, but he had no doubt she sensed him there. She was thinking.
Jasyn peeked around him, searching for the Heart, and his own heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as no red glow surfaced. Was it on another ledge? But this was the one Iskra had been protective over this whole time. It must be here.
A chuckle sounded to his right, and Jasyn was greeted with the sight of Kryth waving the burning herbs near Iskra’s snout.
Jasyn was ready to pounce on the man, but the minister grabbed a rope and slid himself down easily.
Jasyn’s anger was so deep, he planned to follow Kryth down, but then he remembered who was actually important here.
Iskra’s footsteps padded roughly across the ledge as she turned, and Jasyn leaned further into the wall, as if that would hide him better.
He prayed to Slone he would make it out alive, that he would leave victorious with the Heart in his hand—and more importantly, with Iskra in his arms.
This was the perfect moment to act, to do what he hoped would weaken but not kill her, but all thoughts were swept away as he saw it.
Puncturing Iskra’s chest, like a wound bleeding red, the ruby Heart of the Sun Court gleamed, taunting him.
It was like a target, beckoning him forward.
His breaths quickened as fear stormed his heart.
Jasyn couldn’t live in a world without Iskra. Just the thought had him keeling over.
Refusing to accept any other outcome but life, he squared his shoulders back and prepared for another way out. His first step was to get close to her.
“Iskra,” he said, barely loud enough for his own ears, yet Iskra huffed through her nose.
He reached out his hand; she could come to him. He would show her he wasn’t a threat. He loved her and wouldn’t dare let any deathly harm come her away. She was his Sundrop, his blooming flower in the light.
His arm shook as she approached him, her steps loud as her tail swung. The rest of the cave didn’t matter. It was just him and her.
“Iskra,” he repeated.
She huffed again, but this time, it was more intense. The next few seconds were a quick blur. He saw her opening her mouth, and he dove right as fire blasted from her mouth. He was on his hands and knees, crawling away from the flame’s path.
Getting away from her wrath must have angered her even more, because she let out another blast of fire.
This time, he was trying to get up, which caused him to slow.
Heat burned the back of his leg, and he choked down his scream.
His legs wanted to buckle under the pain, but he leaned against the wall, keeping his body up.
Not for long, because Iskra was throwing more fire at him. Sweat coated almost every inch of his skin, his clothes clinging to him, as he ran along the wall, but he soon would be out of space.
He turned so his back was against the wall, and Iskra hadn’t moved any further. She wouldn’t need to take another step. Her stream of fire was long enough to cause damage even from that distance.
“My Iskra,” he said. “I’m so sorry you have to do this.”
Because he knew she hated it. If she had her own mind still, she would never attack him like this.
Another burst of his own anger hit him then. At the Gods and minister for letting a soul like Iskra be doomed to such a fate. At Iskra herself because of the lies and how she knew they were always on borrowed time. At himself for not worshipping Iskra more when they did have that time.
His life had unexpectedly led to this moment. He had lost and lost, and he refused to believe his destiny was to lose more, not after how much life Iskra had filled him with. Even his gardening didn’t have the power to revive him like she did.
A whining noise came from Iskra, and Jasyn opened his eyes, scared someone was hurting her, only to realize she was in pain because of him.
Light poured from every inch of his body, beaming so brightly, his instinct was to squint—but he quickly realized the light didn’t bother his eyes.
It didn’t hurt him at all. It had been years since his powers manifested like this, and if he wasn’t currently threatened with dying, he would have cried tears of joy.
Iskra moaned, and he knew it was too much for her.
She stumbled as she tried to look away, but it wouldn’t protect her from how far his light reached.
It was a flood of sunlight shining directly at her, and the consequences of staring at him would be detrimental, but he hoped at least it would not be deadly.
“Come here,” he said quietly. Iskra needed to get close enough for him to rip the Heart from her chest.
But he knew she wouldn’t approach him now, so he had to move.
Jasyn walked slowly, hoping he was quiet enough for her not to hear him.
He doubted that was the case. Her senses must be amplified in this form, but that also meant she was extra sensitive to the light.
As long as he could keep it up, she would be distracted.
Her body heat strengthened as he reached her.
It was overwhelming to be standing near something so much larger than him and willingly being here next to it.
He took a breath to admire the enormity and strength of her.
He couldn’t believe this was the same person his heart had fallen for—even stranger was the desire for her after this was over, to want to ignore the arranged marriage with Esi and take Iskra’s hand instead.
He should condemn both of the women for lying to him, yet he couldn’t.
Jasyn sighed, and perhaps it was the wrong thing to do, because his light extinguished, and before he had a chance to process, Iskra’s tail swung under his feet, causing him to fall face-first. He grunted as his body hit cold rock, his knees sore from how he landed.
Every inch of his skin felt like it was aflame, and the burn marks across his body seized at the impact.
He didn’t allow himself to stop now. He got back up and faced Iskra, who had death in her eyes.
He called to his light, and at first, the power didn’t surface with the same brightness as before.
He urged it on, thinking of his siblings who sacrificed themselves for the Undertaking, thinking of his father, who participated each year even with how dangerous it was. Finally, the light shined again.
Iskra whined as she directed her eyes away from him. This time, Jasyn ran.
He was at her in seconds, and her eyes couldn’t take the light. She aimed her fire recklessly, and he had to dodge it. It didn’t stop him from pushing onward. This would end now, with the Heart in his hands and Iskra alive.
Jasyn jumped over her flame, and as he did, he condensed his light to shine directly in her eyes. She bent her long neck backward, exposing her chest to him.
He took the small dagger he had sheathed at his thigh, wedged it underneath the Heart, and dug it out, a rush of her blood splattering his face. The ruby Heart of the Sun Court sprung across the ledge—right at Bron’s feet.
Bron stared down at the Heart right below him. Jasyn expected him to lunge for it and claim victory, but he hesitated. His chest was heaving, like he’d climbed with speed to get here.
Iskra roared in pain. He hoped there was no permanent damage.
“I don’t want this,” Bron said, more to himself than Jasyn, but it was still loud enough for him to hear.
Jasyn slowly approached both Bron and the Heart, nervous if he moved too quickly, Bron would reconsider.
“You don’t have to take it,” Jasyn said. “We can find a way together to take down Kryth and get you out of debt.”
Bron snapped his head up to Jasyn, and Jasyn feared he said the wrong thing until Bron’s face crumpled.
“That won’t bring her back.”
“I know,” Jasyn said, his voice soft. He sympathized with Bron. They both understood grief. “We will never be able to get the people we lost back. It’s one of the hardest truths to ever accept—I’m not sure I ever will—but we persist for them, for a future they are not able to have.”
Jasyn saw Bron wipe his nose, and Jasyn’s own eyes burned. Yet, he couldn’t have the comforting moment with the guard now. He had to act.
Jasyn bent down to grab the Heart, but before he could, he was being lifted off the ground, the blast of air from Iskra’s wings causing Bron to stumble over.
She had him in her front talons.
“Don’t touch the Heart!” Jasyn yelled as he was being carried away from the object that would finally end this.
He squirmed, but that only made Iskra tighten her hold.
“Iskra,” he gritted through his teeth as he tried getting in a deep breath, but it was fruitless. Her hold squeezed tightly at his chest.
She was taking him higher and higher toward the skylight, as if she was planning to escape through the hole much too small for her large form.
The height gave Jasyn a view of the whole cavern, Bron still on that ledge, now on his knees.
He hadn’t touched the Heart yet. Down below, he saw a moving form.
Kryth was watching them, and even from this height, there was a satisfied glow radiating from the man.
There were a few other competitors scaling the walls. They would soon reach that ledge, and they would not hesitate to take the Heart. He had to get out of Iskra’s hold and take it first.
His one arm, free from Iskra’s grasp, banged against her talon in the hopes it would loosen her hold. It did for a short second, and he let out a deep breath, his chest filling with air.
He wished he was facing her. Maybe then, she would recognize who he was. But that was his hope persevering. Iskra did not remember him. If she did, she wouldn’t be suffocating him.
With only one option he could think of, Jasyn lifted his hand and blasted light upward, praying it landed in her eyes again.
The groan that escaped her mouth told him he’d hit his mark. Perhaps too well, because he was slipping from her talons while they were still very high up.
Jasyn gripped her tightly so he wouldn’t fall. Finally, he was at an angle where he could see Iskra. Her wings flapped, but they were still sinking downward. She just needed to bring them down a bit more, and Jasyn could attempt to leap onto the ledge with the Heart.
“Iskra,” he whispered, not sure she could even hear his voice, unsure if he even wanted her to.
Still, he had to get the words out. “I forgive you and Esi for tricking me. I understand now. You wanted freedom before doom, and you deserved that. I hope the time we had together brought you happiness. I hope I showed you how wonderful life was. Most importantly,” he cleared his throat, “I hope you know I love you.”
It was stupid to say these words when she didn’t understand them, when his fate had been decided. He would marry Esi, like he promised his parents.
Yet, as Iskra struggled with his light, he dreamed of a life with her instead.
“I love you, Sundrop.”
Those words must have woken something in her, because she stopped squirming. Her large eyes were directly on him, and he didn’t shrink away from the scrutiny.
“I love you,” he repeated.
Iskra groaned in pain, but the sound was less scary. There was regret in her eyes, but he shook his head, refusing to let that feeling overtake her.
He could feel they were flying downward.
Before he could question himself, he jumped from Iskra’s arms and landed roughly on the ledge, where Bron knelt by the Heart, protecting it.
Jasyn ran and took it, ending the Undertaking while Iskra still lived. Yet, he didn’t rejoice, because Iskra stopped flapping her wings, her body falling. Jasyn yelled out for her, knowing it was in vain. He crawled towards the ledge as she tumbled to the ground.
“No,” Jasyn whispered, his eyes stinging with tears. He leaped over to grab the rope, but Bron stopped him.
“Wait.” Jasyn fought back, but Bron’s hold on him was tight. “Look.”
Jasyn followed Bron’s gaze to where Iskra began moving. Jasyn thought then that perhaps the gods didn't show Kryth everything, because as Iskra ripped his head off, that smile from earlier was gone.