Chapter Eleven
LILY
The roots were black.
That was the first thing I noticed when the forest formed around me. One moment, I’d been standing on the battlefield with Rathiel and my friends behind me—literally and figuratively. The next, I was here, surrounded by towering blue-green trees, and their roots were black.
They twisted and sprawled beneath my boots, spreading as far as the eye could see. Some were fine as spider silk, others thick as braided rope. And if I stood still long enough, I could see the darkness moving, creeping, as it slipped into the untouched roots, poisoning them one by one.
I curled my fingers into fists to keep from touching anything. The last time hadn’t ended well, and I wasn’t eager for a repeat.
I still hadn’t told anyone about the darkness, afraid of how they’d react.
If I told them about it, would they make me stop?
I couldn’t allow that. The last time I’d led a rebellion against my father, I’d lost everything—Rathiel, my army, my wings, my memories, my home.
The thought of all that happening again was like a dagger to my heart.
I had to win this time.
And to accomplish that, I needed soldiers. I couldn’t let fear stop me. Not mine nor anyone else’s.
That meant forging onward regardless of the darkness. Whatever this was, I could handle it.
Pulling myself up by my figurative bootstraps, I strode toward the heart of the forest, then ventured deeper, toward the light and my essence—my soul.
The brilliant light still blinded me, but the glow at the center wasn’t pure anymore.
Shadows ran through it in branching veins, disappearing deep into its core, as though they belonged there.
They didn’t.
They felt perverse. Like an infection that refused to let go. I was the host, and the darkness was the disease.
I stepped closer, my pulse drumming in my ears.
I expected the darkness to lash out and push me away.
Instead, the tendrils snaked forward, wrapped around my waist, and dragged me closer.
I instinctively tried to steady myself, and the second my fingers touched the tainted light, both heat and shadow flared through my hand and up my arm.
Its touch was cool and slick. The two twisted together, forming a band of black embedded with gold.
Then it sank into me, vanishing from sight.
Power swelled within me and my breath quickened. The roots came next, piercing the light and snaking around my legs, wrapping around my calves. Something pulled at me, a tug from beyond the forest. Rathiel? No. My soldiers. Their souls called to me, begging for their freedom.
Without hesitation, I gave myself over to them. Sparks flickered at the edge of my awareness, hundreds of them. A thousand. Each one calling my name.
The magic lifted me off my feet, the bands now coiled tight around my wrists and ankles. Only then did the thickest coil of darkness unwind itself from my essence, peeling itself away from the light. Once freed, it rose, climbing into the air until it hovered directly in front of my chest.
It didn’t move. Just hung there, pulsing, almost like it was watching me.
Then, it struck, piercing my chest.
My head fell back, and my mouth opened in a silent scream. I squeezed my eyes shut as pure, undiluted magic streamed through me.
It was so much.
Too much.
My thoughts scattered and my lungs strained as the magic snaked through me, threading itself into every nerve. I swore I could feel it pressing against the inside of my bones.
It was more power than I could bear.
But it didn’t stop. If anything, it pressed harder, filling every hollow space within me until I thought I’d split apart at the seams. I had to release it somehow, before it tore me to pieces, and I could think of only one way to do so.
Find them, I ordered the magic. Bring them back.
The second I thought the words, magic detonated from my core in a blast so devastating, it flattened the damn air, slammed into the edges of this place, and rolled outward like a shockwave. But at least I could breathe again as evidenced by the ragged breath I dragged into my lungs.
I reached for my people. Not with my hands—they were useless thanks to the black and gold bonds holding me hostage—but with my will. The light inside me, tainted by shadow, spilled outward, seeking every single soul hovering nearby.
They came quickly. Some rushed toward me as though finally seeing the light.
Others brushed against me tentatively, then gave in to my pull.
Every time one passed through me, I took the time to merge it with a sliver of my essence, just enough to tether it to life once more.
One by one, they passed through me, leaving behind a mark of their own, connecting us in a way I’d never known was possible.
How had Rathiel and Calyx done this for so many millennia?
The souls didn’t just take my gift—they took a piece of me.
And for every bit of light taken, the darkness seeped in, curling tighter around my core until it breathed in time with me.
Only then, when the final soul passed through me, did the coils lower me down onto my unsteady feet.
Maybe that was why my father had never offered his own essence—maybe he couldn’t.
Maybe there was nothing left within him to offer.
No light, no goodness, nothing. And perhaps that was why he’d forced the others to do it for him.
I’d never thought to ask Rathiel and Calyx what it had done to them, or how much of themselves they’d lost over the centuries to my father’s whims.
Was there any light left within them? Rathiel loved me like no one else. I had to believe he had some light left in order for him to love me so deeply. But Calyx? I wasn’t so sure.
Go, I commanded my soldiers, sending their souls out into their awaiting bodies.
They obeyed without hesitation, vanishing from my forest. Only when the final flicker disappeared did I force myself back to reality, back to Hell’s cloying heat and smoky air.
The return hit me like a punch, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
I forced open my eyes and dropped hard to my knees in the dirt.
The impact rattled my bones, and my hands shook as I dug my fingers into the ground to steady myself.
Before me, the first soul merged with its vessel. Then another. And another. Countless more. Until finally, every last one was accounted for, safely nestled within its body.
With a shivering breath, I exhaled and released my magic. But the darkness didn’t release me. It crept through me like smoke, filling the cracks I’d exposed when offering my essence.
Gentle hands cupped my cheeks, and I lifted my head to find Rathiel kneeling before me, concern twisting his features.
His lips moved as he spoke, but I couldn’t make out the words, his voice muffled by the roar in my ears.
I didn’t ask him to repeat himself, though, because the hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers behind him stared at me, waiting.
For a long moment, I knelt there, panting like I’d run a marathon.
I couldn’t believe it.
I did it.
I freaking did it.
I resurrected my army!
My gaze began to skim over the countless faces, and my heart stuttered at the sight of every single one.
A ragged sound punched out of my chest—half laugh, half gasp—and I wiped the grit from my palms as I pushed to my feet.
My legs wobbled with effort, but pride burned hot enough to hold me upright—well, that and Rathiel’s hands, supporting my weight.
As I steadied myself, the ringing in my ears slowly dulled, replaced by the sound of shuffling boots, hissed breaths, and the faint scrape of armour.
Korrak—the ugly bastard—moved first. The crowd parted for him without a word, just like they had the first day we’d met.
Ten feet of living volcanic rock stomped up to me, molten seams glowing faintly beneath his rocky skin.
His horns curved back in huge crescents, the edges nicked from decades of bashing his head against things that refused to be broken.
An arm’s length away, he stopped, then thudded a fist against his armoured chest. The cracks along his sternum flared, ember-bright. His molten gaze flared as a slow grin overtook his face, flashing his fangs.
“Princess,” he rumbled.
He’d never called me that before. I didn’t correct him, though. Because beyond him, a familiar shadow slid through the ranks without touching a single shoulder.
Varz. My favourite netheron. He moved with precision, his muscles coiled and lean. Golden, slitted eyes locked onto mine, but he didn’t smile. Because Varz never smiled.
“Try not to get us killed this time,” he murmured, completely deadpan.
Rathiel released my arm and took a protective step forward, but I clutched him tightly and pulled him back. He shot me another concerned glance, then continued bracing my weight. I didn’t want to show the others just how exhausted I was, but he saw it. He read me better than anyone else here.
“I’ll do my best,” I said, weakly grinning at the sight of the hellspawn who had become my friends.
Calder was next, clearing his throat to draw my attention.
My gaze snapped to him, and if possible, my grin broadened.
The vampire pushed off a rock with deliberate laziness, as though he’d posed there specifically for this moment.
His dark eyes twinkled with amusement, and he flashed his fangs at me in a welcoming smile that was equal parts charm and trouble.
“Been a long time,” he said, winking. Then his gaze slid past me to land on Eliza, and his eyes widened. “And you’ve brought us a lovely new companion to befriend.”
“Good lord,” Eliza muttered.
I laughed. “You’ll get used to him.”
“No, thanks,” she said.