Chapter 27
Icouldn’t afford a distraction, not with this many enemies surrounding me, but seeing the love of your life—no, your entire existence—for the first time in twenty-five years did something to freeze time.
Surrounded by figures cloaked in hooded black robes that covered most of their faces, I’d still recognize those crystalline eyes anywhere.
Especially with the way they looked at me.
With a fire that made me feel like I was everything worth fighting for.
One of the men shouted, “Kill everyone!”
The room erupted into a cacophony of screams and panic, and we fell into our roles as planned.
Alandris rushed at Kaz, a blade formed of pure flame marked to strike. Kaz parried with his steel sword, leaving the two locked in a contest. A cloaked figure rushed at me, leaving no time to wonder or worry why Alandris hadn’t yet dropped his act.
Quickly raising a shield of hardened shadow in front of me, I braced myself against the two twin blades swung at my front.
My attacker was nimble and lithe, their face covered to their eyes by a thin black mask.
My shield did little to dissuade their onslaught.
They pivoted, lunging for my side. Their blades forced me to raise my magic defensively, time and again—barely avoiding them.
They were wearing me down, keeping me distracted.
None of the other council members had their attention focused on me—instead, they were engaging with Kaz and Makatza, or attempting to stop Jyuri, Lorian, and Zorinna from evacuating the worshipers.
Odd, considering I was to be a priority for them. Something wasn’t right.
I needed to end this quickly, and dodging wasn’t the answer. My magic was practically begging to be released, roiling beneath my skin.
On my attacker’s next strike, I pushed through my shield with a blast of magic exploding outward.
My shadows formed into clawed hands, swiping at the same time I lunged with my dagger.
The dagger barely grazed them, slicing into fabric but not reaching flesh.
It was the claws that tore into them, sending them flying into a pew behind them.
Sparing a few moments to ensure they didn’t stir, I turned my focus back to Kaz and Alandris, both still engaged in battle but uninjured. Hopping over crumbled stone and weaving between flying arrows, I rushed to Kaz’s side.
“About damn time,” Kaz growled, shoving Alandris back with another parry. “I’ve got something to take care of. Take over for me, will you?”
I couldn’t get a complaint nor a question out before he took off and left me to block Alandris’s next, which I managed only by the skin of my teeth. Flames licked at my arms, nearly burning me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I choked out amidst his relentless assault. What was he doing? Seriously.
His expression remained flat. “You are favoring your right arm to block. It’s predictable.”
I scoffed. “Nice to see you, too.” What the fuck was he doing? Seriously.
He brought his conjured blade of fire down at my shoulder, and I instinctively brought up my right forearm, shelled with my magic, to block. Damn it. He was right.
“See?” His lip twitched, a faint smirk rising.
I blocked another attack, this time with my left. “Are you not going to help us?”
“Am I?”
“Are you having fun?”
Alandris pushed toward me faster than I had a chance to counter, sending us tumbling to the ground. He pinned me beneath him, flames dancing at his fingertips held up to my cheek. “You shouldn’t have come over here.”
“And why’s that?” Squirming beneath him was futile, since I had no intention of causing him harm. He held me between his knees, his weight immobilizing me.
“I’m dying to kiss you.”
My jaw dropped open, and I forgot I was in the process of fending him off. Before I could respond to the ridiculousness of that statement—made even more insane by the fact that he was moments from melting my face off—a gargled scream tore through the temple.
Alandris took his eyes off for me to turn towards the noise, and I took the opportunity to throw him off of me. We both sprang to our feet quickly, but this time, when our eyes met, his indifference gave way to unfettered resolve.
“I believe Kaz has completed the task I set out for him. Had to keep my betrayal a secret. Thank you for playing along.” He smiled and brushed his thumb along my jaw. “Ready, my love?”
I was going to kill him for that, but I smiled, anyway, and let the full force of my magic run free in answer.
Shadows spilled from my palms in waves, forming into countless claws at my control.
The robe figure who’d begun rushing towards me paused at the sight—an error on their part.
Their lapse of focus served as my opportunity.
My claws ripped into them like a rabid beast, leaving nothing but gore in their wake.
Such savagery would have perturbed me in the past. It probably should have—even now, but it doesn’t. Not anymore.
There was no time to move before the next was upon me.
A magic wielder with vines coiling around his forearms. They lashed at me like a whip, not to wound but to restrain.
I leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the first. The second wrapped around my wrist before I could move.
Glancing at the vines, I spotted the state of my arm.
I hadn’t even felt the dark tendrils begin to form. They’d ascended up to my elbow.
I couldn’t worry about that now. I needed to yank myself free, and the easiest way to do that was to use more of my magic.
Feigning haplessness, I allowed my attacker to pull me toward them, waiting until they were within reach before I grabbed onto their arm.
Skin to skin, I forced my magic into them, watching as the tendrils slithered up their arms, to their neck, to their face, destroying them from the inside out.
The vine withered away from my wrist as their body collapsed to the floor.
Another. Another. How many had they sent to kill me?
You are enjoying this.
I shook my head. No. But I was, wasn’t I?
Yes. More.
Another fell to my shadows. Using this power was second nature now. The way my magic was supposed to be, supposed to feel—like an extension of myself. It was what I’d been striving for all along, and I’d finally achieved it. And it felt good. So good. And it was mine. Mine.
The screams began to fade into the background. The only thing I could hear was my heartbeat and a buzzing between my ears. Even their faces blurred into repetitive nothingness. Just another number to destroy.
They deserve it, this punishment.
Of course they did. They’d done horrible things to innocent people. They would have killed Alandris. I was the result of their actions, my magic—a tool to enact the revenge they so irrefutably deserved.
Kill them all.
Hands grabbed for my shoulders, and I whirled around, digging my nails into the arms of the male behind me.
“Nairu, you need to stop.”
Spare no one.
“It’s me, my love.” Those hands gripped me tighter. “It’s done. It’s over.”
“No!” I didn’t recognize my voice as my own. It was too deep, layered and echoed.
“I promise. We’re safe now.” He reached for my cheek, and I recoiled.
He’s lying.
“I would never lie to you.”
Had I said that out loud?
“You are killing him, Nairu!” A female voice shouted. “Jyuri, do something, please. Where is that blasted concoction?”
“I can’t kill her. A bargain is a bargain.”
“I’m not saying to kill her. I’m telling you to shove that thing down her throat!”
You can’t force me back in that cage!
I screamed as more hands grabbed for me, holding me down. My magic rose to the surface to protect me, shadows dancing around my body, lashing out at anything and anyone around me. I thrashed, clenching my teeth so hard they should have shattered while fingers tried to pry my mouth open.
I will not go.
They were trying to kill me. I was sure of it.
Do not let them.
I summoned more of my magic than I’d ever dipped into before to my fingertips, but I wasn’t fast enough. A cold liquid touched my tongue and my entire world shattered.
All of my senses came back at once in full force.
Sound: screaming, crying, and panicked, labored breaths.
Scent: the metallic tang of blood and death.
Feel: excruciating pain along my skin and soreness in my jaw.
And finally, sight—the worst of all: the horrified expressions of my friends.
Friends who had witnessed me completely lose control.
I looked up at Alandris, who’d held me firm in his arms as I choked out a sob. “What have I done?”
Black tendrils covered his entire neck, curling around his cheek, into his eye, and disappearing into his hairline. They were so intense it appeared as though black fire had burned him. I’d almost killed him. The realization that he was somehow still conscious right now was incomprehensible.
“We need to get her out of here,” Alandris spoke grimly, looking at Jyuri. “We used a lot, but I don’t know how long it will hold Zaelos back. It’s… progressing.”
“What will you do?”
“I need to return to the Council with the man Kaz knocked out earlier.” He pointed to his face. “At least I have a battle scar to sell the story. Let’s hope they don’t see my escape as a betrayal. I’ll meet you at the Consortium as soon as I am able, and then you can take me to her.”
Zorinna bristled. “Are you seriously joking about what just happened? This is a problem.”
I tensed. “I—I didn’t mean to. I—um, I couldn’t…” The words died on my lips.
Alandris squeezed my hand. “I know. It wasn’t you.”
But it was.
I couldn’t look into his eyes. Forgiveness, pity, and sadness were not what I wanted to see.
Nor was love. I didn’t deserve any of it.
Instead, I looked past him, into the crowd forming at the edge of the Temple of the Moon.
Worshippers stood, looking on in horror at the sight of us—of me.
I supposed I hadn’t needed to fear becoming an image of worship—a goddess—for the people of Val’Naeris.
I may have saved them, but I’d shown them the visage of a monster.