Epilogue
The sounds of battle clanged through red skies, steel screeching on steel as the cries of the dying rose in symphony to meet them.
Isra crawled to the dead centre of the battlefield, bleeding.
To her left, she saw only darkness, Piscea at the helm as her Stars and soldiers coated the world in night.
Terrible nightmare beasts prowled and snapped, and Piscea rode one—a dragun the colour of obsidian.
To her right, Isra saw her friends lined up together, an army behind them.
There was Leo, his lightning crackling; Adrian, already drowning an oncoming soldier; Merissa clutching a soldier’s face as she sighed deadly starlight on to his lips.
And three women that Isra didn’t recognize—one with emerald hair and light-brown skin; the second with white-blonde hair, dancing blue eyes and beautiful butterfly wings.
The final one had burgundy hair, the colour of wine, and grinned wickedly as a rainbow of shimmering starlight morphed between her hands.
Enzo rose before Isra, leading the charge atop a winged lion, golden armour gleaming in the sunlight as he raised a sword, a roar on his lips as he screamed, ‘Attack!’
But where was Elara?
Isra turned, seeing Elara kneeling on the ground, hands splayed to it.
Elara looked up, anger twisting her features as she screamed Isra’s name.
Isra tried to crawl backwards, but Enzo’s army was at her back. Tried to move forwards, but Piscea’s nightmares advanced.
She heard screaming, sure it was her own, and then she awoke.
Isra rose, gasping, the sound of a grate shrieking open making her flinch.
She looked around, heart still hammering from the dream she had just awoken from.
She heard the steady drip of water, smelled mint and the sharp, cold earth of the place, saw the pallet of hay she had been lying on, and the bucket in the corner.
Shadows curled into the room, crawling up the walls and reaching out to her as she recoiled.
Then, finally, a figure stepped into the cell, looking around as a wolfish grin crept on to her wan features.
‘Pretty seer,’ Sofia crooned. ‘What fun you and I are going to have.’