Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Auraelia
Auraelia.
A voice as calm as a summer breeze cut through the darkness surrounding her, replacing it with the warmth of light.
Auraelia, my sweet child, open your eyes.
Hesitantly, she let her eyes flutter open.
All the pain she’d felt moments ago was gone, and a soft, buttery glow illuminated the world around her.
Gone were the screams of the wounded and the smell of wet earth.
In their place were the sound of crashing waterfalls in the distance and the sweet scent of honey.
And in front of her was a woman bathed in an ethereal glow, her features masked in the shadows the light cast. She was dressed in simple armor with overflowing silver robes and a sword strapped to her hip, her chestnut brown ringlets falling over her shoulder as she softly tilted her head to the side, a gentle smile painted across her lips.
“Where am I?” Auraelia asked as she met the woman's soft brown eyes.
“You’re in the world between worlds, my child.”
“The world between—what does that mean? Who are you?”
The woman chuckled and knelt in front of her.
Auraelia couldn’t help the gasp that escaped as her features became clearer and recognition dawned.
The depictions of her goddess were nothing compared to being in her presence.
She radiated love and light, but a sharpness to her eyes spoke to why she was also the goddess of war.
“Ah,” Rhayne smiled, her head bobbing slightly, “I see you know me now. Hello, Auraelia. And in answer to your other question, your soul is attempting to enter Arcelia.”
Panic flooded her veins as she scurried to her feet, her words coming out around a choked sob. “I—I failed. My p—people.”
“Shhh, be calm now. You have not failed.” Rhayne clasped Auraelia’s hands in her own, pulling her up as she pushed to her feet. “It is not yet your time. You still have much left to accomplish in your life cycle. So much love left to give and receive.”
“But Davina.”
“Is but an obstacle you must overcome and one you cannot do on your own. You are a powerful soul, Auraelia. But even those with power need help.”
“I—I don’t understand.”
“Don’t you?”
“Even with an army behind me, I couldn’t defeat her. How—”
“It’s not an army you need, Auraelia. What you need is the other half of your soul. You need to trust in the bond you have with Daemon. After all, light cannot exist without the dark.”
“But he’s in Opal helping his father.”
Rhayne slowly shook her head, a small smile lifting the corner of her lips.
“What was once true no longer remains so. Close your eyes and feel for him, Auraelia. You felt him as soon as he stepped foot back in Lyndaria. Though you believed you imagined it, you knew he was there even through your pain.”
Auraelia’s brows furrowed, but she did as she was asked. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply. The thread between them was there, but just barely. And as she followed the path that pulled her toward him, excruciating pain crippled her, sending her to her knees as she cried out.
“He’s…he’s–” She couldn’t even form the words, her heart shattering in her chest as she felt the pain he was enduring.
Warmth washed over her once more as Rhayne helped her back to her feet.
“Go back to him, Auraelia. Reach deep within yourself. Demolish the lock you’ve kept on the well of power within you, and let it fill every fiber of your being.
Lean on Daemon. Let him fill the spaces where your power cannot reach.
Only together can you accomplish what needs to be done. ”
Auraelia held the goddess’ gaze, and when she nodded encouragingly, closed her eyes once more, took a steadying breath, and let the darkness envelop her senses. She could feel the tether to Daemon strengthening. Could feel his warmth even in the between.
“Trust in yourself and in your bond, Auraelia.”
Rhayne pressed a kiss to her brow, and it felt as if she was falling, her soul cascading through time itself until it landed back into her pain-riddled body.
She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, but as her soul settled, the effect of Davina’s magic began to melt away.
She could feel her power growing, the once dimming embers fanning to life as she took her first full breath.
“Have you had enough, little king?” Davina’s snide tone pierced through the remaining fog clouding her mind, filling her with white-hot rage.
Curling her hands into fists, Auraelia opened her eyes. Everything around her was blanketed in white light as her power surged within her. Her lightning wrapped around her limbs as a storm formed overhead, and the wind whipped around them.
“Auraelia?” Daemon choked out as she tightened her hand around his, pulling him to his feet as she stood.
“What? This isn’t—it isn’t possible.”
Auraelia’s magic glowed around her like the light of Arcelia, twisting together in intricate ribbons to form a shield around herself and Daemon.
She dove further into her power, smashing through the bottom and into a seemingly endless pit of energy.
Gradually, she could feel Daemon’s shadows sinking into her skin.
Could feel his strength returning as Davina’s magic faded from his system, his power growing alongside her own.
“You wanted me at my best, cousin, did you not? Be careful what you wish for.”
With one final plunge into her power, Auraelia erupted.
Her magic streamed from her in a controlled burst while Daemon slammed a wall of shadows into Davina, knocking her off her feet and wrapping her in a cocoon of endless night. Inch by inch, Auraelia’s magic wrapped around Davina’s limbs, branding her skin as it burned through her garments.
Auraelia pulled on her earthbound thread of magic with a strained groan, causing the ground to rumble beneath their feet. When roots shot from the earth, she twisted them until they were wrapped around her cousin, holding her in place.
Davina’s screams pierced the air as she flailed against the onslaught, the sound of her bones cracking beneath the tightening binds echoing in Auraelia’s ears.
But she didn’t care.
She’d lost too much at Davina’s hand. She’d warned her not to step foot in her court. Had warned her to leave her people be and had hoped that Kyra would have been enough of a message.
But she’d been wrong.
Auraelia could feel the magnitude of Daemon’s power as her magic glided along his own, delving into her cousin’s mouth and nose to cut her screams into silent gasps for air.
But as time raged on, and the more magic Auraelia threw at her cousin, the closer her burnout became.
She could feel it looming just below the surface.
Her threads were burning too brightly, and she knew she was diving too fast. Her limbs shook from the quantity of power she was expelling, her vision growing hazy as she continued to spiral toward the bottom of her well.
But she couldn’t stop. She knew that it had to end.
Auraelia tightened her grip on Daemon’s hand, tears forming in her eyes as she turned toward him.
She’d never tire of looking at him. At the strong lines of his face and the way, his eyes shone like twin suns on a summer day when he let his magic go.
Of the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed or the smirk that drove her crazy.
He was the love of her life, and that life was slowly coming to an unfortunate close.
But if this was her end, she wanted him to be the last sight she took with her to Arcelia.
Tears were streaming down her face when Daemon looked her way, but she gave him a watery smile and whispered, “I love you.”
Panic shone in his gaze, his mouth parting around her name as she turned her face toward the sky and closed her eyes.
Inhaling deeply, she let herself sink into the final depths of her power.
Streaks of lightning streamed down from the sky, illuminating the battlefield in a golden glow as they crashed into Auraelia.
Sinking into her skin until she was nothing but the power within her veins.
Then, with a vengeful cry, she let every last drop of her magic go, channeling it into a ball of blinding white light as it hurled toward Davina.
As the glow of her assault faded, Auraelia swayed on her feet, the roots binding her cousin fell away as her body stilled.
“Auraelia?” Daemon questioned, wrapping his arm around her waist as his magic slowly pulled away from Davina and spooled back into himself.
Panic laced his tone when she didn’t answer as he repeated her name.
Warmth washed over her, blanketing her body in a heavy shroud.
It’s over.
Her vision darkened, and her limbs grew heavier with each passing second.
My people are safe.
She could feel her lungs struggling to draw in air as her heart began to slow.
“Auraelia!”
She wanted to stay. She wanted to see Daemon again, but his scream was the last thing she heard as she let herself drift into nothingness.
Daemon
Daemon screamed her name as she collapsed in his arms, sinking to the ground as he held her to him. Blood was trickling out of her nose and ears, her breath coming in slow, ragged pulls as she lay limply in his lap.
“No, no, no. This can’t be happening,” he demanded, stroking the hair away from her face. “Auraelia, please. Open your eyes.”
His shadows stroked against the power that still glimmered beneath the surface of her skin, coaxing it to rise, to respond.
To do something to let him know she was still there.
Tears landed on her cheeks as he pleaded with her to stay.
To come back to him. But the time between the beats of her heart lengthened with each fall of her chest.
Then there was nothing.
The color of her skin began to fade as her heart slowed.
“No!” he screamed, shaking her roughly before pulling her tightly against him. “We were supposed to have more time. We…we haven’t had enough time.” Sobs wracked his chest as he held her to him. “Please, my star. Don’t leave me.”
“Daemon!”
He heard someone scream his name, but he didn’t care. Nothing mattered anymore, not if she wasn’t there to share it with.
“Daemon! Look out!” He recognized the voice then, the shrill tone of Piper’s scream piercing through the shattering of his heart.
His magic responded of its own accord, wrapping around him in a protective shield just in time to deflect a knife thrown at him. The whistle of a blade sailed past him, the telltale sound of it landing in its intended target, pulling his gaze from Auraelia.
Anger surged in his chest as he watched Davina’s charred hands claw at the wound in her throat.
There was only one way she would have managed to survive the onslaught of power he and Auraelia had funneled into her body.
She’d taken the one thing that meant more to him than anything in this realm.
And somehow, through her blood bond with Caius, she had managed to survive.
Daemon watched in disbelief as Davina pulled the dagger from her neck, blood pouring from the wound as she held his gaze and took aim. But before she could throw it, another dagger flew past his head and landed directly next to where the first had been.
As Davina’s body crumpled to the ground, the elation he thought he’d feel was absent. Instead, he felt hollow. It was over, but the cost had been too high. He’d lost too much.
Anguish and rage began to fill the hole that his heart had left, a sob wracking his chest as he silently pleaded with every goddess in Arcelia to give Auraelia back to him.
He was nothing without her.
Wanted nothing if he didn’t have her by his side.
Tilting his face toward the sky, Daemon let out a guttural scream and unleashed the power that coursed through his veins. Waves of shadow washed across the field, barreling into any enemy that remained and leaving nothing but the husks of who they once were in their wake.
He didn’t want to live without her.
He couldn’t—wouldn’t—live without her.
Be still, my son. Remember that without darkness, there is no light. The velvety voice of his goddess slid into his mind; her words were followed by another he did not recognize. She has not left you, young king. Just as your shadows need the light, she needs darkness to shine.
“Daemon?” Piper’s voice was watery, her steps hesitant as she cautiously closed the distance between them. “Daem—” His name was cut in half by a gasp, her steps faltering as her eyes undoubtedly landed on the lifeless body in his lap. “Oh my, goddess. Is that? Nononono.”
Piper’s sobs drowned in the background as he let himself sink further into his magic.
“This was not how our story was supposed to end,” he whispered through a sob, stroking his fingers along her cheek. “We were supposed to have what they couldn’t. We were supposed to live.”
Daemon began unstrapping the blood-streaked armor from her body and tossed it to the side with a heavy clang.
Her tunic was singed from where her lightning had wrapped around her limbs, and dirt was mixed with the sweat and blood on her face, but other than that, she was perfect.
His arms shook as he pulled her further into his lap, cradling her against his chest as ribbons of shadows wrapped around them.
“Daemon,” Piper choked out. “What—what are you doing?”
Resting his brow on hers, he whispered, “I love you, Auraelia. I have loved you from the very first time I saw you across that stupid ballroom. And I will love you until the stars fall from the sky. But I will not live without you.”
As he pressed his lips to hers, Daemon released the final hold he’d kept on his power. Let it flow out of him and into Auraelia until the world around him disappeared in a veil of stars and shadows.