EPILOGUE
KILIAN
The agony of the acid rain eating at my flesh was nothing compared to the moment Lirah’s expression turned blank, her eyes glassing over as Primus dug his fingers into her temple.
She asked me to trust her, but how could I, when I knew what the monster before me was capable of? The things Primus had done… the lives he had ruined… It was enough to have me ripping at my bonds once more, terror my driving force.
The chains tightened, digging into my skin, and my power lay just out of reach.
A fragmented, pathetic pit of nothing. What use was I if I let this happen, if I could not protect her?
If I remained on my knees and watched history repeat itself?
But it was already too late. I had already failed.
Just as I had centuries ago. It always fucking ended like this.
Primus trailed his hand down Lirah’s cheek, and I wanted to burn the skin off each finger that touched her. He took on a satisfied look, lips curling into smug arrogance.
“Aerie, my dearest.” He held his hand out to her, and… she took it.
My stomach dropped, sinking as my worst nightmares unfolded.
Lirah turned her gaze on us. There was no recognition in her eyes, no affection when they cast over me.
Only cold emptiness. Lirah had been angry and snarky, vicious and cutting, soft and sorrowful, and, on the rare occasion, happy.
But never had I seen her so… reserved. The shift was unrecognizable.
Her voice was lofty when she asked, “Who are they, my love?”
“No one of concern.” Primus flicked his fingers and the chains binding us fell to the ground. “You’re free to go. Don’t even think about doing anything stupid. You will end up in the exact same position, and I guarantee you I will not display any form of mercy a second time around.”
I flexed my fingers, rising swiftly, thunder rumbling somewhere in the distance. Or maybe that was the blood pounding in my ears. I barely felt the chafing of my skin, my focus solely on Lirah. She wasn’t even looking my way. She was staring at Primus, the way she’d once looked at me.
Syrina sobbed quietly beside me, struggling to stand, and I reached for her, helping her up. My friends… I should never have brought them here. I needed to get Syrina out. I needed to stay here and fight for Lirah. I was too fucking weak to do any of it.
“Can you walk?” I asked Syrina.
She shook her head and my chest caved.
Primus grinned like he had won a prize. “You had best return home, Azrael. There is nothing left for you here.” He was goading me, and it was working.
Anger raged through me, worse than a forest fire.
This was the type of fury that destroyed entire worlds.
I took a step toward him, but Lirah, standing just behind Primus, caught my eye.
Her charm – the one imbued with protective upper magic – dangled from her fingers and she slipped it quickly into her pocket, out of sight.
Her gaze flicked up, met mine. And she gave me the smallest shake of her head. A movement so brief, I blinked, questioning if I’d actually seen it.
She was back to looking down on us, a haughty tilt to her chin that suggested we were as insignificant as the sand beneath her feet.
We were out of our depth, caught like fish in a trap. Lana was unconscious, Septimus carrying her in his arms. He gave me a wild look, an anguished one, pleading to put this to an end. Syrina was so covered in blood, only the brown of her eyes shone through.
There was nothing I could do. No tricks up my sleeve.
Syrina wheezed beside me, clutching her stomach as she coughed. Blood spilled from her lips, dribbling down her chin.
“I grow weary of this,” Lirah said to Primus, boredom in her voice. “Make them go.”
“You heard my Aerie,” Primus drawled. “If I have to make you leave, I’m afraid some of you won’t survive.”
I cast another look at Lirah, scanning her face for any sign of reluctance, any indication of unwillingness, but she remained impassive, her outward demeanor stony. Every fiber of my being ordered me to reach for her, to take her with me. She was so close, yet so far away.
Septimus shook his head at me imploringly. There was once a time he would not have accepted defeat, but the stakes were different now. He knew I could not do this alone, but he had Lana to consider. He was asking me to stand down.
There was no right decision in this impossible situation, but I knew what I had to do.
I spat at Primus’ feet, my rage just barely leashed as I drew Syrina to my side, letting her lean on me.
Septimus released a relieved breath, gave his brother and Lirah one last look, and strode back toward the portal with Lana in his arms.
Syrina coughed again and I tightened my grip on her.
The distasteful curl on Lirah’s lips did not slide.
I gave her a final desperate look, hoping it conveyed how much I loved her. How much the thought of leaving her here, with him, broke my heart.
She gave me nothing in return.
Syrina clutched at me, using me as support as I helped her back to the portal, my insides splintering with each step I took away from Lirah.
Hidden in the shadows, I paused. Panic clutched me. I did not know when I would see her again and it terrified me. I turned back to look at Lirah, at war with myself, unable to simply carry on down the portal and let her go for now.
Primus stared at her, his eyes running predatorily down the length of her body. I’d take his eyeballs first.
“Apologies for that,” Primus told Lirah. “Business matters are so tedious.”
Lirah gave him a rare smile. One that lit her entire face and made life worth living. I committed it to memory, for the days of complete darkness that would follow her absence.
“Then let us not dwell on such dull affairs,” she answered.
“I share the exact same sentiment.” Primus tugged her along the beach, toward the grassy bank and out of sight. “We’re going to have so much fun.”
Utter fucking helplessness clawed at me, scratching its way from the inside out.
“What shall we do first?” Lirah asked, her voice distant now.
“What you are best at, my dearest.” Cold malice from Primus. “War.”
Dread stabbed through me, and I made a promise then. To myself. To Lirah.
I would not rest. I would not eat. I would not sleep. Not until I got her back. My world reduced to a single focal point, rage razing everything else.
Primus had a head start and he better begin running. Because I was coming for him.