36
Ihad slept without nightmares for the first time in what felt like weeks. Despite my anxiety, I was more rested than I had been since coming to Istmere.
The sun was streaming in through the window across from the bed, and Nik’s arms were wrapped around me, his soft breaths in my ear.
The serene sounds of his sleeping were interrupted by a fierce knock on the door, and he woke with a start.
“Can we have one moment without being interrupted?” he groaned, hanging over the bed to grab his pants.
“I think we had several uninterrupted moments last night,” I reminded him with a mischievous grin.
“Well, I’d like a few more,” he teased, shrugging his pants on and heading for the door.
I tucked the bedsheets around me to cover myself. He opened the door, his hair disheveled and his zipper undone.
“What can I help you with on this fine morning, Puck?”
“I’d like to inform you that not only is it actually late afternoon, but Warrick is back. He wants us to meet him upstairs, he made it sound urgent,” Puck said.
I could picture the smile on his face, though I couldn’t see him past Nik’s frame in the doorway.
Late afternoon? How long had we slept?
“We’ll be up soon,” Nik replied, shutting the door mercilessly in Puck’s face.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I chided, sitting up and taking the white bedsheet with me.
“Well, I don’t think it’s very nice of him and Tess to be interrupting us every five seconds,” his tone was sarcastic, but I knew he was also being a bit serious.
I rolled my eyes at him. “They are our best friends, and we do all share this house with them.”
“I don’t care,” he replied, leaning over the bed to place a kiss on my cheek. “I want alone time with you.”
“I do too,” I sighed, getting up and searching the dresser for an outfit. “But alas, Istmere needs saving and all that.”
“What a needy realm,” he teased, coming up behind me and turning me towards him. He captured my mouth with his. “We should just get rid of it entirely.”
“Now you sound like Donika,” I replied with a raised eyebrow.
Nik laughed, releasing me to search the floor for his favorite t-shirt to pull on.
We had dressed, and the sun was high in the sky indicating it was, indeed, late afternoon. I couldn’t wait for this battle with Donika to be over with so I could have a million lazy days like this, spending hours in bed with Nik. He grasped my hand in his as we made our way down the hallway and up the spiral staircase that led to the backyard of Zion’s cottage.
We made our way through the main floor of the cottage and out to the street in front, Tess and Puck following closely behind. Zion and Annelise were already waiting, an agitated looking Warrick standing in the middle of the cobblestone street.
“Will you tell us what is going on now?” Zion asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I had to wait for the others,” Warrick sputtered, his eyes darting towards us. “It’s Isaac—”
“What about Isaac?” Annelise cut in, moving towards Warrick. “Why had you waited to tell us? Is he alright?”
“He needs our help, all of us. Donika’s forces have him cornered in Prins. We need to go. Now.” His words were strangled.
Is that why Isaac hadn’t returned yet?
“Were you with him? How did you escape?” Puck asked.
My hand subconsciously moved to make sure Stormslayer was secured to my thigh, my throwing knives securely tucked into my boot. Nik had luckily strapped his sword to his back as well before we left the room.
This wasn’t the way we wanted to face Donika, it wasn’t on our terms, and there was no way to prepare.
Warrick shook his head, his expression unreadable. “No, I wasn’t with him, but I saw them. They’re going to capture him and take him back to Akra, and there will be no way for us to break him out again until we move against Donika.”
We all nodded in agreement. This isn’t the way we planned it, but we needed to save Isaac. We needed to move, now.
Warrick turned and started down the cobblestone path at a fast pace and we followed. I thanked the mother I had been training, otherwise I never would have been able to run from Siraleth to Prins. I still wasn’t much of a runner to be quite honest, but to save Isaac, I would need to push myself.
The sky was darkened up ahead, the clouds dark and angry. They swirled together in a mixture of black and grey, the wind moving them across the sky at an alarming pace. As we ran, the sun was hidden behind the shadow of the oncoming storm, casting Siraleth in a blanket of darkness.
Tess ran beside me, pumping our arms to keep up with the others. Warrick was fast, but so were Puck and Nik. They didn’t hold themselves back to keep pace with us. Isaac was in trouble, and we couldn’t leave him in Donika’s clutches.
He was a Stormshade. She would never let him live.
As we passed between two columns that were once an archway composed of stone and mortar, I could feel the spell lift. The one that had concealed us from Donika, here in Siraleth.
The one that kept her out.
My stomach twisted as my magic pressed at my fingertips, an uneasy feeling washing over me. Warrick turned to ensure we were following on his heels, his eyes wild.
As Warrick rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, a creature came bounding towards us from the same direction. Puck and Nik skidded to a stop, Tess and I almost crashing into them.
I would recognize those spindly spider-like legs and horrifying human head anywhere.
Araneoch.
Donika’s dark creatures bounded towards us, and I barely had the chance to slide my dagger free as I was pushed down, Nik standing over me with his sword drawn. The Araneoch moved quickly, knocking Nik sideways with one of its long, hairy legs and its horrific empty face met mine. Despite it having no visible eyes, it could see me. Its head moved side to side, tracking my movements as I tried to evade it.
I scrambled for Stormslayer, gripping it in my fist as I quickly rolled out of the way. A sharp, poisonous pincer hit the dirt right where I had just been standing. I spun to my feet and lashed out, slicing the leg but not severing it entirely.
The Araneoch hissed and reared back, and I advanced again. I cut forwards with my dagger once more, entirely severing the leg and the poisonous pincer from its body. I only prayed they had one pincer, and not one for each leg.
Nik leaped from behind, driving his sword into the plump body and pulling it free. Black blood spattered across us and I choked, gagging at the wretched smell. As the Araneoch crumpled we turned, moving on to the next creature.
My heart stopped in my chest as I took in the scene before me.
How many were there?
The streets were filled with them. Everywhere I looked there were spindly spider-like legs. We were outnumbered beyond belief, and bile rose in my throat as I hesitated. Puck, Tess, Nik, Zion, Annelise, Warrick…we were outnumbered.
Where was Warrick?
I searched the streets, my head whipping back and forth, but there was no sign of him. My stomach curdled as the realization hit me.
It had been a trap.
To lure us out of the spelled area of Siraleth where Donika could not enter.
But why? Why would Warrick do this?
Tess’ scream had me lurching back into action, running towards her as fast as I could. Just as Nik had, I leaped into the air, driving Stormslayer into the body of the creature and watching it crumple beneath me.
The key to killing the Araneoch was to sever their heads or stab their bodies, the trick was making it past their long, poisonous legs.
My jacket was covered in the slick, black ichor. I reached a hand down to Tess to help her up, her face splattered with the dark liquid. She wiped it away hastily as she made her way back to her feet.
There were too many of them, and not enough of us.
As we dispatched one, another came rushing forwards. The streets were slick with their tainted blood as we fought, my breathing rapid.
Why would Warrick have led us into a trap? To what end?
Nik and Puck were counting aloud, and we had dispatched four Araneoch at this point. We were having more luck teaming up than trying to take them down alone. They were fast, but not particularly smart. I used my magic to strike them as I moved towards the next with my dagger.
The binding allowed me much more precision with my magic, and lightning shot out, striking the Araneoch dead where they stood.
But even bound, I wasn’t endlessly powerful as the histories foretold. I tried to create a storm to pull from, but every time I dipped into my well of magic, I was interrupted by one of these creatures. Each time I had to focus on dispatching them with Stormslayer versus pulling more magic from the sky.
The clouds were swirling angrily, but it wasn’t my magic that had stirred them into a frenzy. Siraleth was enveloped in a blanket of night, the streets stained black with Araneoch blood. I was pushed to the ground from behind by another creature, Stormslayer sliding from my grip and skittering against the cobblestones out of my reach.
I tried to crawl towards it, but a spindly leg moved into my vision, halting me. There were two of them, and one of them stood between me and my dagger. It wasn’t ideal, but I reached for one of my throwing knives as the creature bent down over me.
Its wretched saliva dripped onto me as it studied me with its eyeless face, its head cocking to the side. It pressed me against the cobblestone with one of its legs on my shoulder. The pincer was pressed directly over my shoulder, far too close to my heart. I wouldn’t survive a poisonous sting like that.
For a moment, time stopped as I waited to see if it would strike, but it only peered down at me with an unreadable expression, its mouth turned down, hiding its fangs. I reached into my core of magic to pull lightning from the sky, but as I grabbed the magic above me, I felt it cut off sharply, as if with a blade.
“That’s enough,” a chilling voice spoke as the sound of boots rounded the corner of the building Warrick had disappeared behind.
My head hit the cobblestones as I lay back, my blood running cold. My palms were sweating, my mouth dry. Stormslayer still lay a few feet away from me, but I couldn’t reach it with the Araneoch standing in the way.
What had cut off my connection to the magic in the sky? I dipped into my core again…but was met with a sizzling energy that I recognized from training with Isaac.
There was another Stormshade here. Was it Isaac?
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the silky voice chided, crouching to get a better look at me splayed beneath the dark creature.
I set my jaw, biting the inside of my cheek. I wouldn’t let her see me afraid. A tall, blond man stood over Donika’s shoulder, his expression tight.
“Donika. I should have known.” When I spoke my voice was cold, no trace of the unease I felt lacing my words.
“Yes, you should have,” she snickered, lifting a lock of my blood-stained hair with the edge of her serpent staff. Her other hand held her onyx blade. “You’ve looked better, little Stormshade.”
“I could say the same about you,” I replied, making a show of looking her up and down slowly.
Her black eyes squinted in anger as she stood, nodding towards the blond man behind her and the Araneoch. The creatures retreated, allowing me to scramble to my feet before her. My gaze moved towards my dagger, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to grasp it before Donika ran me through with her own blade.
My mouth was tight as I met her searching gaze. I was surprised to see she hadn’t brought Corian with her, and I didn’t recognize the blond man that stood behind her. Had she replaced her second in command?
“So, you found us. Congratulations,” I seethed through my teeth.
“It wasn’t terribly difficult.” She shrugged, examining her perfectly manicured nails as I stood before her, covered in dirt and blood. “Your little Warrick made for an easy target.”
“Leave Warrick alone,” I ground out, my jaw tight.
“You defend him still?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. My eyes darted over her shoulder where Warrick stood, head down. He wouldn’t meet my gaze. “He all but jumped at the chance to bring me to you when he found out his family had been captured in our little raid on your safe house in Prins. Blood comes first, after all.”
We hadn’t known any of his family had been captured. He hadn’t said anything. He had only spoken with Puck since holing himself up in the cottage. We knew he had told Puck he had lost family in the battle…but we had assumed that meant they were dead.
If Warrick had told us that members of his family had been captured and used as collateral, we could have come up with a plan. We could have raided the castle and saved them. Instead, he took Donika’s deal.
He betrayed us.
He hung his head in shame, avoiding our glares.
I knew he had bad blood with Nik, but I never imagined he would choose Donika’s deal and turn his back on the council. He had been with the resistance and on the council for years, why hadn’t he come to us for help? Had he truly thought the only way to save his family was to sacrifice us to Donika?
Donika’s word couldn’t be trusted, he was a fool for thinking otherwise. All he accomplished was ensuring that all of us would suffer now.
Nik spit in the dirt, lunging against the hold Donika’s soldiers had around him, his gaze focused on the man over Donika’s shoulder.
“How dare you show your face,” Nik seethed, his jaw tight.
The man turned towards him, his expression blank. Almost bored.
“How lovely to see you too, son.”
Son? This was Nik’s father?
This man abused him and abandoned him, only to join Donika’s army. My stomach turned as my gaze darted between them.
“Blood means nothing,” I spat at her, holding her piercing gaze.
Nik hadn’t seen his father in years, and he hadn’t known where he disappeared to. Had he been in The Stone Palace all this time? And did Warrick truly think Donika would give his family back after he led her to us? That they were safe now?
“Blood means nothing? Is that so, mother dearest?” Donika asked, her gaze darting towards where Annelise was restrained on her knees. “I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed your face again. And you haven’t learned your lesson, it seems. You are still on the wrong side of this war. I should have slit your throat when I had the chance.”
Annelise flinched back at Donika’s words, a tear falling from her cheek into the dirt. All this talk about moving against Donika, but the truth was, she hadn’t been ready to face her. At least, not like this.
On her knees before her. Again.
“What do you want?” I asked through my teeth.
“The same thing I wanted last time, little sister. I want the grimoire, and I want you dead,” she replied with a wicked smile.
My eyes met Nik’s and the expression in his gaze threatened to unravel me. We had to make it out of this. We had to. If we could convince her to capture us instead of kill us, we could find a way to escape the Stormvault.
We had done it once, we could do it again.
“And daddy dearest?” Donika turned towards Zion with a laugh. “You…now you surprised me. You had me fooled. You stood by my side all these years, pretending to back my claim to the throne. But you turned on me, too. Just like everyone else.” Donika shot a glance towards Nik’s father before turning back to us. “My, my, the family drama.”
“I did not want to turn on you, Donika, but I cannot stand by as I watch you murder innocents,” he pleaded.
“None of them are innocent,” she spat, her temper rising.
While her attention was focused on Zion, I reached into the core of my magic and fueled it through my fingertips, thunder rolling overhead, and a lightning strike poised to crack right before me. As the bolt of energy shot from the air Donika raised her staff and the magic dissipated.
Her smile deepened as she met my gaze, my stomach lurching.
Had Donika just…no. She couldn’t.
Had Donika just used storm magic?
She threw her head back, her white and blue hair cascading around her as the wind whipped in a vortex between us. I did as she had, reaching my magic out and leaching the energy from her gale.
Her laughing continued as she slid her onyx blade back into the holster on her hip.
A deadly silence spread around us, and no one spoke. The only sound was my rapid breathing as I gathered magic in my core, preparing to strike.
“Little sister, if you dare lash out at me with your storm magic again…my soldiers will slit Nik’s throat before my body even hits the ground,” she warned, her eyes hardening.
My eyes darted towards Nik whose jaw was set, his head held back against the chest of one of the soldiers.
A blade at his throat.
“May the mother damn you, Donika.” The words ground out through my clenched teeth.
“The mother damned me a long, long time ago. Now give me the grimoire,” she crooned.
“It’s not like I have it on me,” I replied tightly. “And what do you need it for, anyway? You don’t need the siphoning spell anymore.”
“I might not need it anymore, but I still want it,” she replied, snapping her fingers at her side.
A soldier moved forwards then, a slumped body in his arms. Even without seeing his face, I recognized Isaac. He was curled in on himself, a keening cry escaping his lips.
“What have you done to him?” I demanded, taking a step forwards.
Donika’s serpent staff lashed out faster than I could blink, landing against my stomach. “Not another step,” she cautioned, “or he dies.”
I swallowed hard, pressing my eyes closed tightly.
“What do you want with him?” I asked, meeting her gaze once more.
“Weren’t you curious where I got this storm magic from?” She cackled.
She held her palm out, a blazing flame licking against the skin of her hand, but never burning her. The gem set in the bezel of her staff was glowing, ablaze with flickering flames that glowed within.
She had used storm magic.
And it had been Isaac’s.
The magic held within her staff must be the magic she stole from others, to use for herself. It was no wonder my magic had recognized it as something dark, and powerful.
“Donika, what have you done?” My voice was cold dread as I pushed my magic back down. If she killed Nik, I would die, too.
“I’ve only leveled the playing field, little Stormshade. Who says you get to have all the fun?” she asked.
Her eyes fell on the soldier who held Isaac, and he yanked Isaac’s head back by his hair. Isaac’s eyes were endless and black, his teeth sharpened into fine white points that protruded from his mouth in a painful way.
Bile rose in my throat once more, my magic surging forwards violently, begging to be released.
Isaac was one of Donika’s Noctani.
She had used those dark, magic siphoning creatures to steal his storm magic and leave him like this. A monster. But she hated Stormshades…why would she do this? Why would she want his magic?
“How could you do this?!” Annelise cried, pushing against the restraints of her captor.
Her cheeks were wet with tears, a choked sob escaping her throat as she met Donika’s gaze.
“Ah, I had a feeling there was something going on between the two of you. I wanted to hit where it hurts, so to speak,” Donika replied, her eyes burning with hatred as she gazed from Isaac to Annelise. “Zion never was good enough for you, was he?”
“Donika, stop this.” Zion’s voice was sad as he hung his head, unable to look at her.
“Don’t you understand?” she asked, moving towards him. She pulled her sword free of its scabbard once more, using it to turn his face towards her. “I will never stop. Not until every single soul that stands against me is vanquished from this realm. Hell, this planet. You, included.”
She had hesitated to kill our mother once, but I doubted she would hesitate again. We were as good as dead.
Donika somehow had this sick sense of betrayal, as if any of us were going to stand by her side as she murdered innocents. As if we were in the wrong, not her. Her view was so twisted beyond reason, I feared there would be no way to manipulate ourselves out of this.
If I tried to strike her down with magic, she would kill Nik. But could I live with the fact that Nik and I would be dead, as long as Donika was, too?
I met Nik’s gaze across the cobblestone street and could see the resolve in his eyes. He gave a soft nod, his neck cutting against the blade held to his throat. A small trickle of blood ran down his neck, escaping under his white shirt. He was willing to sacrifice his life if it meant Donika was gone, too.
I knew I was willing, I had known this war might end in my own death. I had come to terms with that a long time ago. If it meant the people of Istmere would be safe from this tyrant, it was a price I was willing to pay. A true queen would give anything for her people. Donika had stolen everything from me, including my crown, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it.
I met Tess’ gaze, and she lunged against the hold of the guards, tears streaming down her cheeks as the storm clapped above us. Thunder shook the ground we stood on.
Tears blurred my vision as I pulled on my magic, the corner of my mouth curving into a sad smile as I held her gaze. I didn’t know our story would end here, and the thought felt as if it were a knife in my heart as my fingers sparked with magic.
Her eyes blazed, sobs wracking her body as she fell to her knees. The rain above us began slowly, kissing our cheeks and mixing with our salty tears. Within moments the rain had become a deluge, soaking us through.
A soft laugh escaped me as I turned to Donika.
“Little Stormshade…” Donika warned, moving her sword to point at my throat.
I smiled, leaning into the blade, my chest warming as blood pooled there.
“Diana, please.” I could hear Annelise’s voice begging, but it sounded as if she was very, very far away.
My gaze turned towards my mother, and I met her eyes through the tears glistening in my own. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to know her.
I pushed the thought aside as I pulled my magic from the sky, letting it well within me to the point of pain. Donika’s eyes flashed with what I could only assume was fear before everything moved all at once.
Donika reached out with the butt of her sword, knocking me to the ground as my feet came out from under me. As I registered that she hadn’t struck me down with her blade, Puck kicked a throwing knife towards Nik. He leaned forwards, the knife at his throat cutting into his skin as he grabbed the knife from the dirt, turning to plunge it into the soldier’s neck.
Isaac rose to his feet, his expression cold and dark. He moved forwards, his fangs protruding from his mouth as he smiled wickedly, approaching Nik. More Noctani were coming forth now, appearing from around the corner of the building where the Araneoch had appeared.
I flattened to the dirt as I scrambled for Stormslayer, finding the handle and gripping it tight. My core was still filled with the storm magic I had pulled from the sky, and I lashed out. As I did, Donika raised her hand against my attack, the storm magic bouncing off her own. The rain was falling in such a thick torrent it was difficult to see what was happening as I raised my dagger against Donika, and she parried, taking a step back.
Tess was still being held by the soldier whose arms were wrapped around her, but Puck had broken free. The Noctani approached me and Donika stepped back, a sinister grin on her lips.
She hadn’t struck me down…because she didn’t truly want to kill me. She wanted my magic, and the Noctani was the way she was going to get it.
I lunged forwards, but the Noctani were fast. In a blur of motion the Noctani before me had moved out of the way of my blade, and was behind me, their hands on either side of my head. I bucked, knocking the Noctani in the face with the back of my head. My skull throbbed as I moved out of their reach.
“Diana!” Tess screamed as another Noctani approached.
I turned towards them, slicing out without hesitation. I was fast enough this time, and my blade sliced through the abdomen of the Noctani easily. The Noctani fell, slumping over as I pulled Stormslayer free and whipped around.
They appeared to be susceptible to our blades just as they would have been when they were Shades. That was good news, at least.
I could see out of the corner of my eye Tess struggling to break free as the soldier held her tightly, Puck coming up behind him and running him through with his Katana. Tess fell to her knees as the hold of the soldier released.
Nik was moving across the battlefield with incredible speed, his sword swinging true with each strike.
How many of them were there? When I had seen Donika last, she had only recently started having success in creating them. I hadn’t imagined she could have created so many in such a short period.
I wasn’t sure how, exactly, they stole magic, but I had to assume it was through their fangs and hands as the Noctani kept descending. Their goal appeared to be placing their hands against our skin instead of striking us down, maybe to get a better vantage point to sink their fangs into us.
My eyes searched for Donika, but she had disappeared in the melee.
That bitch.
Warrick was gone, too. As was Nik’s father. Had he only made an appearance here to torture us? To weaken Nik?
I ran forwards, burying my dagger in the chest of another Noctani as I heard a blood-curdling scream from behind me.
Before I had time to turn, before I could register what was happening, I felt something deep within my core shift. The piece that I had become accustomed to over the last week, the piece that had been added during the binding ceremony…that piece was…broken.
I fell to my knees, Stormslayer clattering to the ground before me as my hand clasped my chest. My breaths were coming in short, rapid pants as I turned, unsure of what I would find.
Everything moved slowly as I slid into a puddle of rain, my heart constricting and causing my lungs to sputter.
I couldn’t breathe.
Couldn’t see.
Couldn’t speak.
Tess was kneeling on the ground, her hand clasped over her mouth, sobs racking her body as she grasped tightly to Puck’s jacket with her other hand.
Annelise was sprawled out on the stone, a dagger protruding from her leg. Zion hovered over her, trying to form a tourniquet to pull the blade free.
The bodies of Noctani were strewn about, not having disappeared as the Araneoch did when they were dispatched from this realm.
And Nik…Nik was on his knees. His head hung so I couldn’t see his face, a Noctani standing behind him with a sickening smile, blood trickling down its chin.
I could feel, without knowing, that something was impossibly, horribly wrong. The piece of Nik that resided in me after the binding ceremony felt…fragmented.
Shattered.
Broken.
My other hand flew to my chest as I tried to suck in a breath, but I only managed a small amount of air.
I felt as if I was breaking apart.
My heart was torn in two as my magic filled me, pressing against my skin so forcefully that I felt as if I could hover over the ground with only the storm energy itself.
A sob wracked my body as that small piece of Nik from the binding ceremony became smaller and smaller inside of me until I couldn’t feel it at all anymore. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I fell towards the cobblestone, my hands out before me to break my fall. My nails dug into the cobblestones so hard that they bled. A cry escaped me as the Noctani above him turned, retreating down the street.
I wanted to run after it, to run it through with my blade, but I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t breathe.
I could feel my heart shattering into a million fragmented pieces as Nik set his shoulders, cracking his neck. He moved to his feet, his head still hung before him, his face obscured. The rain stung my skin violently, each drop a knife against my skin.
We had only had one week.
For one week, we were bound.
For one week, we were happy.
For one week, I had pictured a life for us…together. After all of this.
And it only took one moment for all of those hopes and dreams to be shattered. Torn apart.
My magic was no longer under control, spiraling wildly as the storm above us raged with immense power.
The binding was broken.
I had no hope of controlling this storm now. The storm raged overhead, but it wasn’t mine any longer. The storm magic filled me to the brim, my vision going white as I tried to hold it in. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. I couldn’t. I wasn’t in control.
Nik’s lips curved into a sinister smile as he lifted his head. My heart was in my throat, the overwhelming need to retch filling my every thought.
Nik’s skin was a glass-like milky white, chalky and colorless. His lips were turned into a smile around his sharp white fangs, his gaze finding mine.
A gasp escaped me as I realized the striking blue color was gone.
In its place was endless, lifeless black.
My nails were scratched bloody, my heart shattered and fragmented. I was covered in ichor, the storm around us raging without mercy.
Nik was Noctani.
As the rain fell violently around us, a sob tore through me.
My magic detonated, and the last thing I saw was Nik’s black, lifeless eyes as the world went white.