Page 48 of Of War and Realms

I take a quick breath and scream as I fight through the pain, pushing him back enough to ram my fist into his nose. He stumbles backward, groaning at the flattened piece of flesh on his face. With a speed I didn’t know I possessed, I curl up, ripping my necklace off with a sharp tug, and use my other hand to grab his throat. He grunts as I shove him to his back, forcing him to choke on his own blood for a change. I straddle his hips—something I never thought I’d be glad to do—and bend down until my lips graze his ear. He will hear every word.

“It’s over, my sweet. Just remember…you did this to yourself.” I sit back just enough to look him in those cold, icy eyes.

I want him to know it was me that took his life. I want him to feel the pain and fear that he forced upon me over the last twenty-five years.

I want him to realize that my face will be the final thing he sees before his regime finally comes to an end.

He sputters, coughing blood in my direction. I don’t feel the warm liquid hit my face. No. I’m solely focused on the piece of obsidian Casmir bought for me so long ago. I angle it just over his heart, pressing in so fucking slowly.

I will savor this moment.

He screams, the gurgling noise making me smile. I turn the stone, rejoicing in the raw pain that shudders through his body as the poison spreads. I’m mesmerized as his veins are replaced with black sludge, mapping every depraved inch of his skin. I wait until the poison creeps up his cheeks, ready to take from me what I’ve been owed for decades. He must feel the seconds counting down because he looks me in the eye with such longing that I almost believe he did love me at one time.

Good. That makes this even more satisfying.

“You want to be a god so bad, Andras? Then fucking die like one.”

Just as the poison reaches his eyes, I shove the stone into his rotten chest, feeling the moment it pierces his heart. I don’t dare blink as his jaw drops open, eyelids fluttering when he attempts to look at anything but me. His body trembles—a last-ditch attempt to prevent the toxin from completely taking control.

It’s over too quickly as he goes limp beneath me. I watch closely as the life leaves his eyes, storing the image in a place where I will never lose it. If someone else were to fuck with my memories, this is one they couldn’t touch. I will relive this moment over and over, and remember this feeling of pure relief whenever I need to stave off the panic.

There’s only three things in all the realms that could beat this feeling. And they’re all alive. Safe.

As the final threads of life push out of Andras’s cooling body, I feel when the magic of the spell declares a winner, claiming the lives of every being who is loyal to the dead god. I sit back and feast on the sight of thousands of bodies dropping in unison, their souls ripping out of them as payment to the magic.

“Thank you.” I’m not sure if I’m thanking the Earth, the spell, or even Andras for casting it…but it doesn’t fucking matter.

It’s over.

My eyes roam the landscape when the walls surrounding me dissolve with a pop, and the near-deafening noise of the outside world greets my ears. I go still when I spot Calix’s head, still watching me with those familiar blue eyes. They’re clouded over now, but it still feels like my best friend was there for me, sending me the strength I so badly needed.

I hear my name being called in different directions, but pay them no mind. I’m so fucking tired. The exhaustion pulls at my consciousness, sending the world around me spinning into a black abyss.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Anellah

“Today we recognize each life lost in Andras’s attempt to take control of the realms.” I’m standing in the square, leaning against a wall at the side of the crowd.

Casmir understood that I had no energy to be up there with him, though I still thought it important I be here. Even just for a short while.

It has not even been a full day since Andras’s fall. A day of not knowing what to do with myself because none of this feels real. I’ve been fighting against one enemy for decades. He’s dead. His war is over…now what?

As much as Cas and Em want me to be their queen, I do not feel like that is the right place for me. I am strong and a good leader when I need to be, but I no longer need to be. I’m so tired. I do not want anyone else relying on me for a long time. I know poor Leia will have much on her plate, as I will not allow Cas to return to being prince at full capacity. We all need time to grieve and rest.

Maybe I could find an assistant to work with Leia…

“Ansa Reist, one of the finest soldiers Anloria has ever seen, and a dear friend. She gave her life for this city and her memory will live on within these walls.” My eyes find the clouds overhead, thankful that the Earth seems to understand the somber mood today. The gloomy atmosphere is the perfect mirror to how I’m feeling.

To how all of us are feeling.

Ansa. Seb. Bren.

Calix.

The hundreds that we lost to keep the realms free. Casmir speaks for them all and recognizes each sacrifice while attempting to hide the waver in his voice. His obvious pain squeezes my heart, but I must let him do this. Even if just for his own conscious.

“What do you think they’ll do with the demons?” A couple next to me whispers to themselves, though I hear them clearly.

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