Page 45 of Oath-Maker

Potentiality.

The blade of my sword grew with the possibilities into something nearly unwieldy. I leapt forward, Commander Lumen noticing too late, and I drove the sword into the side of the snake’s head. And twisted.

He lashed about, but I held on tightly, committed to not letting the commander toss me aside. Instead, I slammed my free palm against his scales and fed even more magic, more power, into his form.

It took several long seconds, but slowly, his thrashing slowed, his eyes shut. And with a heaving surrender, Commander Lumen’s snake body fell toward the ground.

“Shit!” I called as we sailed downward from the sky. I pried my sword free and kicked off of his body with just enough time to avoid being slammed into the buildings below. My wings took me to the ground, where Jessa was now fighting celestial-kin on her own. They hadn’t transformed yet, but they were going to soon if we didn’t close the tear.

I took off again, jumping into the sky, and soared toward Lucius.

CHAPTER20

Iwatched as the Guardian swiped with his celestial sword, sending Lucius backpedaling through the air. I swooped in between them and held out my own sword.

“This ends now,” I spat at the Guardian. “Enough have died on both sides.”

The Guardian’s eyes widened. He wasn’t wearing the helmet he’d worn in Alastia. And as I thought of ways I could kill him right now, that I could end all of this, I was grateful for him providing such an easy target.

“You’re free,” he stuttered. A flitting gaze toward the wide-open Veil betrayed any sense of calm he was trying to exude. None of this was going according to his plan. I understood that sentiment greatly.

“Yes.” I reached behind me for Lucius’s hand. “My people came for me. They fight against you. You did this.” I came so close to using his name, but Merek was gone. The Guardian was someone—something—else entirely.

Lucius entwined his fingers through mine and squeezed. In the next moment, he was behind me, pressed so close, I could feel his armor. I wanted to swoon for the feel of him there—nearly did—but instead drank in my mate’s power and aura. Both filled me with love and boosted my magic. With both of us connected like this, it truly felt like anything was possible. Which was good because we’d need all the magic we could muster to close this tear in the Veil.

All of this without saying a word. I’d missed him so much. Loved him so much.

The Guardian seethed and raised his sword to me the same way Ian had once done on a bridge outside of Alastia. “You cannot stop this. It is prophecy that evil be cleansed from Serenia. From all of this world. That a Fallen celestial will see the end of the demons and peace in this world. The LightmadeSerenia in their image to ensure this outcome.”

“Seems a bit pompous to me,” I spat.

We were close enough that the blade was within inches of my neck. But unlike last time, neither I nor Lucius flinched. Instead, I flicked my fingers at my side and the Guardian’s sword disintegrated away.

Together, anything was possible.

“What does that sword mean to you now?” I asked with sarcasm thick on my words. “What of your oath?”

Rage burned in the Guardian’s eyes. He raised both hands and pushed a wall of magic our way. Both Lucius and I raised a hand in an insane, unspoken unison, splitting the magic away from us.

The Guardian roared. He formed a new sword, this one entirely of magic, between his hands and charged. Lucius and I met him clash for clash, never quite making enough progress to kill him. Somehow, the Guardian was able to keep up, and I was pretty sure it had everything to do with Soltar seeping through. But we couldn’t fight himandclose the tear in the Veil.

All around us, echoes of our grunts and cries filtered through Lightport as both celestials and demons rose, empowered, into more Soltarian forms—their ancestors’ forms before Serenia had limited them so. I wondered if Lucius would change, too, but as the fight went on, as our swords locked with the Guardian’s, I didn’t feel so much as a little shift in his magic.

A horrific screech careened over Lightport, coming from the direction of the Veil. Just out of the corner of my eye—the Guardian was too dangerous a target to ignore—I saw somethingbigtrying to come through the tear. Large and unmoving, and the tear was just trying to push it through.

A building—no, a tower just like the Order’s.

A tower with reinforcements for the Guardian’s army, no doubt.

“Lucius!” I called, hoping to get his attention. He only nodded, so I had to assume he’d noticed this development, too. But Lucius’s momentary slip, a single nod, allowed the Guardian an in. He swung, slicing down Lucius’s arm.

Lucius roared as the radiant energy crackled across his entire body.

“No!” Not light sickness again. We couldn’t go through thisagain. It was my turn to roar as I charged the Guardian, making several dumb, wide, and harried swings, which he easily blocked hit for hit.

“I trained you, Ayla,” the Guardian taunted as Lucius recovered next to me. My mate reached out, magic pouring from his fingertips, which surrounded me like a shield that appeared to be made out of a starry, night sky. “I know every move you’re going to make.”

“Screw you.” I swung again. He met me again. Above us, the Soltarian tower snapped entirely through the tear and more celestials poured through. I’d been right.Shit.

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