Page 104 of Goddess of Light

We crash through the doors, metal and wood splintering, and onto the stone platform outside, the place that Sarvi would use as a landing pad. The wind howls, biting at my skin as the open air engulfs us. The platform stretches high above the castle grounds, with sheer drops on all sides. Louhi’s grin widens as her shadowy wings unfurl behind her, dark and menacing.

“This is where you fall, Tuoni,” she sneers.

Her wings beat once, lifting her off the ground. She hovers just out of reach, her eyes gleaming with malice. She swoops down, her blade slashing at me. I dodge and counter, my sword cutting through the air, but she is faster. She circles me like a predator, striking and retreating before I can land a blow.

The wind roars as she dives again. This time, I brace myself, my blade meeting hers mid-swing. The impact sends a jolt through my arms, but I hold my ground. I shove her back, forcing her to land a few feet away.

“Still standing,” I say, my voice steady.

She hisses, her wings flaring. “Not for long.”

Shadows surge around her, forming jagged spears that shoot toward me. I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding them. One grazes my leg, cutting through the armor and drawing blood. I stagger but keep moving, lunging toward her with a fierce strike. My blade catches her side, slicing through fabric and skin. She screams, more in anger than pain, and retaliates with a flurry of blows.

We trade strikes, the platform trembling beneath us. She has the advantage with her wings, using the air to maneuver around me. But I hold my ground, each swing of my sword pushing her back inch by inch.

Then she moves faster than I can track. Her foot sweeps my legs out from under me, and I hit the stone hard. Before I can rise, she kicks me toward the edge of the platform. I scramble for purchase, my fingers scraping against the rough stone as I teeter on the brink.

She looms over me, her blade poised to strike. “Goodbye, Tuoni,” she says, her voice cold and final. “Your reign is officially over.”

She thrusts, but I roll at the last second, her blade slamming into the stone where my chest was a heartbeat ago. I rise, spinning to face her, but she is already airborne again. Her wingsbeat hard, sending gusts of wind that nearly knock me over the edge.

I leap forward, grabbing her ankle as she tries to ascend. She lets out a startled cry as I drag her back down, both of us tumbling onto the platform. We grapple, her claws tearing at my armor as I fight to keep her grounded.

With a powerful shove, she throws me off. I skid across the platform, coming to a stop just before the edge. She rises, her wings flaring again. I scramble to my feet, readying my blade for one final attack.

But she is too fast. She swoops in, her clawed hand catching me by the throat. With a mighty heave, she lifts me off the ground and hurls me over the edge.

The wind rushes past me as I fall, the castle walls a blur of stone and shadow.

My mind races, a single thought burning through the chaos.

This is the end.

But then, just as suddenly as I fell, I stop.

Something catches me with a thump that knocks the wind out of me, and I quickly wrap my arms around a warm, thick neck, hanging on tight, a mane blowing in my face.

Large wings beat steadily as Sarvi’s voice cuts through the wind.Hold on!

“Sarvi!” I cry out. “You’re alive.”

Why wouldn’t I be? Sarvi says.But I’ll have to make this quick because my strength isn’t what it used to be.

Relief floods through me as the unicorn quickly rises through the sky, lifting me back toward the platform. Louhi’s expression shifts from triumph to fury as she sees us ascend. She dives toward us, her blade gleaming.

Sarvi twists, avoiding her strike, but Louhi quickly flaps her wings, propelling her up so that she lands on the unicorn’s back right behind me, her claws digging into the hide. Sarvi lets out acry of pain, wings faltering as we fall through the sky until we’re aloft again. I reach back and grab hold of Louhi’s arm, pulling with all my strength, but she slams me backward, pinning me against Sarvi’s flank.

I reach for my sword, but it’s gone—lost in the chaos. Louhi’s blade rises, aimed for my heart.

“Should have known the God of Death wouldn’t die easily,” she snarls, her eyes blazing with victory. “Luckily I’m not a quitter.”

I grin at her. “Neither am I.”

With a final, desperate act, I tear off my glove with my teeth and reach for her. My bare hand meets her throat, and she freezes as I start to squeeze her neck. Her wings stiffen, her eyes widening in shock.

My touch is death itself, the end of all things.

And, oh, have I longed to use it on her.

---