Page 105 of Goddess of Light

Louhi’s body braces as I strangle her, her shadows unraveling. She lets out a piercing scream as her form begins to disintegrate, her essence fading into the wind. She tries to claw at me, to fight back, but it’s too late. She crumbles into ash, the sinister mire of her soul snuffed out and floating away into nothing.

She’s finally gone.

Good fucking riddance.

I collapse against Sarvi’s back, my chest heaving. All is silent except for the sound of the wind and Sarvi’s beating wings as we fly back to the castle.

“It’s over,” I whisper.

For now, Sarvi replies, their voice low and pricked with fear.Hanna freed me and Lovia from the library, made me leave to help you, but I fear she’s fighting Salainen now.

“Hurry,” I command. “We don’t have a second to waste.”

CHAPTER 39

HANNA

We sprintthrough the hallowed halls of Shadow’s End, our footsteps echoing against the stone. The air is heavy, laden with the scent of damp rot and old magic, not at all the way I remember it.

My home. This used to be home, more so than California, Finland, or any place I lived in the Upper World. And now Louhi has taken it from me, from Tuoni, from everyone.

I growl to myself, hoping, praying, that he’s able to defeat Louhi. It took everything in me to not go after him to help, but I know that rescuing Lovia was his priority and I’m sure she’s heavily guarded. Still, I worry. My Goddess side is retreating, letting my emotions out in full force, and right now the anxiety is drowning me. I would give my left tit for some lorazepam right now.

But Tuoni is counting on me as much as I’m counting on him.

So I lead the way, Vellamo close at my side. My father grips his staff behind us, his chants a low murmur as he strengthens our path with wards against whatever dark forces might try to snare us. I’ve told him several times that he should hang back,watch for any attackers, but my old man is as stubborn as I am and so he’s right behind me.

As is Tellervo, General Suvari, the Magician, and the remaining trolls and troops that form a tight group around us, weapons at the ready. Rauta darts ahead, his nose to the ground, growling softly as if he senses danger in every shadow.

We push onward, deeper into the heart of the castle, toward the Library of the Veils. I can feel its pull, a strange hum in my bones, like a chord struck in a hollow chamber. The library is repository of souls and lost knowledge, and, for now, our best hope of finding Sarvi and Lovia. I can feel it.

We burst into the library, and I stagger to a halt. The Library of the Veils is vast, its vaulted ceiling soaring above us. Shelves carved from black stone rise like jagged cliffs, crammed with ancient tomes and scrolls. Flickering orbs of blue light hover in the air, casting eerie shadows. Despite the grandeur, the space feels suffocating, the weight of Louhi’s magic pressing down on us.

And then I see them.

Sarvi and Lovia.

They’re chained to the far wall, their wrists bound by enchanted manacles glowing faintly with dark runes. Lovia hangs limply, her head tilted forward. Sarvi’s one white eye flickers open as we approach, its gaze frantic. The sight of the skeleton unicorn is enough to bring tears to my eyes, another wave of emotion that wants to pummel me into submission.

Hanna!Sarvi’s usually blasé voice is raw, trembling with relief and fear.

I don’t hesitate. I sprint across the room, the others fanning out to secure the space. Reaching Sarvi first, I grip the chains and summon my power. My hand glows faintly with sunlight, the heat biting against the cold iron. The manacles resist, the runes flaring angrily, but I push harder, my light searing throughthe darkness. The chains shatter with a metallic wail, and Sarvi stumbles forward. Its sawed off horn is a sorry sight, but otherwise the unicorn seems alright.

“Go!” I cry out. “Go! Tuoni followed Louhi into your room. He needs you.”

Sarvi doesn’t even hesitate, instead nods and immediately gallops off, its hooves striking the stone with a steady rhythm as it races out the door.

I turn to Lovia, crouching in front of her. Her eyes flutter open, clouded with pain but sharpening when she sees me. “Hanna…” she croaks.

“Hold on.” I work quickly, breaking her chains with the same heat and light. She slumps forward, and I catch her, pulling her into a brief embrace.

“You’re okay,” I say, brushing blood-matted hair from her face. “Stay with the others. You’ll be safe now.”

Before Lovia can answer, the air shifts. A wave of icy magic sweeps through the library, and I whirl around, pulling Lovia to her feet. Black mist gathers around us, curling like living tendrils. The temperature plummets, and my breath fogs in front of me.

“Hanna!” my father calls out, his voice sharp with warning.

The mist thickens, swallowing the faint blue light. Shadows twist and coil, separating me from the others. I can just make out Vellamo’s shout, the trolls’ roars, but their voices seem to come from a great distance. The darkness presses in until I’m alone.

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