Page 53 of Unseen Lord

"He's gone," I say.

"No. This isn't what I meant to do. This isn't how I wanted it to end. I just wanted to help. To make things right. To make the world safe."

I look around with a sardonic laugh. "How's that working for you?"

She turns on me and pulls out a sword filled with electricity, her Thunder Bird at her side, ready to lunge at me. I'm ready. Mostly. I got this.

But then she twists to the side and plunges her sword into the bird's heart, screaming as she does, as a hole appears in her chest, as lightning pours out. "I'm sorry!" she cries.

An explosion of light distorts the air around us, and the lightning pulses, forming into a ball.

I can feel it seeking. Looking for somewhere to go.

Looking for someone to channel its power.

I back away, sweat pooling on my face and under my arms. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

And as the ball races towards me, ready to consume me, Theo throws himself in its path, taking the hit right in the chest as he falls to the sand, lifeless.

* * *

Everything pauses.The world seems to go mute. Rain stops. Lightning ceases. The clang of battle disappears. The sun returns.

Am I dreaming? Am I dead? For real dead?

At my feet, my brave Manticore lays there unmoving, and I drop my body over his, crying, begging him to come back to me.

The spirits I called from the dead have disappeared, and I search myself for a spark that will let me bring him back. I pour a piece of myself into him, giving him part of me.

There's a zing under my hands.

A tiny zap of lightning.

And Theo awakens.

His fur turning brighter silver.

His eyes glow with lightning.

But when he meows and pushes his big head against my hand, I know he's still my Theo.

I crawl over to Ace and check him, then pull out the vial he gave me earlier and administer it. It takes a moment, and I worry the lightning ruined this plan, but he sputters and sits up, looking around. "Did it work?" he asks.

"It did. Thinking she had killed you brought her back to herself, just as we'd hoped. She fought the Spirit. It entered Theo, but he seems okay."

Ace turns quizzically towards my Manticore, studying him. "Interesting. Theo's magic must be a stabilizer for the Storm Spirit. I've never seen such a thing. How fascinating."

I help Ace up and we look for Aya, or her body, but she's nowhere to be found. "What do you think happened to her?" I ask him.

He shrugs. "She should pay for her crimes. But to be honest, I hope she escaped. I hope she has learned from this. And I hope she finds a way to be at peace within herself."

We mount Theo and fly to the castle. I seek out Elias first, and seeing him alive and well, something breaks in me and I throw myself at him, crying. Arias, Kayla, Tavian, Varis, Asher, Dean and Zeb all came out fine. But hundreds more didn't. There are many bodies to burn. Many lives to mourn.

Imenath struts out from the shadows, his face aglow. "I have saved the castle," he says.

I laugh. "Well done, buddy. I'll put in a good word for you with the Council."

And then I turn to Elias. "We have to go check on your mother. This should have broken the curse."

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