Page 122 of An Honored Vow

Then she spotted the Arrow.

“Gwyn, no!” I chased after her with Dynara at my side. She portaled us closer to Gwyn, ready to fight the Arrow alongside her, but Gwyn was writing spells into the air. This time they didn’t turn gold but black. She thrust her hands forward, and the spells latched onto the neck of the Arrow and the ten soldiers beside him. They grabbed their throats, the magic burning their flesh like roasting chains.

“Damien!” Gwyn screamed as she plunged her finger into the Shield’s eye socket. She pulled the black eye out of his head, leaving the man to fall to his knees. Gwyn started tracing a rune along the eye. She chanted words even I didn’t know, nose bleeding a waterfall of amber and gold blood.

“Gwyn, stop,” I begged, but it was no use. I didn’t think she could hear me at all. The rune sealed and turned black too. She held it up, squeezing it, and dozens of soldiers fell to their knees along the city wall. Each one with a black eye. The Arrow’s pendant faded as he writhed in pain. I looked up and saw the new Blade bent over in agony too.

“You will carry the pain of every person you have ever hurt,” Gwyn shouted at Damien. Even though he was somewhere in his palace, I knew he was writhing in pain too.

All thewaateyshirakwere in the sky now with no one using the pendants. They could smell the desperation and pain like sharks out for blood. Even though most of Damien’s soldiers were dead, we were no match for thewaateyshirak.We had nothing left to fight them. All our resources were spent. We needed Damien to tame them or every surviving Elverin and Mortal were going to become their feast.

Gwyn had to be stopped.

I clenched my jaw and called that whirling power inside my chest. A small gust formed at Gwyn’s mouth, growing just enough to pull the air from her lungs. Her eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed with betrayal as she turned to me.

“I’m so sorry,” I shouted, hot tears running down my face. Dynara caught Gwyn in her arms as she fell limp and pulled her through a portal. The soldiers stopped writhing in pain. Some clambered to their feet. The Arrow stood, pendant alight, and groaned as he used all his power to quell theshirakonce more. The circle of beasts tightened and their snarls grew louder but none of them dove. I only hoped Damien’s tenuous control could hold.

I picked up a dead soldier’s waterskin and poured the contents out. My body ached as I used my magic to form a sphere and let it hover along the remaining city wall. “I speak directly to your king.” My voice echoed through the debris and into the city. “Damien, you have proved your strength is too mighty. Let us claim our dead, and my people will surrender.”

The Arrow’s eye turned bright amber. “You think I will let you live after what you have done?” He scoffed. “You have destroyed my city. Killed hundreds of my people, thousands of my soldiers. Their blood is on your hands.”

“Then kill me,” I said in a calm, even tone. “Give us an hour to collect our dead, and I will walk out here willingly and unarmed.”

Damien crossed his arms. “Why should I believe you?”

“What do you have to lose?” I shrugged. “We can fight until the city is nothing but rubble, or you can agree to the hour.”

“It seems you get much more than I do in this arrangement.” He lifted a brow. “Why give you the chance to flee?”

Hot towers of flame stood behind me and the sky cracked with lightning. “I have enough magic left to wipe this city to the ground, but even I cannot defeat thewaateyshirakyou have left. Accept myterms and your people shall not suffer anymore. Show us mercy, and I will show them mercy. Deny my request, and you will be a king of no one.”

Concerned whispers started behind the city walls. Soon they grew into pleas of mercy that echoed out onto the battlefield.

Damien scowled, knowing he was left with no better option.

“One hour.”

CHAPTERFORTY-SIX

IDIDN’T SPARE A MOMENT OF THAT HOUR. I ran back and collected Fyrel’s body myself. I tore a piece of tunic from one of our fallen soldiers and wrapped it around her head so Gwyn didn’t have to see the gash the axe had left. I brushed her eyelids closed and let the girl rest in my arms as I made the long walk back to our tents.

My body was numb and my mind empty. I couldn’t hear my thoughts over the screams and metal clanging echoing in my head. I put the young Shade on the small pyres Feron had conjured and Vrail grabbed my arm.

“Don’t do this.” Tears ran down her blood-caked face. “You don’t have to do this.”

Nikolai grabbed my other arm. “Why martyr yourself now? We’re one people. The Elverin stand together, in death too if we must.” His eyes were bloodshot from crying but they were determined.

I shook my head and wrapped them both in my arms. “No one else needs to die.”

“You’re giving us a few hours more at most,” Nikolai scoffed.

I glanced between the two of them. “Then spend those hours together.” I raised a brow. “I think you’ve both been waiting long enough.”

Nikolai cleared his throat, but his eyes widened in shock when he saw the flush of Vrail’s cheeks. He tugged on his hair and stood there awkward and wordless for the first time in his seven centuries. I cherished the laugh and turned to find Riven standing behind me.

“I heard” was all he said. It was all he needed to.

He knew me well enough to know that pleading would only be a waste of breath. A waste of time. I leaned against his chest and let the sound of his breathing calm me. I would need to be at peace to do what had to be done.

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