Page 128 of An Honored Vow

I clasped the hilt of my dagger and pulled it out of its sheath. I couldn’t save Nikolai. He wouldn’t want me to, not if it meant dozens of deaths in an attack from the remainingshirak. But perhaps he could have a few more moments with Vrail. One last kiss, the farewell I had never gotten with Brenna.

Death didn’t scare me. Hildegard and Brenna would be waiting. Syrra, too. And my promise would be fulfilled. I had worked through my regrets. I had overcome that darkness that had taken root in me. I would die happy knowing that Riven would have the chance to do the same. My only qualm was having to take Nikolai with me.

I waved my hand and two orbs of wind appeared, the size of a small faelight. I gently coaxed the smaller one to my lips and whispered a message for Vrail.

“Go to Nikolai. His time has come.” With a second wave of my hand, I sent the ball whirling up the tunnel to find her. I only hoped Nikolai was close enough and she had enough time to reach him before I plunged my dagger through Damien’s heart.

The second orb floated on my finger, as gentle as a kiss. I had whispered so many things to Riven in our short time together, shown him my love in ways words could never match. I had to trust that he would hold onto the truth of those memories as I said the things Riven needed to hear into the braided gust of wind.

“There is no one more worthy of my love than you,rovaa. I regret nothing, not a moment. Take care of Gwyn and Gerarda. May you find as much comfort with them as they gave me.” I took a ragged breath and wiped my nose. “Braid your hair into mine and kiss me one more time before you light my pyre. And when you bury mydiizra,bury Brenna’s with it. Because my heart is yours, but hers was mine. Live long and well, Riventh Numenthira, I will wait for you.”

My heart split in half as I waved my hand and my final words were sent to Riven. I was grateful that his powers were gone, so the world would not be launched into an endless night when he heard them. I lifted the dagger. Theshirakshrieked outside, skating the walls of the tunnel. There was no time left. Damien wheezed over his throne, the pendant in his chest glowing brighter.

Blood oozed from his mouth. “Touching.”

I didn’t say a word. Those last words I had spoken to Riven were the truest I had ever said in my life. If I was going to die, I wanted to die with my love for him coating my lips and not a snide remark for a man I loathed.

A tear fell from my cheek and landed on Damien’s forehead as he looked up at me. His mouth fell open and a pitiful puff of air escaped in shock as I rammed my bloodstone dagger through his chest. It shattered the pendant and pierced Damien’s heart—the dagger he had made me use to claim Brenna’s life. It was only fitting that it should be the one to end his and mine too. My only regret was that Nikolai would be caught in the bloodshed, but that was worth the end of Aemon’s line.

The terror was over.

Damien fell to the ground first. He rasped for air, and each exhale splattered blood along his face and the ground. Something sharp pierced my leg and I crumpled. When I looked, nothing was there. The magic of my broken oath was invisible but deadly. It piercedmy arm and my back arched in pain. Then it sliced through my chest just as I had with Damien and everything went still. Warm blood soaked through my leathers and covered my belly. I lay on the ground staring at Damien’s face. The ring of amber in his black eye rippled like the small waves in a pond. I watched as they slowed, the life draining out of me too.

Blood pooled from Damien’s lips, thick and hot against my face. He could barely move his mouth, but somehow he had the strength for one last word.

“Draw.”

My laugh was nothing but my own blood. It spotted his face in amber, and I smiled knowing the last image I would see was Damien coated in the color of blood he hated. I hoped they didn’t wipe it off before they presented his body to the city. The last of my magic whirled around the dungeon and blew out the torches. I closed my eyes, imagining that the shadows were one last embrace from Riven, and died.

CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT

THE PAIN LASHED ONCE MORE, and I screamed. When I opened my eyes, it was no longer dark in the room. Silver moonlight and warm daylight flooded the walls from the dozen faelights floating along the top of the tunnel.

I winced as Damien shrieked beside me. Gwyn pulled the dagger from his chest, and I felt the magic that had pierced my own heart recede. I lifted a limp hand. “Stop.”

Gwyn ignored me. She flipped Damien onto his back and used her finger to trace a spell onto his chest. We gasped in unison as Damien’s body began to heal and my own healing gift stitched my wounds together.

“You’re only prolonging this,” I muttered to Gwyn. I wanted to explain it all, to tell her that she was only giving Nikolai and the others false hope too, but I didn’t yet have the strength.

Damien’s eyes opened, and I saw the moment his vision focused enough to see Gwyn’s amber eyes studying his wounds. Damien coughed out a laugh. “Always so unexpected.”

Gwyn’s top lip twitched. “I heard what you did. Keera is not going to die for you.”

Her fingers glowed and she etched a rune into the glass of Damien’s pendant. It shattered into pieces. Damien groaned in pain, but Gwyn’s healing spell started lacing back the sinew and torn flesh.

I stared at the pendant on the ground. Damien was no longer a threat.

I flipped to my side and cursed my magic for working so slowly. I knew what Gwyn was going to do. Her eyes were feral. She blamed Damien for everything. Her years of torment, her loss of budding love. She was going to heal Damien completely so the oath that had almost taken my life would be in place once more. Then she would stab that blade back through his chest, killing Damien and Nikolai too.

“Gwyn, no!”

“Don’t fret, Keera.” Damien lifted his hand to Gwyn’s soft cheek. “Gwyn doesn’t have the heart to kill me.”

Gwyn smirked. “You’re right. I don’t.”

She glanced at me to see that I had fully healed too before tracing her finger along his chest. Damien’s scream shook the walls but Gwyn didn’t stop.

I gathered the strength to sit up and witnessed the horror of what Gwyn had done. Damien’s chest caved open, revealing his beating heart like a bear had torn through his sternum. It would be more than enough to kill a man, but Damien wasn’t dying. Whatever magic Gwyn had weaved was healing Damien just enough to keep him from bleeding out.

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