Page 139 of Ecliptic

His emerald eyes were wild as he took in the sight. “What happened?” He panted as he ran toward us.

“It was supposed to be me,” I sobbed, my tears crashing onto Maddock’s cheeks.

Understanding settled over Rowen’s face as he lowered himself and gently took Maddock from my arms, but I gripped him tighter, refusing to let go.

“I can’t accept this,” I cried, rocking him. “It was my life to give.”

Rowen gripped my chin in his hand, forcing my gaze to his. “Don’t say that. Do you hear me? This is what he wanted; the redemption he was seeking. Do not take that away from him, Keira.”

My sobs were uncontrollable. “He didn’t hear me say that I forgive him.”

He gripped my chin harder. “He knows, my love. He knows. Say it back to me and believe it.”

“He . . . he knows,” I stuttered within his grasp.

“That’s my girl,” Rowen said as he released me, fighting thetears welling in his own eyes. I finally let him lower Maddock to the ground.

I picked up Mithrion and turned to Maddock to give him one last promise—that if I succeeded, I would come back for his body, but Indrasyl had other plans. She slowly blanketed him in branches and roots, pulling him into her cradle. No part of his body would go to waste.Through blood and bone.

I stood mesmerized as Maddock was engulfed in his tomb. And I couldn’t help but envision my body being wrapped and cocooned within Indrasyl’s embrace, living on forever in her roots.

It wasn’t a bad way to go.

Rowen pulled me back as the tree closed in around us. The hollow trunk slowly merged together. Maddock’s body, and the shifting bark, filled the hole of Indrasyl, making her complete. “Keira, listen to me. The battle still rages. We need to go."

As much as I wanted to stay and watch Maddock’s funeral through to the end, I couldn’t. This battle was far from over.

Though my bond was back in full force, there was a gaping hole deep within myself. It was as if I were an empty well ready to be filled.

“Let’s end this,” I gritted out. I didn’t know how or with what energy, but there would be no sunrise in which this wasn’t finished. One way or another, I would end this war.

Maddock may have sacrificed himself to heal Luneth, but Erovos hadn’t been defeated. Nothing was to stop him from destroying the planet again or moving on to the next.

After what Maddock had offered in my place, I wanted to fight for him. For his memory. He’d given me the gift of time. And I’d be damned if I let Erovos ruin one more second of my life with Rowen.

I didn’t wipe the tears for Maddock off my face. I’d let themstain my cheeks as I fought for his revenge. “I need to defeat Erovos. It might be on the astral plane.”

“I will protect your body with my life,” he swore as a wild, brutal forest swirled in his eyes.

“I know.”

“Don’t leave me again,” he said as his eyes held mine. “You are my flame. If your light goes out, then so does mine. I don’t have the strength to face this world without you.”

“I’ll never make you face this world, or any world, alone. I promise.” This time, it wasn’t a lie. It was the truth. Forever and always.

I didn’t turn back to look at him as I raced towards Erovos. I knew Rowen was behind me. I didn’t need to see him to know he was there because if I looked back, it might steal the strength I needed to defeat Erovos once and for all.

47

Rowen and I charged onto the battlefield. The stench of blood, death, and black ichor hit me like a brick wall, but there was no space for fear or hesitation.

I joined the battle where forest and desert elves alike fought for Luneth. The contrast of the Wyn’s silver hair mixed with the gold armor of the Hara’dune warriors was luminous against the Voro-Kai. It looked like the sun and moon had come together to fight an insidious darkness. But with each passing second, the luminosity dimmed more and more as the Voro-Kai smothered out the light.

Only one hawk remained in the sky, pumping its broken wings to stay afloat. The other Sunshades were scattered upon the ground, never to take flight again. The cold bodies piling around me told me exactly how many souls the world eater used to take the great avians down. Too many. Far too many.

A Voro-Kai with Ever-burn arrows jutting from his face and chest charged by me. It grabbed a Viltarran soldier and slashed her throat open, diving its fangs into her neck.

My stomach twisted in dread as the battle raged on in chaos. There was no end in sight.

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