Page 45 of A Blightress of Wrath
Itwas one thing to risk yourself.
Itwas entirely another to risk the people you loved.
Istood at that black lineIknew well.Iknew it in myself, in my own soul so marred with the choicesIhad made.
Theedge ofFelgrenand theBlightwas clear as day.
Herewas life.
Herewas death.
Herewas renewed hope.
Herewas endless despair.
Insome ways,Iunderstood.TheBlightresshad been held down, tied to her own bed so that she could not cut the babe from her womb and save her daughter.Iwould have attempted it, too.Herlover hadn’t listened to her, her sister had abandoned her.Wasthere any doubtIwould have pulled my own heart from my chest?
Thatwas the questionIfeared to answer.
CouldIhave become exactly what she was?
“I’mnot leaving you,Karus,”Revbreathed in my ear behind me, feeling all the turmoilIlet fly through our bonded hearts. “I’llrepeat myself; you are not her.”
WhydidIneed to hear those words so often?
Iturned my back on the hundreds of acres ofBlightstill left inFelgrenand addressed the peopleIcared for in this forest.
“Whatwe are about to do will be draining.CosensianMagicis difficult to use, let alone hold for the period of time we need to do this.Donot let go.Donot hold back your channel of power from this forest.Letit flow down this line.Giveit to me, and we will see the end of thisBlightupon our home.”
Ifinished my speech, tying a braid down my back, tucking my white and chestnut strands away from my face.Inodded toMoira, jerking my head toward the thirtyGrowersshe’d been able to gather in the last forty minutes. “Arethey ready?”
Shescreeched into the wind and thirty heads of varying foliage from the massive fae creatures nodded.
“Let’sbegin,”Icalled, turning around to face that endless black.Revtensed behind me.Icould feel it in the way he gripped my arm asIheld my hands out to hover over that black line. “SimulairSolum,”Icalled.Thegreen orb in my hand instantly burst to a simulation of the same sun that beat down upon our faces in the midmorning light.
Theunsettling hiss of theBlightshrinking away sounded around us in a chorus of death as the thick, thorned vines shriveled and fell to ashes.Itook one more glance behind me with an encouragementIhoped all of them could feel in my dark gaze.
Theyspread out behind me in aVshape, bothRevandLiaholding onto my arms.GrippingRevich’sshoulder wasTalon, followed byIlyenna.Pompeiiheld ontoLiawhileRennheld onto her, also grippingPhilius’sarm.Wedidn’t know howPhiliuswould be able to conjure power now that he couldn’t use hands to summon it from his fingers, but he insisted he be there as well, andIwould not deny him.
Iwouldn’t deny any of them, seeking retribution in their own ways for what theBlightress’sinfluence had brought into their lives.
TheGrowerswalked up to the line, fanning out beside us and planting their limbs into the space where theBlightnearby withered away to death.Already, shoots of green sprouted where they touched the ashen earth.
“Ilove you,”Imurmured, taking one last glance atRevichjust behind me with a small smile.
“Andyou’ll love me still at the end of this, so don’t you dare say that like a goodbye,BaronKarus.”
Ilaughed, my eyes filling with the greenIknew appeared because his jaw tightened and he swallowed.Withouta word, he cupped my cheek with his free hand, bringing my lips to his for one last kiss before we descended into what would become our future path.
Iclosed my eyes and let the heat of the powerIheld radiate over my face.Thewarmth kissed my skin, flowing through my hands and spilling into my body, fueling my resilience, fueling my assurance to myself that we would all make it to the other side of thisBlight, and it would be destroyed from our forest forever.
Ifocused on the sunIheld and sent my love, my promise toSaelyngrowing steadily in my womb thatIdid this for her.Idid this for her future here inFelgren.Theone she deserved and the oneI’dfight for every single day of my life.
WhenIopened my eyes,Ilet the power of those behind me flow.Brilliantcolors of blue, silver, purple, gold, and green swirled over the ball of light in my hands as it grew in size, engulfing whatIcould see.Evensparks of orange flame flickered around the corona, andIsmirked with the proof that my brother’s magic was still with us.
Itook my first step forward into theBlightand heard her voice in my head. “Donot force my hand,LittleSprout.”
Ishuddered, despite the warmth that flowed through the resounding hiss of theBlight’sdeath.Ispoke to her, taking more steps into the decay. “Itis you who has forced mine.”
