Page 163 of Fate and Flame
Free the rest. That was my prophecy. I was never meant to annihilate the world. Only this last fae, with his hands clung tightly around my airway.
Ara!The terror in Fen’s voice rattled our soul.
And then I knew. I struck the king. He barely flinched. I kicked him in the groin and didn’t give him a second to recoil as I followed with a knee to the kidney. He fell back. I could have used my power again, but the physical release was so necessary. He struck me across the face and stars filled my vision. I leapt, swiping the golden blade from his belt and planting it in his gut. It was just enough to take him down. Using my power to hold him there, I smiled.
“Once upon a time, there was a young female who had never seen a human before. She was innocent and naïve in so many ways. The first day she saw one, she watched in horror as you murdered a pixie because she’d run out of drink for you, Autus. Do you remember?”
“No,” he grunted, barely able to hold himself upright as the pain seeped through him.
“You wouldn’t. Because life is nothing to you, and now, your life is nothing to me.”
“But I am the high king,” he protested, his face turning purple.
I tapped my finger to my lips. “No. You’re not. You are—”
“High King,” he snapped.
“It’s rude to interrupt someone when they are trying to kill you,” I barked.
I let loose more power, funneling it into him until he was on his hands and knees, muscles seizing as he bellowed. I wanted Temir to be here for this moment. It was his moment more than my own, but I couldn’t wait for him. Fate had given me this one task, and though I wanted to draw it out until he was laying on the wooden platform, weeping like a baby, my heart was hurting, my friends were hurting, and I was just done. Absolutely done.
I released the rush of magic, shielded myself, and destroyed him. I fell to a knee as that magic caused another rip into our soul. I only hoped it was the final one.
The entire battlefield paused as the Wind Court fae felt the death of their wretched king.
The swords did not rise again, as those who fought with Autus realized this battle was won and the war was over. That their king would not come to their aid and they no longer had a leader. The Winterlands army that had bought us just enough time to kill Autus had saved us all. Though many died. My heart wrenched at that thought. Of the losses we had learned about. The ones we already knew. Had they known that morning, by stepping on this battlefield, they were choosing to die? Willing it, should it come to that?
And then a realization melted over me so strong, it took me to the ground. A choice.
The only thing I’d ever wanted was that singular thing. Though gifted with magic to desecrate the world, in the end I still had a choice. I didn’t have to use that magic. A magic no fae should ever be given. I’d beaten the gods that day. Because, though they carefully lined all the pieces for this battle, I was in control. Aibell’s final gift had been a giant middle finger to the gods who had denied her.
The wall of flames came down between Fen and me and he charged, looking me over for only a moment, before crushing me in his arms and weeping silently.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out. “I’m so sorry.”
And I was, for not being there when he’d needed me the most, for being taken by Autus, but mostly, for his fallen brother. For Kai. We had no idea where the others were. We didn’t know who else had made it.
We stepped down from the platform together. I stared down into the battlefield and my heart broke for all the fallen faeries laying in a sea of blood and bodies, of broken weapons and wounded souls. Not just from our side or his, but for all the lost lives today. All because a king couldn’t see the value in life. Because a king from long ago sacrificed the immortality of all faeries so that I could save the world. But as I watched our soldiers helping each other, I realized I hadn’t saved them at all. They had saved themselves.
Except Gaea. My heart filled with horror, the memory slamming into my chest as I replayed her final moments. As I heard her laugh on the wind and felt her arms around me that final time. As we made promises we couldn’t keep. This war had ripped that future from me, and as I crumbled, Fen caught me, sending waves of comfort as the world around me caved in. As the loss of the best friend I’d ever had shattered me entirely. She was gone. Just like Kai. There was no justice in war, only a teetering of heartache and suffering. I remembered that female screaming as she ran to our fallen commander. A lover we’d never even known about, now just as broken as the rest of us, if not dead as well.
Wren appeared beside us. Smothered in blood and holding her arm to her chest.
“Hello, baby bird,” Fen said, his voice cracking.
A small whimper left her, and she flew into his arms, her body shaking with tears. “I can’t find Greeve,” she cried. “I found Kai and . . .” She broke off again, sobbing.
“I know.” He hugged her fiercely. “I know.”
We discovered Rhogan, crying out in pain, but alive on the field. One wing completely torn from his back. Wren only left Fen’s arms to move into his and began sobbing all over again. We knew this would happen. We knew the odds of us all walking off of the battle unscathed were nil. It didn’t make the losses any less painful. In fact, it only made them greater. Because why were we spared, and they were not?
Umari found us next. She leaned on her bo like it was a staff to hold her upright. She bowed low to Fenlas, lower than she ever had, though she was injured.“You are a great king now, Fenlas. You led our people to battle and came out victorious. You’ve made us all proud. Now, we must reset the pieces on the board.”
He shook his head. “Not today, Grandmother. Today, we simply stand ourselves up.”
She dipped her chin.“We will round up the northerners while you decide what do to with their survivors.”
Fen pulled me along toward the army that had come from nowhere and changed everything in the battle at the end. He approached the male who stood to the side of his gilded army with Temir. They were identical. Clearly father and son.
