Page 71 of The Dark Rises
My gaze swings from Meri to the power to Leandra and, finally, to Denir. His eyes are locked on the power. He frantically whispers to Cormal’s sister, whose look of fierce determination nearly matches the expression on her brother’s face.
Denir moves to intercept the power, and Leandra moves in front of him.
I glance back at Rivan and see him surrounded by the court. Theron and Arden are battling their way toward him.
Calling to the shadows, I shove the power up to the rafters and pull the dark sword at my back. Sliding into the darkness, I surf the shadows to Rivan and come up beside him. “How much time?”
“A minute, if we’re lucky,” he grits out, slamming the pommel of his sword into the chin of a nearby guard. “I need to get to her.”
Every time I try to grab on to Rivan and slip into the shadows, someone else grabs him and shoves him farther away from me.Damn it.To resurrect Meri, he has to get to her within the next thirty seconds.
A loud roar sounds from across the room. Unable to see what’s happening, I keep fighting to get to Rivan. Meri is more important than anything else. Even the crown. I slam the heel of my foot onto the toes of the lord behind me, bone crunches under my boot, then I slam a left hook into the next one who gets too close.
Callyx steps from the shadows like the angel of death and grabs Rivan, flinging him into me. “Go! I’ve got this.” Sword swinging, dark magic pours from him, and suddenly, there are six of him standing there ready to fight.
Damn. I think he glamoured the shadows.
I drop into the darkness with Rivan and come up beside Meri, well aware we’re past the window of time he gave us. “Don’t say it. Just try. Please.”
Rivan gathers her in his arms. Cradling her to him, he nods at me, and I send a wave of magic directly into his heart. Killing him. He erupts in faery fire, taking her with him into the afterlife, leaving their ashes behind on the floor.
My heart races as I stare at the pile on the ground, waiting for a sign. A minute ticks by. Then two. Three. Cormal looks at me, and I shake my head. Even Leandra darts a glance at the empty floor. Five minutes have passed.
Rivan promised not to return without her. Are they both gone?
Ashes swirl in the wind, creating an intricate pattern. Slowly, two bodies reform in a storm of fire.
Rivan stares down at Meri, his eyes burning with emotion. “Open your eyes, my love.” His voice is firm as he calls to her. “Open your eyes.”
I drop to my knees beside him. “Meri, open your fucking eyes.”
Rivan shoots me a murderous look. “Come on, my love. I know you’re in there. That’s it. Bat those gorgeous blues at me.”
Her dark lashes flutter and her turquoise eyes open, and it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen. My hand moves up to wipe the wetness from the corner of my eye.
“I love you, Rivan.”
His lips find hers in a crushing kiss. “I love you so damn much. You were almost lost to me forever.” There’s a break in his voice that tells me how close she was to never returning.
I take her from him. “You scared the fuck out of me.” Unable to stop shaking, I wrap both of my long arms around her.
Rivan stands and taps me on the shoulder, but I hold on to her a minute longer, needing to feel her heart beating against mine. Finally, I help Meri stand between Rivan and me.
Leandra calls out, “Madoc! The power.” Her finger points toward the ceiling where the black swirling ball is zipping from one side to the other.
With a pop, it disappears.
“NO! Where did it go? Bring it back, you bitch!” Denir roars, his eyes darting around the hall, desperately searching for the power.
Leandra’s face is white when I give her a deathly glare. “I swear. I don’t know where it went.”
There’s something dark behind my right shoulder. It’s still here. I feel it. Closing my eyes, I try to pinpoint it, but it’s moving rapidly from one place to another.
Denir yells, and I open my eyes.
“The power is still here. Can’t you feel it?” Taunting him. I know he can’t feel it because it was never supposed to be his. It belongs to me.
He looks at me blankly, then shrugs off my question.
