Page 119 of Kingdom of Today
Dang it. I’d forgotten about the key to opening a doorway. We must get in. Must stop Cyrus from executing Astan’s plan to gain entrance into the library.
I could think of only one way to do it.
Dread gripped me, but I disregarded it. Better this than handing Astan the victory.
Winslet slid a dagger from an ankle sheath.
Heat flared down my arm, pooling in my hand, and, by instinct, I swung my arm at her, my fiery sword appearing against her throat. “Let’s call it a draw for now, hmm?” I suggested.
“Fine,” she snapped, dropping her weapon.
I opened my hand, and the sword vanished. “You’re on the wrong team, anyway. Soal is our only weapon against Astan, his Madness, and the total destruction of our world. That’s why CURED fights so hard to make us hate him.”
“Just because youthinkit’s true, doesn’t make it true.” Pain and anger drenched her voice.
“Ah. But you’ve been dealing with Astan for days. You saw him work his agenda through the emperor, and now Cyrus. Is the god who urges a man to murder his pregnant lover really the one you believe should rule our lives?”
A pause. Then: “Shut up,” she grumbled.
Determined to put my own plan into action, I pressed the pedal to the floor.
Chapter Thirty-One
Do not throw away my words, and understanding will come.
—The Book of Soal2.16.2.7
A sea of feeders congested every path leading to the field, with more coming. I didn’t slow or attempt to avoid them, giving CURED an easier target and jeopardizing my fellow passengers. Instead, I plowed through anyone in our way.
This was war, not business as usual.
We approached our destination without further incident, only to come upon our next problem: an army of glowers midbattle with feeders were outnumbered five to one. At least. Fiery swords glowed, growing brighter every time a feeder fell, as if strengthened by the victory, but not enough feeders fell.
I caught sight of Ember, who fought at the helm. Good to see her up and recharged.
Brakes squealed as I stomped on the pedal. Dirt kicked up behind the truck’s tires. The second we stopped, Domino came alive again. I was currently perched on his lap. Not a big deal while he’d been out there, unaware of me, but here, now, it was kind of awkward.
Didn’t matter. Feeders walled the vehicle, banging on bulletproof glass windows.
“We need a plan.” Domino shifted to park and clasped my waist to lift me off. Or so I thought. He held me tight. “I slowed CURED down, but I didn’t stop them. They’ll arrive any minute.”
I craned my neck, meeting his gaze. Determination flooded our bond. “I’m a step ahead of you for once.” I looked over at Winslet. She slumped in the seat, eyes closed, sweating buckets. She’d reclaimed the dagger and now clutched it and her injured arm close. Apparently carrying Astan’s essence didn’t heal new wounds the way it had temporarily healed the old one. How much time did she have left? “Get me to the force field,” I told Domino, “and I’ll get you safely inside it.” Sacrifice someone I loved? So be it.
I could die without killing him. Cyrus had suspected there was a way to sever my bond with the librarian, and I believed he was right. Snuff out the flame, and boom. Problem solved. The loss of such a deep connection would destroy Domino and me in a thousand different ways, I was certain of it, but he was gonna live, and I was gonna die anyway, so I couldn’t regret it.
Suspicions flashed in his eyes. “How will you do it?”
“Better to show you rather than explain.”
“But you will survive it?” he insisted.
“Dom, I’m not going to endanger your life,” I assured him. “Watch me work my magic.”
“Let me guess.” He arched a brow. “You plan to snuff out our flame and sacrifice yourself.”
“Well, I meet the only qualification. I love myself,” I stated. “It’ll work. You won’t die with me.”
“I don’t care about that,” he snapped.
