Page 146 of The Star's Sword

“Cleo, I’ve been alive a thousand years,” he said. “Trust me. I’ve lived enough to risk it all with you now.”

“Cayne would kill me if something happened,” I said.

“Cayne might not be alive to kill you if we don’t defeat these bastards and get Sammy back.”

“Please, Simon,” I said, clasping my sword. “I don’t want anyone hurt who doesn’t have to be. And I have an idea about what I need to do. But I don’t want anyone in the path of my night sword or my lasers.” Oddly, in this moment I wasn’t even afraid.

I knew I should be, against these powerful forms. But it had been worse anticipating this whole thing. How hard could it be to kill a few light beings?

Simon gave me a solemn look, then nodded. “You just give me a call, and we’ll all come running. We’ll be waiting just below.”

I nodded, looking at Sam’s dark figure, turning slowly in the void of darkness that made up this entire realm. “I’ll be there soon.”

“All right, everyone,” Simon said, flying around and herding up my friends, who were all fighting various celestials.

It made sense their attacks couldn’t hurt ninth realm celestials, but I’d always remember their bravery and loyalty in standing at my side.

This was just something I had to do. Something assigned to me.

Simon rounded up my friends and all of them dived down together to clear a way for me to use my attacks that weren’t safe with them around.

I summoned my energy, and after heat had built in my chest sufficiently, I shot a red beam of hot laser at a ninth-realmer who was getting close to Samael.

It hissed and steamed as the laser hit, splitting apart. But then it slowly formed back together.

More giggles filled the air as the light balls flashed slightly brighter.

I moved in closer, trying to get nearer to Samael and see what condition he was in, but several of the light balls got in my way.

Inside them, I could see the forms of people, but couldn’t make out any features.

It was just too bright whenever they came close. They made it hard to see anything.

This had to be an illusion. How could I find their real forms?

I tried to do as I’d been taught with Cayne, using my other senses to try and identify the real form and telekinesis to restrain.

But all I could smell was the slight tang of ash and burning, and I couldn’t feel anything at all. Any heat. Any warmth. Any sign of a body.

Just nothingness. Cold, dark nothingness, despite all the light.

Sam’s head was forward and he was unconscious, it looked like.

My heart wrenched with the pain of knowing he could already be gone. I couldn’t let any of them touch him again.

But even my laser didn’t work.

I threw my night sword at one of the light balls approaching Samael again, but it dodged instantly. I cursed, calling my sword back to my hand.

Fuck.

The light balls were moving in again.

“Kill the Morningstar. Kill the Morningstar,” they chanted in low voices.

“You evil fucks, I’m the Morningstar!” I yelled, as loud as I could. “Come get me instead!”

Almost instantly, the light forms zoomed over to circle around me, surrounding me.

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