Page 93 of The Curse of Ophelia

“Thank you,” I breathed, grabbing the spear from its place on the rack and launching myself at the Engrossian guards.

“Malakai!” I screamed as I ran. I threw his spear—my spear—and he swiped it nimbly from the air. In one motion, he ran a guard through, shoving the man’s body to the ground and turning to take out another behind him.

With Starfire in my hand, I took up my place beside Malakai, guarding each other’s backs as we were meant to do. Three Engrossians faced me, axes and daggers raised between them. The first lunged, and when his ax made it past my defense and sliced a small cut across my collarbone, I grimaced at my misstep. Malakai groaned as if he felt the pain himself, but he kept his focus on his attackers, leaving me to handle my own.

I smirked at the Engrossians before raising Starfire and slicing a delicate pattern between the three and myself, pushing each back and knocking two to the ground. My sword’s weight was impeccable in my hand—the balance even more precise after the Undertaking. I swiped down across the back of the third Engrossian as he turned to flee, leaving his spinal column exposed to the warm air.

As he fell, one of his companions kicked out from where he lay. His booted foot met my ankle with a crunch, and I stumbled, screaming in pain.

Malakai’s steady arm gripped my waist, supporting me. I brushed my fingers across the back of his hand in a quick acknowledgment that I was all right.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my ankle, I charged at the fallen Engrossian. His eyes only had a second to widen. I brought my sword down and sliced his head from his neck, relishing the vibration of metal through bone. A vicious smile graced my lips.

When I looked up, seven guards had fallen to the blades of three fully ascended Mystique Warriors and Malakai. Two guards remained, retreating to where their queen fought Tolek with only a dagger.

We crept after them, circling our prey. I limped due to my wounded ankle but continued.

“Tolek Vincienzo, I am grateful to see you, but I swear on the fucking Angels, you better kill her now,” Malakai said to his friend as he approached, cautious eyes trained on Kakias.

“Ah, my dear friend, I have missed you,” Tolek responded in his most carefree voice. “Must she die? She could be so fun to torment.”

Kakias’s eyes darkened. “Those are words you’ll regret, child.” She sent her dagger flying toward Tol’s heart.

He leaned so far backward I thought his shoulders would meet the ground. But he righted himself.

“That was your mistake, Your Highness.” Tolek’s voice took on a threatening hum rarely heard from him.

He launched himself at the unarmed queen, weapon poised to swipe diagonally across the front of her body, but one of her guards was faster. He impaled himself on Tolek’s blade before his queen, sending his body smashing into Tol’s. The two tumbled to the ground, and in the mayhem, the final guard grasped his queen’s arm and ran.

We raced after them, Malakai stopping to help Tolek up, but when we reached the mouth of the cave, Lucidius stood in our path. He had cleverly avoided the battle thus far—a coward in every sense of the word.

I heard my sister and Cypherion quietly questioning his presence, but I couldn’t take my eyes from the vile man before me. This all started with him, and now it would end with him. I knew from our last encounter that Lucidius and I were evenly matched fighters when it came to our swords. This would have to be a different kind of fight if I wished to defeat him.

Starfire clattered against rock as I tossed her aside, the noise sounding like a protest. “It is just you and I, Lucidius,” I snarled.

He smirked, lowering his sword. “From the day you came into this world, Ophelia, you have been the bane of my existence.”

I clenched my hands, refusing to be distracted. “You took so much from me, and now, I will get my retribution.”

I flew at him, catching him in surprise and knocking him to the ground. Lucidius had brute strength—but I had swiftness.

We rolled through the cave, punching and scraping and kicking, but my friends knew not to interfere. This was my kill. My injured ankle barked in protest when he brought his foot to it, kicking the spot before the healing magic could set in.

I retaliated with a sharp knee to his gut. He released the hand he had on my wrist, and I shoved him to the ground. I wrapped my hands around his neck, feeling his life squeeze from his body. He landed a punch squarely against my cheek, whipping my head to the side, but my grip held.

Spitting out blood, I looked back to his purpling face and whispered, “You are a shameful man, Lucidius Blastwood.” I tightened my grip. “Responsible for bringing so much pain into the world. It is time you experience some of it yourself.”

I could feel life slipping from him slowly, sliding between my fingers. But he gripped my shoulders and threw me into the ground so hard that my vision clouded.

He was atop me in a breath, knees pinning my arms as he sat across my chest, sneering down at me.

Everything that had delivered me to this point flashed before my eyes. The first time I grasped that spear in my hands. The green-gray webbing that worked itself up my arm and the black heart at its center. The golden glow of Damien hovering in my room. The winged beast atop my sister. The ax that buried itself in Tolek’s leg when he jumped in front of me. The fae knife digging into Santorina’s throat. The yellow eyes of the wolf leader that I stared into while Cypherion sacrificed himself for our cause. The revelation of Malakai’s secrets.

But with these images came brighter memories. The delicate, fleeting sparks of joy. The last dawn over Palerman, and the feeling of the wind in my face while riding Sapphire. Tol’s smile as he shouted instructions to me and my sister during training. Cyph and Jez laughing in the stream. The moon reflected on Rina’s hair as I guided her through the constellations. The hope in Malakai’s eyes when they first met mine in the cave.

And for those reasons—those sparkling stars bursting through a clouded sky—I fought.

Lucidius’s weight on my torso was slowly cutting off my breath. One of his legs pinned mine, but he was sloppy, leaving the other free. I lifted my injured foot behind him and drove it into his spine, hearing bones crack. The agony from my wounded ankle sent a shooting pain up my leg and a tortured cry escaped my throat, but he toppled off of me.

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