Page 97 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

"Please," she begs. "I can't run away, but I can help you. I know a secret way out of the castle, and where they keep the amplifiers for the Luna magic. You'll need them to activate the portal."

Aggonid glances at me, and I nod, urging him to understand that I trust this merfae. Maybe even feel a certain kinship with her. Her temperament is so much like Wilder's mother.

We don't have time to waste, and if Oceana knows something that could help us, we'll take it.

"Lead the way," Aggonid grumbles.

Oceana gives a small nod and starts hobbling down a hidden passage. The musty smell of damp stone wafts up from the dark, winding corridor, and the silence around us is deafening. It's as if the castle is holding its breath, waiting for us to make a misstep. I clutch the pouch tightly to my chest, sweat beading on my forehead as we follow the merfae deeper into the labyrinth of hallways.

As we round a corner, a sudden burst of light fills the corridor ahead, and we freeze in fear. Aggonid grips my arm, ready to protect me, but it's only a guard, patrolling the area. He passes us without a second glance, his expression hidden behind a silver mask.

We continue, heartbeats pounding in our ears, until we finally reach the courtyard. The portal looms in the center, a massive, swirling vortex of light and energy. It's mesmerizing, and I have to shake my head to clear it.

Where are the amplifiers she's talking about? I scan the area, but it's mostly empty except for a few statues and benches. There must be something here that—

And then I see it. A tall, black obelisk, its surface covered in carvings and symbols.

Oceana hobbles over to it, revealing a hidden lever at its base. "This is it," she says. "The amplifiers are inside, but they're bright, and will alert everyone in the castle as soon as I pull this."

We can't risk being caught, but the amplifiers are essential. Our gazes meet in a silent understanding. Aggonid will fend off the guards while Oceana and I sneak away with the amplifiers.

A streak of flame crashes into the massive statue of King Valtorious, sending chunks of marble everywhere and echoing shouts of alarm in its wake. Aggonid strides into the chaos, his face an expression of pure confidence. He raises his arm, and a blade of shadows materializes in his hand, ready for battle.

Oceana and I dart around the edge of the fight, and I pull on the hidden lever. An obelisk at our feet thrums to life, radiating a brilliant blue light.

"Stop them!" A guard's cry rips through the air as all eyes turn to us.

Without hesitation, Oceana slides open a secret panel beneath the obelisk's base. Inside are six mysterious triangular pieces of sanguimetal inscribed with powerful symbols and runes.

"Quick!" She shoves the pieces into my hands and hustles me away. We hurry as fast as our magic-less legs can take us, and Oceana stumbles several times when the ropes around her ankles trip her up. I barely make out the sounds of Aggonid fighting off the guards over the wild thrashing of my heartbeat in my eardrums.

As we reach the portal, a guard barrels into me, sending me crashing to the ground, scattering the amplifiers. He shouts in agony, and I flip over to my back to scramble away, a huge grin on my face as I touch the protection amulet at my neck.

Their own metal used against them.

I've got no weapons and no magic, and neither does Oceana, but I still put myself in front of her as guards converge on us. I swoop down to grab two amplifiers, handing one off to Oceana, and we use them to swing at the men surrounding us.

A blinding flash of light erupts from the courtyard, piercing through the darkness and searing our eyes. King Valtorious strides forward, the divine sword of molten gold glimmering in his hand as his face contorts with unbridled rage. "Stop!" he roars, unleashing a deafening echo that silences all in attendance.

Every eye turns away from the king and towards the devil himself. Aggonid stands victorious atop a mound of fallen guards, his arms spread wide, a grin plastering his face. His body is slick with sweat and the blood of his enemies, and his eyes burn with ruby red intensity.

He laughs, gesturing to the hushed chaos around us. "I am a God." He smirks. "I stop when I wish and not a second sooner."

With a single gesture, he throws an impenetrable darkness across the courtyard that claws through the air and wraps itself around a guard standing behind me, squeezing the life out of him in a flurry of screams and prayer. Before I can even process what's happening, the guard falls limp to the ground, leaving me breathless in the wake of his terrifying power.

Like a sea serpent traveling through waves, he sends another straight for King Valtorious, who shouts and jumps out of the way just in time. The king lands in a roll and stares up at Aggonid with a defiant gaze.

"You cannot WIN!" Valtorious roars.

Aggonid only smiles, standing tall before the full assembly of the Romarie guard and declares, "I am Legion." He strikes another guard dead with a shadow puppet. "I am source." Another one drops at the king's feet. "I am legend." Another. "I am the monster under your beds." A row of thirty guards grab for their throats, their eyes bulging. "I am the father of hell, and the keeper of souls!" His hands fly out, sending a hundred shadows to find their targets, only the thump of bodies and the shrieks of the survivors fleeing can be heard in the garden.

He stalks towards where King Valtorious trembles on the stone path. "And I will enjoy torturing anyone who defies me for the rest of eternity." He reaches down, grabbing Ollin by the neck and dragging him to his feet. "Especially you."

The king screams and begs for mercy, a wet spot blooming at the crotch of his pants before traveling down his leg, but Aggonid only smiles. He drops him to the ground with a thud, but doesn't kill him, and turns to me, eyes locking with mine.

"I think I'll keep him alive, so he can spend the rest of his miserable life looking for me in the shadows, knowing that I can come at any time to take his soul. What do you think, Morte?"

I stare at Aggonid, struggling to understand the expression on his face. The mask of cruelty has been torn away and replaced with a look of sorrow and exhaustion.

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