Page 135 of The Curse Defiers

I lifted my chin. “Neither. I choose neither of you.”

Okeus shot toward me at lightning speed and wrapped his hand around my throat, squeezing so tight that black dots filled my vision. “You refuse me?”

“Let her go.” Ahone stood behind me. “You agreed, my brother. And you agreed to leave her unharmed. You must honor your agreement.”

Okeus gave one last squeeze and threw me to the ground, where I landed in a crumpled heap. “You will have your year, and then I will take what ismine.”

And just like that, I was back on the altar. Myra had given up on trying to pry the ring from my hand and had resumed her meal. Her eyes rolled back in her head in pleasure as she licked my arm. “Yes, the power is incredible. I will be invincible now.”

The power made it better for her apparently.

The contents in my stomach roiled and I swallowed to keep from throwing up. I pushed what was left of my energy into my wrist and focused on breaking free. The rope smoldered and then burst into a small flame, singeing my skin before it fell off.

Ignoring the pain, I dropped the ring and reached for the Sword of Galahad, which lay across my stomach and legs. When I wrapped my hand around the hilt, a new surge of power shot through me, catching me by surprise. I rolled away from Myra—who’d been so intent on drinking my blood she hadn’t noticed I was escaping—and off the table.

Surprised flickered in her eyes when she realized we were now separated by the table. “You are mine,” she hissed, crouching down.

A sharp point pressed against my neck and I glanced over at Miriam. “The Great One isn’t finished with you yet,” she said, her expression smug. Grabbing my upper arm, she tried to push me toward the table.

I had nothing to lose at this point other than an opportunity to make at least one person pay for what they’d done. “Maybe not, but I’m finished with you.” In one move, I dropped out of range of her knife and grabbed her arm, shoving it behind her back.

“Enough!” Myra shouted and jumped over the table with a squatted hop, landing in front of Miriam. She reached forward and ripped out half the woman’s throat, then pulled the body from my grasp and dropped it to the ground.

I froze with shock for a moment and only started to step back when the demon rushed toward me with superhuman speed. I jabbed with the sword, amazed by how it felt like an extension of my arm, lightweight and effortless to hold.

“I will finish you, Curse Keeper.” A low growl rumbled from Myra’s chest, and she looked more like a wild animal than my mother. But this woman wasn’t my mother, I reminded myself.

No, this was the creature that hadkilledmy mother.

A white-hot rage flashed through my body and I went on the attack, determined to destroy the monster forever. But the demon jumped out of the way and surveyed the clearing, taking in the sight of the bloody, white-robed bodies on the ground, and laughed. “We will meet again, Curse Keeper.” Then she took off running faster than humanly possible.

My adrenaline crashed and I collapsed to my knees on the grass, the sword still clutched tight in my grasp. I was dyingagain. Collin was still fighting off a small group of Guardians and I knew I should help him, but my blood was spilling freely from the three-inch gash on my arm. I knew I should drop the sword and put pressure on the wound, but my hand wouldn’t release it. It was like the mark on my hand was welded to the hilt of the sword.

My gaze swung to the tree and relief flooded through me when I saw that David had been untied. But he, Tsagasi, and my other protectors were nowhere to be seen.

The world swayed and I fell to my side, pissed that it would end like this, terrified by what I’d find in the blackness this time.

Collin was directly in my line of sight, and I watched him fight the white figures who now brandished swords of their own.

My protectors rushed from the other side and surrounded Collin. Letting the supernatural creatures take point, Collin fell back. After a moment his gaze landed on me, and the way his eyes widened told me a lot about my condition. He was by my side within seconds, trying to pull the sword from my right hand.

“Ellie, let go.” He sounded frantic. “We have to touch marks.”

“My hand won’t let go.” I laughed, but I knew it was my blood loss that was making me act like a drunk. “It’s the Sword of Galahad.”

“Fuck the Sword of Galahad.” His fingers dug deep, but mine still wouldn’t budge. “Ellie,” he pleaded. “Work with me here.”

“I’m trying. My mark won’t let go.” I rolled from my side onto my back. Though I was more tired than I could ever remember being, I forced my eyes to stay open, terrified of the darkness. It would come for me soon enough.

The stars overhead shined in bright pinpoints that burned bright before shrinking.

“She needs the one who guides the Curse Keeper,” I heard Tsagasi say.

“David!” Collin shouted as he stood and took several steps away.

The stars were swirling now, and I realized I was reliving the birth of the universe. The beginning of everything. And the end.Iwas the salvation and the destruction of the world.

“I am the alpha and the omega,” I whispered in awe.

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