Page 93 of A Story of Sinners

Then a voice spoke, in a language like that of a song. “Save them,” it chanted. “Save them.”

I landed face first in the burnt grass outside, my eyes anxiously scanning the surroundings.

Save them.

I shook my head at the disembodied voice, and my eyes landed on Malachi’s dark form, wings spread out and towering over a kneeling male. Ryken.

Save them.

The wings at my back stretched and flapped as I darted towards them, careening through the air, desperate to prevent what would come next. It was a race against time, one I refused to lose.

By the time I landed, sliding through the grass on my knees, it was too late.

Malachi wielded a sword, sliding it right through my husband—my mate’s—chest. My mouth dropped open, shock rendering me useless.

I screamed and crawled over Ryken’s body, pushing against his wound.

Pressure would do nothing, as the blade had gone through either side of his torso. Ryken knew this, and he looked up at me, lids fluttering. His hand caressed my face, pushing my hair out of the way, and a soft smile lined his lips.

His mouth opened to speak, but he coughed, blood pouring from his lips at the effort.

I grabbed his hand and cradled it to my chest. “No. Don’t speak,” I whispered, my body shaking as I pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat slowed, the seconds between thumps stretching too far apart.

“Please, don’t go. Not now. We just started,” I begged.

He wasn’t breathing. His heart wasn’t beating. I pushed on his chest and opened his mouth, desperate to tear him from the afterlife and throw him back into his body. My vision blurred as tears sprung from my eyes.

I hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. To Redmond. To Eulalia. To my husband.

A rage like none I had ever felt before flashed through my bones, and that ancient thing deep inside me snarled. I locked eyes with Malachi, his winged and beastly form towering over us, and screamed.

The sound that tore from me wasn’t human. It wasn’t beast, nor shade, nor fae. It was a terrifying wail that could be heard across countries, across leagues of the sea to reach other continents. The sound echoed across worlds. Something inside knew how far that sound had reached, and with that echoing wail, a golden blast wave of power exploded from my core, spreading across the battlefield.

The power rose to the sky then fell to the earth, settling on the bodies like golden dust, and as the power slowly sunk into the earth, my muscles weakened. My head grew dizzy. My vision faded at the edges.

No. No. No.

I couldn’t pass out at a time like this. Something must be done.

The clattering of armor could be heard from the distance, and I shifted my head, just barely so, only as much as my spent muscles would permit. What met my eyes made my heart thrum and fill with hope.

The army of Cambriel was awakening as if from slumber, not death. They slowly climbed to their hands and knees, their gazes casting around the battlefield. Aiden and George rose next, their eyes glued to the bent form of my body and who lay beneath.

Aiden’s eyes widened, and George gasped. They dropped to one knee, their fists on their hearts. Their army followed suit, all kneeling down to Malachi.

“All hail the Luminary,” Aiden shouted, and other voices echoed.

No, they weren’t kneeling for Malachi. They were kneeling for me, the creature with golden wings, fangs, and claws. The creature with a crown of light beaming from its head, so bright that I could see it hanging just above my brow. My mouth dropped as I met Malachi’s joyous smile. He wasn’t bothered by their worship, not one bit. He’d known all along that I wasn’t shade. I was luminary.

A descendant of the God Aiden worshipped.

I could have gone my whole life without knowing that, without caring, just so long as I had Ryken and my friends at my side. I held my breath as a chorus of raspy growls tore across the field, the dragons shifting slightly, as if waking from a coma. The bodies of fae twitched across the battlefield, and a collective inhale sounded.

A gasp tore from me as I looked over at my friends, at Redmond. That golden dust…it did something.

Eulalia groaned behind me, rolling over. Then Isadora joined in with a moan of her own, Fin’s scaly maw twitched, and the lords of summer and winter jerked. Redmond’s chest rose on an inhale, all of them slowly coming back to life. My heart nearly stopped beating from pure joy.

A small laugh tickled from my throat, a crazed sound of disbelief, and tears sprang from my eyes. I held my breath as my attention shifted from those around me to the male beneath me.

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