“Shield,” he demanded, raising his arms.
A whirlwind of ice and snow gathered in front of him. Shards glinted in the hazy light, threatening me with pain. He directed the storm at me, and I felt a cold finger scrape across my mind.
I had seconds to both solidify the fiery barrier surrounding my thoughts and defend myself against an ice storm, so I sank into my powers, asking my Infernus for help. It responded without hesitation, adding layers of fire to my mind. Then, I coaxed my Glory to protect me.
I thought it’d be easier after yesterday, but I’d only intentionally wielded my Glory on my hands. Now, I’d need to use more of it.
I gripped the humming strands of my Glory, feeling no pain, only sweat sliding down my forehead from the effort to drag them to the surface. A piece of ice sliced against my cheek just as my Glory flamed across my skin, stopping me from becoming hamburger with a sizzling hiss.
The cold pressure against my mental shield abruptly stopped as the tornado of ice and snow picked me up and threw me back. I tensed, my heart beating out of control as I laid all my energy into my Glory, eliminating my mental shield as I waited for the impact with the Shard Field. Two long seconds ticked by, then I felt a moment of pressure before I slammed into a hissing puddle of water.
Breath punched from my lungs. The steam scalded the back of my neck as my Glory flickered. I jerked up, tugging harder on the humming strands, but not before the whirling ice picked up speed and nicked my face.
When my white flame fully covered me again, the storm eased.
I squinted through the twirling snow and ice. My father knelt on the ground, with one shaky arm thrown up. Concerned, I shot up and jogged through the gentle snowy wind.
“Lucifer?”
“I’m fine.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and held his stance for a moment more, then dropped to his hands and knees. The wind disappeared, and the snow and ice plopped to the ground.
I released my Glory, and he exhaled slowly. Frowning, I realized—besides the sweat trailing down my neck, the ache in my head, and my uneven breaths—I felt like I could go again, just like I had yesterday.
Could I be?—
No.
Testing a theory, I called to my Infernus. Purple flames erupted on my hands, but my father didn’t react like I thought he would. He remained on all fours, taking deep breaths.
“Are you sure? What’s?—”
Shadows flickered behind the crooked trunks at my father’s back, cutting off my words. I froze, my gaze zeroing in on the moving figures gaining length and width, coming closer.
Was it Rune and Ronen?
I hoped it was. I hoped my hunch was wrong.
But the shadows split. Instead of two, there were four. Then six.
“No,” I whispered.
The needle balancing the last of my hope tipped, shattering it—and my heart.
Chapter
Thirty-Five
RONEN
The heavy wooden door loomed ahead, reinforced with Ember Metal and runes. The sight of it never ceased to unnerve me. I unlocked the door with my key and blood. The back of my neck prickled. My muscles coiled, knowing precisely what would happen when I hit the bottom of the stone steps. I fisted my hands. After the numerous times I’d been down here, you’d think I would finally be rid of this fucking anxiety—but not once over the years did it let up. I never went down here if I could help it. But being the general didn’t always allow for that.
In the dungeon, the long hallway of dark cells flashed before my eyes, taking me back to my past. No longer were the bars bare Ember Metal; now they were painted white, along with the stones beneath my feet, the wall sconces, and the wallsthemselves—everything glistened with sickening white. All that was missing was Gabriel and his encouraging smile.
“You plan to stand there all day? I mean, I don’t mind. You’re a nice piece of meat to look at, but could you walk closer to the flame so I can see you better?” Anya’s voice snapped me out of the past.
Usually, I couldn’t take myself out of the memory for minutes. It typically played out to the very end, forcing me to relive his death all over again—a death that could’ve been prevented if not for that fucking controlling bond.
