Another Blade dives at her from above, but she vanishes into the void just before his sword cleaves the space where she stood. He stumbles, caught off-guard, and before he can recover, she reappears behind him, a cruel smile playing at her lips. A whip of smoke cracks through the air and lashes at him, sending him careening into the stone wall.
More Blades surround her, their swords gleaming in the moonlight. But instead of fleeing, she stands her ground, her body flickering between solid form and smoke. Each step they take is met with black wisps that bind their limbs, slowing their advance. Shadows dance around her like loyal soldiers, her power swelling with each passing moment. She’s toying with them, and I see it now—this is no ordinary Fae.
“Is this truly all you’ve got?” she sneers, her voice thick with mockery. “I expected more from the Blades of Baev’kalath.”
Despite her strength, the odds are stacked against her. More Blades swoop in, closing off every path of escape. Their swords cut through the swirling smoke, dispersing it but never quite reaching her. One Blade finally lands a hit, grazing her arm. She hisses in pain, eyes blazing with fury—then vanishes into the void. Just as suddenly, she reappears by the docks, her back to the water, a smirk curling her lips.
The Blades surge toward her again, but it’s too late. In a swirl of shadow and smoke, she leaps from the dock, landing gracefully aboard the ship, her feet barely making a sound on the wooden deck. She turns to face the Blades one last time, and with a wave of her hand, the air between them fills with a thick, impenetrable fog.
“Come along, darlings,” she calls, her voice ringing through the mist. “Our time here is done.”
Solena and I land on the ship just as the gangplank rises, the vessel beginning to pull away from the dock. I glance back through the fog, watching the Blades flounder, their wingsflapping uselessly as they try to clear the smoke. Lanneth seethes on the balcony, her fury palpable, while Arax suffers beside her, bound and silent.
My heart lurches in my chest, panic flooding my veins.
“We can’t leave him!” I cry, desperation tightening my throat.
The woman sidles up beside me, her brow furrowed in confusion as she absorbs my frantic gaze. “Really? Him too?” she muses, her voice laced with a mix of amusement and irritation. “Why does a human have so many Fae in need of saving?”
I grip her arm with my good hand, desperation spilling over. “Please,” I beg, my voice cracking. “I freed you. Do this one thing for me.”
She gestures around us, to the ship engulfed in shadows and the swirling fog, her exasperation clear. “I believe I’ve already done plenty for you, Amara.”
“Please!” I plead, my voice trembling.
She heaves a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes as if I’ve asked her for a favor no one should be expected to grant. “Fine.”
With a loud pop, she vanishes into the void, and I barely have time to react before I see her reappear on the balcony beside Lanneth. My breath catches in my throat. I know what I asked for, but I never expected her to confront Lanneth directly. Even from here, I can see the way Lanneth shrinks before her, the queen’s haughty demeanor faltering. Their lips move in a silent exchange, and I would give anything to know what they’re saying. It doesn’t last long—just enough to unsettle the powerful queen.
The woman takes hold of Arax, and in another blink, they reappear on the deck beside me. She casts him to the ground with a careless flick, his body battered and broken, but alive.
“Happy now?” she asks, her tone laced with irritation and boredom. “Can we go?”
I nod, dropping to my knees beside Arax, cradling his head as his pained eyes flutter open.
“Let’s hope you’re as good at sailing as you are at playing with smoke,” Solena mutters from behind me, casting a wary glance at the woman.
The mysterious woman chuckles, the glint of amusement returning to her eyes as she brushes past us. “Sailing?” she muses, her voice filled with mischief. “Who said anything about sailing?”
And just like that, the ship lurches forward, not propelled by wind or water, but by the shadows themselves. The sea bends to her will, the ship gliding as if carried by invisible hands. I watch in awe as Baev’kalath drifts further into the fog, its dark spires disappearing into the night.
Just as I’m certain we’re safe, a blur catches my eye. A single Blade, emerging from the fog, hurls his sword toward the ship. It spins through the air, a silver arc of death aimed straight for the woman. I try to call out, but it happens too fast. The blade lodges itself in her back with a sickening thud.
She wavers in place, her body stiffening as the shock settles in. A thin stream of blood trickles from the corner of her mouth, and she raises a hand to wipe it away, staring at the crimson smear on her fingers with confusion.
Her teeth grit, her expression darkening as her gaze locks onto the lone Blade. She raises her hand, extends her fingers, and with a slow, deliberate clench of her fist, the Blade screams, his body disintegrating into ash that down into the sea.
Then, without another word, she collapses onto the deck.
Arax stirs, reaching out to me. “You must help her,” he says, his voice hoarse but urgent. “She is our only hope of surviving any of this.”
I trust Arax’s words without explanation. My fingers wrap around my rune necklace, the decision clear in my mind. But before I heal her, I must know one thing.
“Who is she?” I ask, my voice low, almost afraid of the answer.
Arax hesitates for a moment, his eyes distant as if dredging up memories from long ago.
“She is the bones that rattle beneath the rock,” he mutters darkly. “Her name is Zyphoro.”
