Another whisper of a memory flashed before her mind.
Get them on their knees.
Blocking another blow from the wraith, she stepped sideways out of reach and unsheathed her dagger. With sword in one hand and her dagger in the other, she ran at the wraith.
His broadsword came down, but she was already blocking with her sword. Channeling what strength she had left, she pushed his sword back and drove her dagger into the side of his thigh.
The demon faltered, roaring in pain, and stepped backward before falling to his knees. Astraia whipped her sword around with both hands, driving herself forward as she slashed sideways with her blade.
She screamed, claiming her victory, and cleaved his head from his body. Smoke smoldered from the neck before the body toppled over, burning the grass around the corpse.
Astraia nearly collapsed as she watched the red glow fade from the dismembered head of the wraith. She could feel her bonds on the brink of burnout, but as she swam into her mind, her tether to the Stars still held firm, and she pulled the doors to her Power bond closed. Her skin and eyes returned to normal, the glow subsiding, and her sword blinked out of existence.
Sighing, she turned back to where Caelan lay and sprinted back to him. Her chest heaved, burning from smoke and exhaustion as she knelt beside him. His eyes were closed and his skin pale, but his chest still rose and fell.
Thanking the Stars, she blinked away tears and allowed Sacrifice to fill her. Coolness coated her throat as her bond healed her own injuries, then flowed into warmth emanatingfrom her hands. The familiar comforting blue glow lit up the grass around them as she lay her hands on his back.
“I’m going to remove the arrow, Caelan. I’m so sorry. Please stay with me,” she choked, whispering to him as she worked.
Deafening silence answered her.
Bracing one hand on his back, she grasped the shaft of the bolt firmly in the other and pulled. His back arched, and he groaned, then went limp.
Covering the wound with both of her hands, she flung open the doors to Sacrifice and let her tether go, allowing herself to flare. Blue light rippled through the air around her, engulfing her and Caelan.
Please. Please, let him live.
She prayed earnestly to the Stars—the Stars she now knew were alive and answered.
Blue light spilled from her, leaching the remainder of her strength from her body. She felt faint as a rush of warmth spread over her. Sacrifice battled to heal them both, keeping her from blacking out while she worked to heal the Lord of Volpes and one of the last souls in the realm who cared if she lived or died.
Blood no longer spread from the entry wound on his back, and new skin formed over the opening. The injury was healed, but he was in shock from blood loss. She cursed under her breath. Pulling even more from her bond, she concentrated on every single drop of blood in his body, willing it to multiply. Sweat dripped from her brow, and her vision blurred, but she would not stop until she knew he would survive.
Several minutes passed, and just as she could feel her body slumping further onto the ground, she heard a gasp.
Caelan breathed deeply, his eyes opening for a moment and locking onto her. The wildness of green forests stared back at her, and a small smile pulled at the edges of his mouth. Sighing, she smiled back. His eyes closed again, but his breathing was nolonger labored. Placing her fingers on his wrist, she felt his pulse and grinned to find it strong.
Exhaustion threatened to claim her as she pulled back on her tether, and her bonds finally calmed. She sat on the grass beside Caelan, unable to move or think. A cold bead of sweat rolled down her temple, followed by a shiver down her spine.
He was alive. She did not burn out. The wraiths were dead. For now, that was enough.
The final strands of sunlight winked from the horizon, teasing her with sleep. But she needed to move them to cover. They were too exposed in the field, and she was certain the rest of the wraith horde would be looking for their companions soon.
Clumsily, she rose from the ground, glancing around for their horses. Orion and Caelan’s horse had fled into the woods during the fight, but she was sure they could not be far. She needed to get Caelan on his horse and get as far away from the wraiths as they could.
Scanning the tree line, she froze in terror, the air sucked from her lungs.
Two sets of red eyes broke through the darkness, searing into her. Two undead steeds snorted black smoke as they carried their masters. Two stewards of Dominion had come to claim her..
Chapter 29
Many archeologists agree there is a surplus amount of skeletal remains that perplex most scholars. Bones, appearing to be human, but substantially larger. One such femur was discovered to be over six handbreadths in length and solid rather than porous, with specks of stardust throughout, making it nearly unbreakable with man-made weaponry.
Ruins in the Celestial Wastes: Volume 1
DEATH HAD BEEN AN UNRELENTING predator since the day the Stars chose her. Unable to fully quench its thirst for her demise, it relentlessly pursued her. It was not until this moment that Astraia realized the fragility of life—that she could not evade fate forever. No matter the will of the Stars, even they could not cheat death.
The moon rose in the starless sky, bathing the field in a soft white glow. But the moonbeams were tainted with the red glow of the wraith and Nyrekh eyes. Flecks of fire and ash floated in the air around the demons, threatening to set the forest floor ablaze. The shrieks of the Nyrekh set Astraia’s teeth on edge, drilling into her mind and stealing what little resolve she hadleft to survive. Her bonds flickered at her center, their strength drained, but still they crawled to her call.
