“Well, you’re going to need to try.”
But a part of me didn’t want to. Didn’t want to try. Because it was starting to feel like nothing in the whole fucking universe was on my side. I’d made it out. But it was only my body. I’d left my soul inside, clinging to Rhyan.
“Lyriana, come on!” Auriel urged. “Do it. Please.”
I took a deep breath and focused on my arm, not sure exactly what to do. I’d never healed myself before. But I did what I always did, what I’d done for Rhyan and Auriel. I saw the outcome I wanted. I imagined the bone was whole, the arm backin place and healed. Then I reached for it with my left hand, still covered in blood, imagining sending all of my power to it. All of the red light inside of me.
Heat began to flicker in my chest, more so than the heat already present as I ran through Asherah’s power.
I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming, because fresh agonizing pain raced down my arm, firing through my nerves. And then suddenly, it stopped. I gasped, sweat coating my forehead as the arm straightened and once again hung at the correct angle. I tried to move my fingers. I could. The arm wasn’t broken, but it wasn’t exactly healed either, and probably wouldn’t be for days. It was still tender, painfully so, and sore. But it was enough to withstand the weight of a sword. Enough to know that if I went down in this battle, at least I’d go down fighting.
Gritting my teeth, I took my right hand, and pressed it to the left, to the stab wound cutting through it. Light moved through my veins to my palm, and the wound closed. The bleeding stopped.
But now the akadim were closing in on us.
“I did it,” I panted, “but I don’t think it’s enough. My arm’s still weak.”
“Better weak than broken. Here,” Auriel said, placing the sword in my hands.
I nearly dropped it, and bit back another cry of pain, as I lifted up the red shard.
“Move aside,” Auriel commanded. “This is Lyriana Batavia, and your Arkturion gave orders not to touch her.”
“That’s not going to work,” said a voice in the dark. “Not this time.”
Because Rhyan was gone. Because his command couldn’t be enforced.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart clenching. Until there was a bang right behind us.
“Run!” Auriel yelled, taking my hand. His sword was out, ready to attack, but the akadim began running in terror. The ground was shuddering and shaking, more rocks were rolling toward us.
I looked back and gasped in horror.
The Wall of the Prince had collapsed. The cave was gone. The mines. And Rhyan. He was gone now. All of him was gone.
Auriel slammed us against a tree. Most of the akadim were still running—trying to get away from the chaos. But dozens were lined up in front of us, their eyes glowing with violence.
I held my sword higher, my arm crying out in pain, and gritted my teeth.
“What now?” I asked, my body shaking.
“We fight and we—” He cried out in pain, bending over. An emerald green light emanated from his body—it seemed to have started under his armor, coming from his heart.
“What’s happening?” I asked, helping him back up.
“I don’t—I … Fuck!” He cried out, the light grew brighter, shimmering with starlight.
“Auriel?” I frowned, only then realizing that he had told me he’d uncovered the green shard, but I hadn’t seen it anywhere. Not in his hands, not strapped to his body or armor.
Because I realized at that moment itwashis armor. It was shaped identically to what he’d worn since he found me—a golden vest that covered his torso. But this one had a green interior.
“It’s the shard. Your armor’s the shard.”
He nodded. “It is. But I’m not doing this. I’m not controlling it—aaah!”
The light began to blaze, growing so bright, even I had to look away. The akadim that had cornered us started to retreat, theirsilhouettes shrinking into the shadows as they growled in pain and cursed.
It was working. It was fucking working.
