“And that’s why the Devourer has made its move. Because you were strong enough to kill Aethel. But you arealso strong enough to kill it. It’s a matter of time and planning,” Dreven says.
“Time and planning? On who reaches the crown first?”
“The Devourer doesn’t want the crown, Nyssa. It has no use for it. It just wants to consume everything in its wake. The more it devours, the stronger it becomes. It is leaving the two most powerful realms for dessert.”
“Earth and Pantheon,” I mutter.
“Precisely.”
“So it’s consuming realms as we stand here chatting?”
“Minor ones, yes. But the ripples are being felt. The Tidewraith, the abominations, these are all responding to the coming of the Devourer.”
“How long until it reaches us?”
Dreven shrugs. “Who knows?”
“Let’s assume soon,” Voren adds.
The decision is made before I even take my next breath. I’m the slayer. The one that stands between it and the innocents. How can I walk away knowing I will be dooming entire realms to non-existence?
“You reckon the power of the Firsts was diluted, but somehow it is lurking in my depths?”
“Yes,” Dreven says.
“Then how do I access it?”
Chapter 29
Dastian
“Alittle bit of chaos and whole hell of a lot of luck.”
Nyssa gives me a withering glare. “Gee, thanks.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. “You asked. I’m being honest. The power of the Firsts isn’t something you can just summon with a snap of your fingers. It’s primal, ancient, and frankly, a bit temperamental.”
“Like you, then,” she mutters.
“Exactly like me,” I agree cheerfully. “Which is why I’m uniquely qualified to help you access it.”
Voren snorts. “This should be entertaining.”
“What do I need to do?” Nyssa asks, her jaw set in that stubborn way that makes me want to both applaud and throttle her.
I circle her slowly, assessing. The energy radiating from her is still volatile, sparking at the edges like a faulty wire. “First, you need to stop fighting us. Really, just stop. It’s annoying and getting us nowhere.”
She grits her teeth but says nothing.
“Secondly, you need to relax. You are wound up tighter than a virgin on her wedding night.”
Voren snorts. “Definitely not a virgin.”
“Fuck you. I wore you out,” she snarls.
“You fucking did. Gods alive, I have never had a fuck like it.”
“And you won’t again.”
