“Aya!” Her name cracked from him as he ran, his sword swinging with deadly precision toward anyone who dared step in his way.
He had begged like this before. On his knees on the cold streets of Tala when his power had reached for her only to sense nothing at all. On his knees in the throne room in Trahir, when he’d watched that blade enter her chest.
He could not afford to fall to his knees now.
He had found her. He hadfoundher.
His eyes burned against the brilliant flash Aya sent intothe sky.
Behind him, he heard Aidon let out a vicious curse. He risked a glance behind him to see his friends following, their blades and affinities flying, keeping his back clear of attack.
“Go!” Aidon shouted as he caught his gaze.
Will pressed forward, his attention darting between the battle and Aya.
Tyr swerved to the left, toward the path that would lead to the citadel’s doors. The wolf let out a long, desperate howl, and Will followed it with another cry of Aya’s name.
Someone lunged for him, but Will’s sword struck true, and when he looked up again, he found Aya staring down at him, her eyes wide.
For a single moment, a single breath, the world stilled to nothing but the two of them.
But then Aya was whirling toward the woman on her right, and a Kakos soldier was diving for Will, and he was thrown back into motion.
I’m here.His heart threw the words into the wind that had begun to stir as he cut down another Kakos soldier, then another. The path began to incline, and he was close enough to the base of the wall now that he couldn’t see Aya anymore.
But it didn’t matter.
He had found her, and he refused to lose her again.
***
Those seconds had felt like an eternity to Aya. The world had gone quiet, the battle fading into nothing as she met Will’s stare.
He was here. He washere.
Aya was wrenched back into reality by Evie’s arm twisting in her grip.
No.
She had been prepared to end this. Shehadto end this. With the demigod’s power, she could fix the veil. She couldmake sure the gods never interfered again.
But Evie was ripping her arm away, her eyes fury-bright, and Aya knew she had mere seconds before Evie’s rage consumed her. She flung her palm out, calling her power forward. She did not care which form it took, as long as it found its mark. As long as it bought her time.
But suddenly Aya was being shoved backwards, a hand colliding with her chest and forcing her out of the way. She fell to the ground hard, the world reorienting itself just in time for her to see Lorna wrap her shackled hands around Evie’s neck, steely resolve written on her face.
“No!” Aya gasped. But it was too late. Lorna flung herself through the gap in the wall, dragging Evie down with her.
Gregor roared in fury, and for a moment, Aya could do nothing but watch with the guards and the king as the two women disappeared from view.
Aya’s mind raced, her pulse in her throat. She wasn’t sure such a fall would kill Evie, but she could not stay to find out. Lorna had given her life to buy Aya precious time, and she would not waste it.
Aya snapped into action just as Gregor barreled toward her. She jumped to her feet, lightning bursting from the center of her palm as she flung her hand toward the king. The power struck him in the chest, stilling him in his tracks as his eyes widened—the surprise of a quick and far too simple death.
“No!” Dav yelled as he lunged for his king with the guards. Aya didn’t wait to watch them confirm his death.
Aya burst into the inner hall of the fortress, her arms pumping as she sprinted faster than she ever had. Her limbs were weak, her strength not yet regained with Dav’s measly week of training, but she pushed forward, toward freedom.
Toward Will.
