I held my breath, grasping the hilt of the knife I stashed in my belt, preparing for the strike that would end Ilyas’ life.
Folami’s warrior cry echoed through the night, startling us all as she launched herself a second time at the goddess. Her moves were desperate and jerky, nothing like the smoothness I’d come to expect, fueled now by anger and desperation.
My eyes flitted to Lex, where he had crawled to my daughter, desperately trying to pull her from the ground and away from the fighting.
Faylinn—my beautiful, stubborn, brave daughter—shook her head, shaking hands grappling for the knives stashed into her boots.
I growled, understanding her intent to join the fray.
A scream of pain pulled all of our gazes to where Solace had struck true once more, her blade of ice lodged firmly in Folami’s dominant shoulder, causing her spear to drop to the ground from deadened fingers.
“Closer,” I whispered to Ellowyn and Torin. “Get me closer, then cause a distraction. I need her attention on you two.”
Torin grunted his agreement, exchanging an unreadable look with Ellowyn.
As one, they sent a combined blast of magic to my left, creating a small pocket of air that allowed me to travel undetected.
“Go. Now,” Torin said, moving to grip Ellowyn’s hand as they ran toward Solace.
“Fools,” Solace spat at Lex and his Bonded, who were limping toward each other, bloodied and defeated, eyes wide with fear. Yet they did not bow, they did not break. Fierce determination sparked in their eyes and straightened their spines as they huddled together, still protecting my daughter, who stood behind them, twirling her daggers menacingly in shaking hands as she snarled at Solace.
I crept closer, watching as Solace’s gaze transferred from the Bonded group to Ellowyn and Torin, who emerged from the swirling ash in the air like some sort of avenging demons.
A sickening smile spread across Solace’s face as they came ever closer.
“You think thesegodlingshave what it takes to kill me?” She threw her head to the sky and cackled, the sound ominous and disturbing. “They are no longer gods. Their power is trapped without their tether.”
“That’s why you never select amortalas your tether,” she sneered at Torin and Ellowyn. Her comment hit where it was intended, forcing Ellowyn’s face into amask of unadulterated rage as exclamations of anger came from Lex and his group.
“Youbitch,” Folami hissed, fingers curling into fists. “I willkill youfor taking him from us.”
With a cry like a feral cat, Folami jumped toward Solace, injured shoulder be damned.
Solace caught her midstride, magic suspending Folami in midair as she thrashed against the tightening hold.
“Fools,” Solace said again, slowly constricting the bonds of her magic. I heard the telltale crunch of bone as Folami’s leg snapped from the pressure. “Only a god can kill a god”—her eyes flicked to Lex, tears streaming down his face—“despite your inflated sense of worth, you are not that,” she sneered.
The Air Bonds tightened once more, forcing a guttural cry of agony from Folami’s chapped and bleeding lips.
I slipped into place behind my sister, my knuckles white around the black blade clutched in my hand. My eyes connected with Faylinn’s at the last second, understanding widening her eyes. I smiled at her, a feral thing full of teeth, as I grabbed my sister by the chin, forcing her body back against mine.
Taken by surprise, Solace fell against me, releasing her grip on her magic.
I pressed the knife to her throat, taking great pleasure in the smell of her fear when she recognized the blade.
“No, they are not,” I whispered in her ear, my breath a phantom across her cheek. “But I am,” I declared, loud enough for anyone in the vicinity to hear as I drew the blade savagely across her throat.
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
Faylinn
The scrape of metal on bone had my teeth grinding together and fists clenching, but the relief I felt as I watched the life leave Solace’s eyes, her hands grasping uncoordinatedly at my mother, was unparalleled.
Garnet-colored blood spurted from her neck, coating her stained white dress like a macabre painting, the hot liquid covering my mother’s hand and arm completely. But still, she did not release her.
Even as Ellowyn and Torin gasped, falling to their knees in convulsions as magic flooded their bodies, my mother pressed the knife deeper into the fallen goddess’ neck.
The world had gone silent with the death of Solace, or at least it felt that way.
