Jax was holding the left flank, his sword a blur as he covered Ferrula’s back. Naia surged through the crowd, power radiating from her like a living sun.
And Cordelle was barely on his feet.
He was being pushed backward, his halberd clumsy now, too heavy in his bloodied grip. His opponent moved like a serpent, striking again and again. Cordelle stumbled, his heel catching on a stone.
“No!”
I slammed a fist against the window.
And then Riven burst through the fray, her hair flying behind her like a banner. She launched herself between Cordelle and the blade meant for his throat, parrying hard enough to send sparks flying.
Relief flooded me for half a second.
Then it happened.
A second man, one I hadn’t seen, emerged from the shadows at her back. His blade gleamed.
“RIVEN!” I screamed as he plunged it into her shoulder.
Her body arched, a choked gasp escaping her lips before she collapsed to her knees.
“No—no no no?—”
Kaelith’s roar pierced the skies above, a sound of pure fury. Hein answered her, their rage now one.
I felt the storm rise inside me, my magic sparking beneath my skin like lightning begging to be unleashed.
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’tthink.
All I could feel was the scream tearing from my throat as Riven fell.
ChapterForty-One
We burst from the king’s chamber like a thunderclap, boots pounding against the marble as we tore down the corridor. My heart was a war drum in my chest, each beat driving me forward faster—toward the screams, the smoke, the chaos on the Ascension Grounds.
But as we reached the arched castle doors, Kaelith’s voice slammed into my mind, sharp and commanding.
Stop! Stay where you are.
I staggered to a halt, arm flinging out to stop Zander and Remy from charging ahead. “Wait—Kaelith said stop.”
Across the field, the battle was unraveling.
Riders sprinted from the melee, some bloodied, others carrying wounded. The Crimson Sigil loyalists pressed forward, blades lifted, confusion painted across their faces. They weren’t expecting the retreat.
They didn’t understand.
Not yet.
Until the sky screamed.
Kaelith and Hein dropped from the clouds like falling stars, their wings tucked, their descent a blur of motion. Then they opened, massive, thunderous, and the wind howled.
Then came the fire.
A searing wall of orange and black flames tore across the Ascension Grounds. The two streams of flame collided in midair, swirling together in a maelstrom of death. Hein’s. Kaelith’s.
