“Concentrate your shadows around you and close your eyes, love,” Rylo said. Her shadows had thinned enough that he could see her do it before she became cocooned in darkness. He could target his essence directly at Elio, but the brilliance of it would leave permanent scarring on such a fragile being’s eyes. He didn’t hesitate to release the full force of his essence, channeling the heat and glow of the sun itself as he struck the creature that had once been his closest friend.
A blazing, screeching light filled the sky as Elio imploded into starlight and sun fire. Tiny bits of dust peppered Rylo’s face and leathers. But he was gone, that shell that had once been his friend was dissolved into nothing.
“Rest easy, friend,” Rylo muttered as he drew his attention back to Morgan.
Morgan, who was plummeting in darkened shadows toward the ground below.
“Rylo!” she screamed, her panic kicking his senses into hyper awareness. He tucked his wings tight into a plunging dive toward her.
Her body flailed as it fell toward the ground, shadows wrapping around her to protect her from the impact. He reached her and tugged her battered body tight into his arms.
“You came for me.” Her voice was raspy from screaming, blood pouring from the punctures in her leathers.
“Always, pet. Always,” he said, pressing a kiss to her lips. He could smell the hot blood from her wounds. So much blood, too much. He needed to get Morgan to a healer.
Below, he saw the Goldoth warriors working to breach the river. Others shot carved stones across the canyon, targeting the Towers. Already, the Tower of the Stars was overrun with Goldoth warriors as Nepheli warriors fought from the skies and ground to protect what was theirs. Priestesses of the Tower of Stars fought side by side with Nepheli warriors. The Goddess of Stars was alight in divine fury, burning stardust crashing and twisting around any Goldoth warrior in her path.
Rylo was almost to the Tower of the Moon. Morgan just had to stay with him a little bit longer. He pressed his mind to the shadowy depths of hers, sliding into her darkness.
Almost there love, stay with me.
Morgan gave no response as her head lolled from his chest into the crook of his arm, blood sticky against his hands.
As he looked to the north, he choked back the emotion that threatened to claw out of him.
Ebony wings shot through the sky, racing toward him.
Farther across the horizon, just below the heavy fog was the faint outline of elk and riders, dashing down the steep canyon trails.
There still was hope in the darkest hour.
