“I’m not scared of you,” Elyssa bit out, turning back to Tarnan. She felt Lora and Amira tense on either side of her. This wasn’t going to be easy. Retreat was not on the menu any longer. Tarnan stared at her, and for a moment, it seemed no one else existed. It was just her and the bloodthirsty eyes in front of her.
Then a disturbingly content smile curved his lips. “Let me show you why you should be.” Tarnan’s gaze moved over her head. “Damir,takeherout.”
In a flash, Eyden was next to her, gripping her arm. He was a split second away from taking away Damir’s chance to kill Elyssa when a shriek tore through the room. So pained, it rattled Elyssa’s bones before she even saw what Tarnan had done.
She followed Eyden’s gaze from Damir’s outstretched hand to the almandine knife deep in Varsha’s chest, right in her heart. Varsha’s irises widened in surprise, tears gathering in her golden eyes. A drop of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
And then the light left her eyes forever.
Chapter71
Amira
As if she were a puppet whose strings had been cut, Varsha dropped to the ground. The once teasing and joyful light in her eyes had been taken. Forever. It didn’t feel real, it didn’t feelfair.Karwyn’s guard—or spy, Amira wasn’t sure—looked at the knife in his hand, dumbfounded, before collapsing to the ground, his face drained of colour. Yethewas still breathing.
Amira stared at Varsha’s lifeless body. Varsha had been a friend to her, a light in all the darkness when she had been left alone in the Turosian palace. To see her, usually the picture of life, so still, blood coating her golden blouse, made Amira lose her breath. Why did she keep losing people? Why couldn’t shesavethem?
Tears burning her eyes, a familiar feeling of hopelessness sneaked its way back into Amira’s heart. She fought the instinct to tear at her hair, to focus her pain. Amira wanted to direct it all at Tarnan, but she knew she couldn’t take him out without dying herself.
A few months ago, she would not have cared about her death, but now, she had people who cared for her, people she wasn’t ready to let go of. Elyssa, Lora, and their friends—even Rhay. They all mattered to her now. She could still save them, couldn’t she? Amira wouldn’t survive another loss when Varsha’s had already shredded her heart.
“Why her?” Amira’s voice was broken as she fought back a sob, refusing to let Tarnan see how hurt she was, how deep his betrayal cut.
“To show you my threats are not empty,” Tarnan said, matter-of-factly. And to think he said he wasn’t going to be like his father.Liar,she wanted to yell at him.Murderer.
“Let’s be reasonable, Amira. Come with me, and I’ll let you keep your human pet.” Tarnan gestured to Elyssa, whose face turned sour.
“I won’t be your slave,” she shouted at him. As long as the agreement between humans and fae was still intact, he couldn’t bind Elyssa for life as he had done to Amira. And since she was human, Tarnan couldn’t compel Elyssa either.
Tarnan gestured to the guards on his left to surround Amira’s friends, preventing them from attacking. Swiftly, Saydren—uneasy on his feet from his stomach wound—grabbed Elyssa in a death grip and set his knife against her throat, drawing fresh blood.
“So be it,” Tarnan said calmly.
“Stop it!” Amira yelled as Lora, Eyden, Ilario, and Rhay drew their weapons, throwing themselves at the guards with the last of their strength, their clothes covered in their own blood. Noting their wavering stance, their wounds visible, Amira knew they wouldn’t last long.
Elyssa struggled against Saydren’s grip, kicking at him with all her fury. But the healer was stronger than her. Elyssa’s face lost colour as the knife dug deeper into her skin. It reminded Amira of the fight in Pyria.
She had to do something. She couldn’t,wouldn’t,lose anyone else.
Farren had told her about a way to supercharge someone’s power. She could do it to Eyden, making sure he’d be strong enough to drift everyone out. They had no guarantee it would work, but it seemed like their best shot. Lora, Eyden, Farren, and Ilario were losing the last of their strength fighting the guards, the humans had rightfully run away, and Rhay was lost in his mad rage.
Focusing her energy, Amira used her pain to fuel herself, setting off her powers. Her stomach wound constricted with her effort, blood seeping from it again, but she pushed on. She squeezed one of the crystals in her pocket that Farren had given her and channelled the talisman she was still wearing.
Her whole body tensed up as if it was ready to explode at the simple command. She caught Eyden’s gaze. With one simple look, he seemed to understand what she had planned.
“Now!” she yelled as she threw all the power she had left towards Eyden. At the same time he threw a knife at Tarnan’s throat, silencing him.
In shock, Saydren was distracted, and Elyssa threw her head back against his, making him yell in pain as their skulls collided, his knife lowering. Twisting around, Elyssa kicked at his stomach, and he yelped in pain, blood staining his hand as he clutched his wound. A throwing star landed in his arm, and he fell. He was still breathing but out cold, his two wounds slowly creating a puddle of blood around him.
Tarnan grabbed at his throat, the blood flowing out of him quickly as he tried to croak out commands.
Elyssa’s gaze collided with Amira, and she immediately understood her plan. All their past conversations about sacrifices, about saving each other, rushed back to Amira. This was her sacrifice to make. She knew it deep in her bones.
“No!” Elyssa screamed. In one swift motion, Eyden was next to Elyssa, his hand reaching out to her. Elyssa extended her hand, trying to grab Amira’s, but she was too far away. Tears choking her, Amira shook her head.
“Go!” Amira yelled, feeling her power draining her. Eyden’s hand landed on Elyssa’s shoulder. She tried to shrug him off, but he was fast. Amira only caught a flash of Elyssa’s pained face before she disappeared into thin air. Elyssa didn’t want her sacrifice, but Amira had no choice.
It was the right decision, the only possible one. Yet her heart broke into a million pieces. She hoped Elyssa wouldn’t blame herself yet again.
