"Her eyes are flashing blue!"
"The true heir!"
"Impossible!" Constantine's voice cracks.
I don't mean to move, but that ancient thing guides me, and suddenly, I'm gliding onto the platform.
"Temp!" Naima's voice. "Your eyes!"
"Something is happening," Cas croaks out as he falls to the ground.
"No, no, no!" Margot cries. I see Arlo's bow and arrow, and his figure on the ground. His amulet. Was Mal able to take off his amulet?
Deep down, I panic. But the ancient thing is stronger. It won't let me waver.
This is Mortiana's message, I realize.
I open my mouth. Hear myself speak in a voice that isn't mine. Clear. Rhythmic. Commanding.
"If I am to become a legend, let it be known: I am Ada the Tempest. Chosen by the gods, along with seven others, to restore the balance."
I turn. Lock eyes with Constantine.
"I am Ada, the Wielder of Wrath. Daughter of Pia of Larimar. Liberator of the Shroud. Killer of the Everlasting."
The gasps wash over me. My vision darkens. My mind slips.
But I fight the current. Reach for the bond. It's weakening, thinning, but I tug hard. Find Malachi's eyes in the crowd.
And I add my own message to Mortiana's. "I am …” I pause. Darkness closes in, but I push past it. “I am Ada Temperance Acevedo. Cursebreaker of Tenebris."
And then, nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Malachi
Amyriad of thoughts crash through me as I watch Ada hover over the platform. But three rise above the chaos, louder than the rest.
Nothing could have prepared me for this.
I've never been so scared in my life.
And I'm going to kill Mortiana for this.
She must have known. Must have known Ada's eyes would flash bright blue, like the hottest part of a flame. Something I've only read about in ancient texts. Something I never thought I'd witness. Ada is not just an empath. Not just a true healer. A true siphoner.
Worse, Mortiana must have known heralding this message would put Ada in imminent danger. Must have known and sent her anyway. I clutch my injured side and force myself toward the stage, muttering a protective incantation as I drag my sword behind me. The glyphs activate, humming against my skin, and I pray to every god listening that the protection reaches Ada before she finishes.
"—Killer of the Everlasting."
I stop walking.
My pulse crashes in my ears. The words echo through the amphitheater, through three hundred years of waiting. I watch Constantine stumble backward as if the declaration itself has struck him.
An arrow grazes his ear and clatters to the ground beside him. My gaze flicks behind him, to where Freida stumbles out of the tunnel with a bow in hand, already nocking another arrow. Constantine's hand flies up instinctively, but his wide eyes remain fixed on Ada. He drops his bloody hand as if he hasn't felt the wound at all.
Near the tunnel, a legion guard shoves Freida sideways. She's forced to abandon her mark and fight. I clutch my side harder. Force myself to keep walking.
