Altair knocked Hadar to the ground and was going for a killing blow when he glanced over towards Iyana, just briefly.But in that moment, the Aztia faltered.She tripped over one of the stones in the floor, a telling sign of how exhausted she was becoming, and Rigil noticed.The Alpha saw his opportunity and arced his shadow sword down towards Iyana, and although she raised an arm sheathed in fire, Zane knew it wouldn’t be enough to save her.
Iyana was knocked to the ground, but not by Rigil.Altair had abandoned his fight with Hadar to sprint to his astalle’s side, shoving her out of the way.He’d extinguished his fire sword in the process, and was powerless to defend himself against Rigil as the shadow sword sliced through his chest.
The star crumpled to the ground as Iyana was staggering to her feet.She looked down at Altair’s gaping wound, his chest heaving with labored breaths.Hadar was laughing and sheathing his swords while Rigil stood there, leering at her with a crooked grin.
“No,” she whispered.Her gaze flicked to the dungeon behind Rigil.Zane looked too and saw Okab, Emmeric, and Kaz had all arrived, boxing in the Alpha and Beta.Kaz, in her leopard form, leapt for Hadar, and he was forced backwards to defend himself.Emmeric nodded at Iyana, giving her a much-needed boost of magic.
She shouted in anger again, and rushed towards Rigil, who wisely recognized that the tides had turned.With her Kanaliza there, Iyana was capable of great feats of magic and could possibly rival even the Alpha.Factor in the addition of Okab and a powerful shifter, and they were outnumbered.Rigil and Hadar both glanced at each other, then winked out of existence.
Iyana and Okab both ran towards Altair, the former dropping to her knees beside him.Tearing open his tunic, she ran her hands over the wound on his chest.
“You’re fine,” she whispered to him.“Remember when the wolves tore up your chest and you healed?You’re going to be fine.”
“Iyana…” Emmeric inched towards the woman he loved, who was currently worrying over her former lover.Altair appeared to be losing blood quickly, his skin turning from his normal golden hue to a pallid gray.
“Okab,” Iyana turned to the other star, a desperation in her voice.“Get us out of here.Please.”
He nodded to her and motioned to the rest of the group to gather around.Kaz shifted back as they huddled in close.
“You need to grab onto me,” Okab said.They all did as he instructed while he laid a hand on his brother, and Iyana gripped Altair’s hand.There was another tugging sensation behind Zane’s navel, and then they were out of the castle.
They hadn’t gone far, though; only to the outskirts of the city.It looked like they had landed barely inside the edge of the forest to the south of Athusia.Zane would have felt better if Okab had taken him farther, but why he didn’t was soon apparent.The other star was breathing heavily, a thin sheen of sweat upon his brow.Carrying so many people probably limited how far he was actually able to go.
Altair hadn’t moved from his position, and was now lying on his back in the snow.His eyes were open—which surprised Zane, given the extent of his injury.He was staring at Iyana like he was committing her face to memory, as if this was the last time he would see her.
Chapter 57
Altair
Iyanawasfrettingoverhim.In any other situation, Altair would have marveled at the sight of his astalle worrying over his well-being.
But since he was dying, he couldn’t afford to take the time to sit back and let her fret.He could feel her pushing her healing magic into him, but from experience, he knew it wouldn’t make a difference.
“Astalle,” he rasped, stilling her hand and holding it to his chest.“Stop.”
The warmth of his own blood flowed over their hands, and he wished he could spare her this.Altair glanced down as much as he could to see what he already knew would be there.The wound on his chest spanned from his right shoulder down to the bottom of his left ribcage.It wasn’t healing, and that was all because of the shadows that had infiltrated his body.
Black lines were spreading away from the gash, proof of the poison that flowed through his blood.That was the danger with Rigil.When he chose to use his shadow sword, he didn’t need to hit a vital organ for the strike to be fatal.He could advance his shadows into the blood, leaving them there to finish the job.It’s what allowed him to climb his way to the top of the four constellations.The others realized the threat that he posed and were unwilling to go against him.
“I can fix this,” Iyana sobbed.Her tears were hot where they fell on his skin.
“You can’t.”
“I have to,” she whispered.
“It’s okay, my star.”Altair lifted a shaking hand to wipe the drops from her face, hating the streak of bright red blood he left behind.“If I gave my life to save yours, then it was worth it.Everything was worth it.”
Iyana was shaking her head emphatically.She was still trying to heal his wound, and he could feel her becoming more frantic and frustrated when it wouldn’t close, and those black lines only continued to spread.
“There are so many things I regret,” Altair forced out.It was getting harder to breathe.Harder to say the words he needed her to hear.“If I could go back, there are so many things I would change.I never wanted to hurt you.”He took in a shuddering breath that didn’t fill his lungs.“I should have loved you better.But I am so grateful for the time we did have together, and I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you.”
Looking around, he caught Sullane’s eye.“Keep her safe.”The curt nod only confirmed Altair’s fears that there was no coming back from this.The others understood it as well.He could see it in all of their faces.The only one who couldn’t accept it was Iyana.
Altair found his brother.Okab was kneeling next to him, unshed tears swimming in his eyes.Golden eyes that matched Altair’s own.They were supposed to be together always.They’d entered the world together, and Altair had always assumed they’d leave together.But he was suddenly glad that it was him and not his twin.Okab had always been the best of them—of all the stars.He deserved to live.He deserved to thrive.But Altair knew that if his twin succeeded in his mission, then he and their sister would be stuck orbiting in the sky again.Altair hated that was to be their fate.
“I’m sorry,” he told his brother, his voice barely a rasp.
“I know,” Okab said.There was a lifetime of apologies in Altair’s two words, and he was grateful his twin could hear all of them.He no longer had enough air to say everything he wanted to.
