“You’ll stay near me?”she asked him.Iyana didn’t want to lose sight of him for even a second during the battle.Although their magic could still function over a short distance, she would feel more comfortable if he was within an arm’s reach at all times.
Emmeric nodded.“The entire time, Mouse.We’ll watch out for each other.”He kissed her lightly on the lips.“I love you.”
“I love you, Em.In this life and through the next.”
Iyana buried her face in his chest, holding him close to her.His arms were a tight band around her back to the point she almost couldn’t breathe, but there was no way she would ask Emmeric to let go.Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
Why was this to be their destiny?Why had the gods chosen them specifically for this task when there were so many others in the world?Iyana had asked herself this many times since learning of her fate.
If she ever had the chance to talk to Zaya, she would have a few choice words for the Goddess of Life.
A tug on her braid had her looking back into Emmeric’s intense gaze for just a second before he captured her lips in a searing kiss.Iyana clung to him desperately, hoping this wasn’t them saying goodbye.
Too soon, they were forced to separate.Zane, Talon, Kaz, and her brothers all joined them.She hadn’t seen much of the emperor and his guard, but Iyana assumed they were having their own private moment.Just in case.
They discussed the plan one more time.It was overkill at this point; they’d been through the plan forwards and backwards until they all could recite it in their sleep.Everyone understood what needed to be done and what was expected of them.Iyana ensured Zane had the Lurra secured to his person and that he knew when to use it.She was thankful when he didn’t roll his eyes and instead indulged her questions.Khollo’s Downfall was in a pouch tied to her own waistband.
Team Save Arinem silently observed each other, none of them having any words for the occasion.They embraced their friends as tightly and as long as they could, murmuring words of encouragement and asking them all to stay safe.
Okab appeared next to them, a frown on his face.“The stars have arrived.”
It was time to go to war.
Theyhadsaidtheirgoodbyes to everyone.Zane and Talon were headed for the right flank.Kaz and her brothers would be in the center, and Iyana and Emmeric would be on the left flank.The stars on their side were scattered throughout, but Scuti, Okab, and Tara promised to teleport to wherever they were needed most.
Iyana stared across the green field that would soon be painted red, and took a deep, fortifying breath.There were more stars than she thought there would be.Add in the fact that they had magic when the humans had none?This was going to be a massacre.
We can do this, Mouse.Just stay with me.
Tunneling into her magic and touching the bond between them, Iyana smiled sadly at Emmeric.See you on the other side, Sully.
He frowned and opened his mouth, but before he could question her meaning, a horn sounded from the middle of their army.That was their signal to move.With a loud battle cry, their army rushed across the field.The stars came for them at a speed that should have been impossible.Human archers shot flaming arrows deep into the stars’ ranks, hoping to slow some of them down.Maybe they’d get lucky and get a few direct head shots and could take out at least a couple early on.
The armies came together with a clash—the sound so loud Iyana had to fight the urge to cover her ears.Metal screeched against metal, and screams of agony had already begun.The tang of copper reached her nose as blood was spilled.
Iyana’s instincts were to go to the wounded and heal them, but she knew she was needed in the battle.The only problem was that she was frozen in place, not knowing where to begin.This was wholly different from the battle with Uther’s soldiers.This was all out warfare, and more than her imagination could have ever conjured.
Emmeric was suddenly in front of her, his sword spearing through the neck of a star that she hadn’t even seen coming.
“Focus, Iyana!”he shouted at her.“If we can knock some of them down, it’ll be less for the others to deal with.”
Yes.A direction.Iyana found her senses returning to her, and she greedily drank up the calm confidence that Emmeric was funneling to her.While she could sense an undercurrent of panic coming from him as well, she could not dwell on that particular emotion.The best way to deal with it would be to rid themselves of their enemy.
Once she had her wits back about her, Iyana found she was wholly unstoppable.A force of fucking nature.
Wind whipped around them, pushing stars away from humans when she could see they were about to be cut down.She sent large balls of fire into the air, landing in the back of the stars’ garrison and as far from her own armies as she could.Iyana pulled more and more magic from Emmeric as he, in turn, stole it from the stars surrounding them.
He was a vision himself.Wielding his dual swords, he took their enemies’ heads from their necks.And when he couldn’t do that, he was removing their limbs and leaving them to bleed on the ground.Occasionally, he would grab a dagger and fling it away from him.He always hit his mark.
They would check on each other, only small glances, when they could, but they needed to keep their focus on the battle ahead of them.They were even avoiding speaking through their bond in case it caused a distraction.However, they had previously agreed to use it in the case of emergencies.
The screams and shouts never stopped.In fact, they only increased as time went on.Their enemy never seemed to tire—having a much better stamina than the humans.Iyana used some of her magic to bolster her and Emmeric’s energy, but she could feel herself slowing.
Despite everything she was doing with the aid of Emmeric and the stars on their side, the human army was still suffering major losses.They wouldn’t last much longer like this.Iyana was about to tell Emmeric that they needed to think of another strategy when she heard an all too familiar screech, and her blood ran cold.
On the right flank, a large all-white monster lumbered about the battle.A wailer.
Shit.
