Zane slashed at the opposite heel, slicing through the thick tendon and making Uther fall to his knees.The injured arm swung around, hitting Zane in the stomach, knocking him backwards and spraying him with the thick black blood.Arcing his sword above his head, Zane brought it down on the mangled wrist to sever the hand completely.Uther cried out, but didn’t stop his attack.On his knees, he was now the same height as Zane, which gave the new emperor the opportunity he needed.
Steel whistled through the air before his sword sliced deep into the wailer’s neck.It didn’t cut all the way through, so Zane drew the sword back—oddly reminiscent of the first man Uther had made him kill, when he couldn’t behead the criminal with one strike.The screeching continued, and Uther reached with his good arm, clasping Zane within his grasp.
Air whooshed out of his lungs as his ribs were squeezed, almost to a breaking point, and sharp claws punctured his skin.But his arm remained free.With a mighty yell that Zane ripped from the depths of his soul, he put the rest of his power into one last strike.The blade slid through what remained of Uther’s neck with no resistance.The screeching was cut short, and the wailer’s body fell to the side.Thick, black blood soaked into the grass.
The hand that was tight around Zane’s midsection loosened, and he took in a deep breath.He’d done it.Zane had done what he couldn’t do in the Dead Lands; he’d killed his father.It was over.
A barely audible sound alerted Zane to the impending danger of a blade approaching his own neck, but he didn’t have time to recover or raise his sword to protect himself.Steel clashed against steel in his ear, and he glanced to his side to see Talon locked in a battle with a star—a fierce look on his face.Tal shoved the star away and, in one swift motion, beheaded him.
He turned to Zane and glanced over his entire body.“Are you hurt?”
Zane gripped the beautiful face of this man that he loved deeply.“I’m okay.Only small wounds.”
Talon sighed, then crashed his lips against Zane’s.It was brief, but struck through Zane like lightning.They had a brief reprieve to take stock of what was happening.The wailer had cleared a swath near them, but soon the stars would realize the monster was dead and return.
The sight was grim.Stars were everywhere; some of them flicked in and out of existence, killing humans within a second, then disappearing.Their side was losing.Badly.
“We need to use the Lurra,” Talon said.
Zane shook his head.“Only if things are dire.”
Tal motioned to the massacre happening in front of them.“Things seem pretty fucking dire, Zane.”He gripped his shoulders, and blue eyes pierced Zane’s soul.“I know the unknown is terrifying.But I don’t think we have any other choice.”
Clasping his hand behind Talon’s neck, Zane drew their brows together until they touched.“You’re with me?”
“Always, my heart.Until the very end.”
Zane took a deep breath and pulled the unassuming box from his pack.The only thing holding it together was the broken lock hanging askew.He was glad that he could not hear the agonized screaming emanating from the box like the stars could.Before he could do anything with it, a group of stars noticed they were standing on their own and marched towards them.
Talon shifted in front of him and raised his sword.“You deal with the Lurra.I’ll deal with the stars.”
A figure stepped out next to them from the shadows.Zane relaxed when he saw it was Scuti.The stoic star took one glance at the wailer, then assessed the situation with the other stars.He nodded to the two men.
“You need to open that box.I’ll keep the stars occupied to buy you time.”
“There’s close to thirty stars in that group, Scuti,” Zane said.“You’ll be killed.”
Scuti nodded in resignation.“Then I will finally be with my beloved again.”Looking between the two of them, he said, “Good luck.”Then he was gone as his shadows enveloped him, carrying him directly into the middle of the stars.
The spymaster lashed out with swords and shadows.His maroon hair glinted in the sun as blood rained upon his skin.Multiple stars fell, but it was only a matter of time until he was overrun.
With great apprehension, Zane slid the lock free from the front of the Lurra and cracked the box.It slid open on quiet hinges.Then the lid was ripped out of Zane’s hands as a large, amorphous cloud of darkness poured free.Zane held it as far away from his body as he could, the box vibrating with the force leaving it.
The giant cloud amassed above them, faces and hands seen in the deep blackness, pushing against the boundary and trying to break free.Lurra meant ‘soul.’These were trapped souls—whether human or some other creature, Zane couldn’t tell.It hovered there, seemingly waiting for instructions.
“Please,” Zane called, not knowing if this would work or if he was about to die.“We need help to defeat the stars.Leave the humans, but please if you could find a way to kill the stars, we would be forever in your debt.”
It must have worked, because the cloud screamed a cacophony of a thousand different voices and then darted away from them.Pieces broke off and targeted groups of stars, leaving piles of bodies.Humans stood around the dead stars they had just been battling, dazed.A large portion of the Lurra speared towards the group that Scuti was engaging.They could still see him fighting hard; his sword and shadows were a blur of motion.
The darkness surrounded them completely for several seconds, and all Zane and Talon could do was watch until it finally departed.Then they were running towards the pile of bodies left on the ground.
There, in the midst of the rest of them, Scuti lay unmoving—the Lurra had killed all the stars, not differentiating friend from foe.His eyes were closed, a peaceful smile on his lips.Zane hoped he was able to find his astalle in the Everlands.
The men couldn’t tarry because a star loyal to them had fallen.The Lurra could only do so much, and there were still enemies to fight.Zane and Talon dove back into the fray.
Chapter 68
Emmeric
