I glance at Carobon in shock as his body contorts from her pain, but it isn’t Carobon that is suffering.
It’s Rohhit.
He isn’t gone; Rohhit’s still in there, hanging on, and he’s pushing with everything he has to come forward because he hears her screams. And, just like I would for Silas, he fights to get to her with all his strength.
Rohhitneedsher.
She clutches Warrick’s broken body and places his head in her lap, gently stroking his hair. Fen falls forward, wrapping herself around him, holding onto any moment she can to still feel his presence. His motionless body appears so fragile, and she clings to him, unable to let go.
Tears fall like rain from her eyes as the sobs continue unabated.
Carobon steps closer to the cliff’s edge, watching Fenmore’s reaction in disbelief. No longer does contentment paint his face, but instead, a gritting pain as he attempts to fight back Rohhit inhis own mind. I slowly gaze toward Silas, who watches his sister sob through uncontrollable pain.
Warrick, his longtime friend—his brother, and most trusted warrior—gone as quickly as he had run toward his sister, uncaring for his own life. He is gone, and despite the recent pain, he cared more about saving her than he ever worried about himself. A single tear rolls down Silas’s face as he watches one of his worst nightmares come to life.
Silas wipes the wetness from his cheeks and slowly turns toward the cliff’s edge. Shadows darker than the darkest realm flicker against his back, and he lowers his gaze, his blazing green eyes glowing in the night.
A voice I’ve never heard before leaves his lips. “Get out of here while you still have the fucking ability to do so.” His voice claps like thunder. “Because if I reach you, if my shadows touch you and I wrap my hands around your miserable throat, I will wipe you from this realm.”
Silas’s shadows grow even larger as the words leave his lips, and magic pours from his body, creating a threat of darkness in his wake.
“I will shatter your very fucking existence, whether the Prince of Eddris is there or not, Carobon.” Silas fumes as his voice becomes deeper. “That is a promise.”
Fen continues to cry behind him, and Carobon steps back one last time.
She raises her head and stares directly into Carobon’s wild eyes. “Help him, Rohhit. Please, help him.”
The plea is desperate and realm-shattering, and from a distance, I can see Carobon mumbling to himself, screaming at someone who isn’t physically there. I know for certain that Rohhit fights. We can do this. We can pull him forward with Fen’s help.
“Rohhit,” she whispers, reaching for him. “Help Warrick.”
Carobon gasps and takes one last look toward us before vanishing into thousands of blinding, bright lights.
Fen slowly bows her head again, aware that her pleas and begs will remain unanswered. She caresses Warrick’s face with her trembling hands and rests her head against his as she rocks back and forth. Through the chaos, through the howling wind that seems to lament his death alongside us, I hear her whisper, “I love you too, and I would have always chosen you, Warrick Pierce… always.”
Silas staggers backward, dropping his sword to the earth, letting the exhaustion of his outburst and emotions nearly take his strong body to the ground.
The sharp metal sticks into the soil, and I watch him. His chest heaves, and his shadows don’t dim as I slowly walk to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. The darkness emanating from him seeps into my hand, but I hold still. He flinches from my touch and turns around, grabbing my wrist. Fury sits behind his glowing green eyes, which pulse between the Wielder I know and something else entirely. My jaw slackens at his twisted, unfamiliar face.
“Breathe,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm. “Try to breathe.”
His hand stays wrapped around my wrist, and for a moment, he looks through me, like he doesn’t recognize my face through the anger, pain, and panic. His eyes shine into the darkness, and only chaos swirls behind his gaze.
“Silas,” I say, reaching forward with my free hand to cup his face. “Let go of my wrist.”
He blinks, coming to his senses once more, and drops my wrist. He fights back tears and collapses to his knees on the ground, weak from devastation and exhaustion. I fall alongside Silas and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him as close to me as possible.
“He’s gone.” Tears fall from Silas’s eyes. “Warrick. He’s…dead.”
My hand slides up, and I place it on the back of his head while he weeps into the crook of my neck. His desperate sobs fill the air, and my heart shatters, feeling his entire body tremble against mine.
“I’m sorry.” I begin to cry with him, squeezing him tighter. “I’m so sorry, Silas.”
With the ward gone, the house comes into view along with the rising sun. The screams coming from the kingdom are replaced with cheers from the Andorwood civilians. A thick smoke fills the air, and a blazing fire roars from the ship of the resurrected—they’ve set it on fire.
The Kingdom of Andorwood has survived this battle. We’ve won, and we can rebuild this kingdom, but the damage done to Silas and Fen can never be repaired.
Fen softly kisses Warrick’s cheek, whispering something only she can hear, before standing, a numbness settling behind her dull eyes.
