It makes my head spin, a cold darkness crawling through me, stealing my hope.
Up ahead, Kalith steps back into place. I didn’t see where Thoren’s arrow ended up, but it looks as if Kalith moved out of its way to avoid it.
He laughs. A cruel, harsh sound as he grips the hilt of his sword and positions it over my father’s neck once more.
“Accept defeat!” he shouts to me. “You will not prevail.”
We made it closer to our father, and since he’s facing in our direction, I can see his eyes.
He’s looking right at me, as if he wants me to pay attention.
Despite the blade hanging over his neck, a look of serenity flows over him. The furrow in his brow eases and a small smile touches his lips.
I can nearly hear him reminding me:Be careful of your enemies.
In that moment, I know what he’s going to do.
No.
I don’t want him to make this choice.
I want to believe that there’s another way for us to survive.
He doesn’t have to do this.
But my hope is dying with every strangled breath I take and with every whimper Thoren makes, vanishing as the gap between Kalith’s blade and my father’s neck closes.
Death is inevitable.
There is no other way.
My father closes his eyes.
Chapter 17
Sapphire energy bursts around my father’s body, his deep light rising in a flash so strong and bright that it fills the clearing.
It casts Kalith’s shocked face into sharp relief, making his blade look dull and his hair appear dark brown, like dried blood.
With a ferocious roar, my father breaks free from the metal that was pinning him down and rolls to the side, avoiding the plunging sword.
Kalith shouts and steadies his weapon, taking a step back, his eyes wide. The Blacksmith standing behind him drops to a crouch, as if he intends to make a leap for it, although it isn’t clear if he will fight or run.
Father drags air into his chest as he rises up to his full height, his eyes glowing sapphire and his muscles gleaming. Blue light flows around him in streams and that same small smile rests on his lips.
Complete calm.
The serenity of knowing he will die in battle and ascend to the Hall of Warriors to join his ancestors.
His eyes meet mine across the distance, his focus flowing across me and Thoren where we’re pinned to the ground, and despite the peace on my father’s face…
My heart tears apart.
He raised us, protected us, taught us how to survive, gave us his wisdom, and shared his skills.
But now his light is burning and soon he will be consumed by it. The look in his eyes tells me he’s determined to free us before he perishes.
Opposite him, Kalith rips off his torn tunic, revealing the full extent of the copper armor beneath it, flowing metal that’s connected to the copper ring on his right hand by a thin thread.
