His hands ripped the pauldron from my armor with ease, exposing my throat. His head reared back, and he opened his mouth wide. He struck, his long, thick, sharp fangs ripping into me. I screamed, pain ricocheting through my body as he fed. Pushing against him, I fought to free myself from his hold, but failed. I knew I was going to die here, but what choice did I have? If I hurt her, it would kill me, too. My arms went weak, and my legs followed as he took and took.
I blinked, struggling to remain conscious. A raven’s caw came from my right, and I looked over at a black bird sitting atop a broken chimney. Opaque, dead eyes stared at me accusingly, calling me a fool. Perhaps I was. With my demise once again so close, my only thought was and would be her. I wished we had a different life together, a less brutal and violent one. Where our days weren’t filled with nothing but battle and thoughts of survival. Instead, I wanted peace, family, adventures, and thoughts of us. I’d wanted so badly to win this war so that I could give that life to her. I would have sweated, bled, and fought for it. Perhaps if we could not have it here, we would have it in another life. I had no doubt that I would find her again.
I pushed against our bond, hoping to reach the parts of her mind that were still hers, my wife, my akrai.“Dianna, I’m sorry, but I cannot fight him. I cannot hurt you, but I swear to find you in another life. If it takes another thousand years or more, I’ll wait. I swear it.”
Gathrriel yanked his head back, my blood coating his chin. His hands were still wrapped around my collar, and he heaved me up. My vision was blurry, but I could still see the look of pure astonishment and wonder on his face. It was almost glee. “Your blood, your power …” he said in a near whisper. “Are you aware of the darkness beyond your flesh? It’s a pity I have to snuff it out. I fear you’d have no rival if you had an inkling.”
“Go … fuck yourself.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I’ll take it as an insult.” His smile faded, and he dropped me to the floor in an act of pure disgust. My vision blurred, and I didn’t have the strength even to attempt to stand. All I could do was lie there and watch him as he wiped a hand across the back of his mouth and licked his sharp gauntlet clean. I could feel the heat of the blood leaking from my neck, darkness edging out my sight. I blinked and groaned, struggling back to consciousness.
“When you visit your Valley of Kings, warn them to make room at their golden table for the others I shall send soon.” Gathrriel smiled and raised his hand, the talons bloodied and sharp. The spikes along his wrist were strong enough to rip my heart to shreds, and I know that’s what he intended to do. He was too fast, too big, and too strong. I closed my eyes, whispering to Dianna through our bond. I knew she couldn’t hear me, but my last words were hers.
“I love you, akrai.”
One second, then another passed. With massive effort, I lifted my eyelids to see his claws hovering just above my chest plate. His eyes were wide, and his arm, while trembling, seemed frozen in midair. His other hand was clamped around his wrist, trying to force it down.
“What is this? What have you done?”
I knew he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to Dianna. I blinked as his eyes looked at me, and for the first time since this battle started, they widened in fear. A torrent of flames erupted from Gathrriel, and all I could see of him was his screaming silhouette. His yell was one of rage and pain as that fire ate and ate. I covered my eyes, the light bright and intense as he burned. As quickly as it started, it was over. The flames receded, and as the smoke cleared, Dianna fell forward. I sat up, the pain in my body non-existent as I caught her limp, sleeping form in my arms. Soot covered her face and hair, but none touched my goddess, my queen of flame.
Reggie had been right.
She hadn’t just gotten rid of Gathrriel. She’d burned him out.
39
DIANNA
My head felt like a heavy stone rested upon it, and perhaps one did. The last few hours felt like a horrible nightmare made real. Not only had I been trapped in my own body while it was violated and used, but Gathrriel had used it to hurt the one person I couldn’t live without. I hoped Samkiel knew just how badly I was fighting. I cursed and screamed at Gathrriel with every blow he landed upon him. It wasn’t until I felt the bond between us slowly start to slip away from me that I willed whatever strength I had left into gaining control. Samkiel spoke of finding me in another life, but I wanted him in this one.
I heard Samkiel’s final goodbye, heard the way he saidakrai,as if it was the last time he would say it, and decided I’d be damned if I let that monster steal him from me after everything we’d been through. I didn’t know what power I’d tapped into, but I remembered studying with Gabby when she was trying to pass her boards. Gathrriel was like a virus in my body, infecting me, and I knew one cure. Our bodies overheat in response to an illness, and that’s just what I did.
I took a deep, shuddering breath and opened my eyes, looking out past the light curtains covering the windows. Sweet ocean air fluttered in, but it was the hand resting against my abdomen that stilled my nerves and brought me peace. I entwined our fingers, linking our rings. “What do you think your enemies will say when they discover the great and powerful World Ender likes to cuddle?”
His laugh rumbled in his chest, and I felt it where he was pressed against my back. “Take it to your grave.”
I turned, the bed squeaking from my movement as I faced him and rested my head against his shoulder. The owner of the hotel that Samkiel had led us to in Whitcliff had taken one look at us, covered in soot, dirt, and bruises, and he’d given us the room for free. While he hadn’t questioned us, he’d probably assumed we’d either blown something up or were involved in an elaborate fighting ring. On our way to the room, Samkiel had said that was one of the great things about Whitcliff. The entire city was a hub for illegal trading, selling everything from spices to organs, but they didn’t ask questions or care who you were. I had been too tired to ask him to elaborate.
I lay on my side, and lifted our interlocked fingers, holding them high enough between us that my ring glinted in the moonlight spilling into our room. It was the most comforting feeling, having it back on my finger. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket after nearly freezing to death. I never realized how addicted I was to the ring and our connection until I had lost them both. It was made worse because it had happened not of my own volition or mistake, but because he had stripped me of my will. I had gone days without them, and I absolutely hated it. I didn’t know how I’d ever survived without it, without him, for so long.
I placed our hands between us, neither of us letting go as we lay there in the silence, hoping the city we had left for nearly a week was okay. We’d sent Cameron and Reggie back to check on it before returning to us. Of course, they’d both refused to leave until after they’d fussed over us and our well-being. Mentally, we were fine. Physically, it was another story.
“I wonder what happened to Vvive that was so bad that his soul can’t rest.”
Samkiel took a deep breath. “Me too.”
“Do you blame him?”
“For taking over you? Yes,” he said. “For seeking revenge for something that was so bad that he cannot rest? No.”
I nodded. “Me either. I didn’t see it in his head, but I felt his rage and grief. I think she was ripped from him. Maybe Dhihsin too.”
His hand stilled on my back. “So many lies and secrets, even my mind no longer knows what to believe. The ancient texts that spoke of him, of them both, seem like bedtime stories now. I truly feel lost. Everything I knew or believed seems to be a lie.”
I raised my hand to him, holding out my pinky. “We can believe and trust in ourselves. That much I know is true. The rest we can figure out as we go.”
“In life or death, I am yours.” He smiled, gripping my pinky and placing a kiss on our conjoined fingers. He rested our hands over his chest, and I felt the rhythmic beat of his heart match my own.
