“Goddessdamnyou, Jonah,” I mutter, and draw two of my throwing knives, taking careful aim.
The one meant for Jonah’s throat hits a wall of his Daemos magic. The dagger tumbles uselessly to the ground as Anassa and I dig in against the magic’s brutalpush.
I try to deflect it, to push the power aside, and nothing happens.
I click my tongue in irritation. What ishappeninghere? Stark tried to use his Daemos powers against Killian the other night, and Killian was able to deflect them; he said it was because the Daemos powers were rent from my own.
So how is Jonah able to attack me with them? And why is his power sostrong? Is it because I’m not wearing my crown and my own magic feels… diminished?
My anger builds, and still, I get nothing from the shadows. They would be pretty useful right about now.
I toss my second dagger, and it hits home, burying itself with a sickening squelch in the rib cage of the woman to Jonah’s left. She falls from her wolf and is trampled by the rider behind her, her screams sharp and agonized.
Brutal pride surges into me from Anassa, but I ignore it—this is all such awaste.
Jonah slows, glancing back at his fallen comrade, and then advances toward me again, eyes flashing.
“I can’t wait to finally break your scrawny neck,” he spits.
I laugh, drawing another dagger. “Come and try it.” I ignore the way my muscles shake; exhaustion is setting in. Jonah is flanked by three more Bonded, and they fan out, closing in on my position.
“We need to finish this,” I think to Anassa grimly, and she howls in answer.
“Hold fast, Meryn,” comes Izabel’s voice with a note of desperation. I get a mental flash of her position—still fighting off another group. Even if I’m lucky, it will still be several minutes until she can back me up.
The man to Jonah’s right rushes in, his wolf snapping at Anassa’s flank as heslashes out with his sword. I just barely block him, Anassa’s sure-footed spin breaking us away and saving my tired arms from giving out.
Then she lunges to the side, and I lean in close to keep my seat. The rush of an arrow passes directly behind me, so close its shaft brushes against my hair.
Anassa cuts left and circles, giving me a second to recover before we reengage. I dig deep, trying again to summon my new shadow magic, but this time nothing comes, not even a trickle.
A massiveclap!pulls all our attention toward Stark’s fight.
Except… he’s not there. Or I can’t see him. A thrum of panic rushes through me.
A cloud of dust explodes outward from where he last stood. Grit shatters across the arena, showering down on us, making my eyes water.
Ears ringing, I squint to try to see through the cloud.Please be there, please, please…
Then it clears, and I gasp. Stark has somehow used his Daemos power to destroy the entire archway of the door, bringing it down on top of his remaining opponents. They’re barely visible under the rubble.
I knew he was powerful, but this… ?
Fighting all across the arena has momentarily paused, everyone gawking at the sight.
Stark’s light brown skin is pale from the strain of wielding so much power, and yet he’s already moving again, chasing down the Kryptos woman. She is fully visible now, losing control over her magic in her terror.
It takes only two breaths, and then he’s cut her down, her broken body hitting the ground with a wet thud. Stark hurtles off Cratos after her and grabs the wolf crown still in her grip.
“Meryn!” he calls, and I raise my dagger so he can find me. “Catch!”
He sends the crown spinning into the air, the opal at its center glinting toward me as it arcs my way.
Anassa and I leap, her haunches stretching and stretching. For a moment, a disorienting sense of déjà vu passes through me, taking me back to the Voice Trial and our first leap of faith together.
How far we’ve come.
I reach out my free hand and pluck the crown from the air, settling it onto my head without thinking.
