She blinked hazily, finding her mother staring down at her with wide eyes and a spray of blood on her cheek.
Mama?
Her mother touched her cheek gently.Can you stand?
Nya’s lips quivered, and she bit back a whimper when she realized just how much pain she was in.It hurts.
I know, my brave girl. I know. It will just be a moment, and then I promise, you can rest.
“Give them to me!” Sol screamed.
Nya forced herself to sit up. He was hurting Morgen. Morgen, who had not stopped fighting for her until the end, even when no hope remained.
There was a blisteringly hot, heavy weight in her chest, and she pressed a hand to it, thinking there must be a wound there. But when she pulled it back, no new blood coated her fingers. On a hunch, she slid her hand up and touched her own throat, finding the deep wound Sol had carved into her skin completely healed. This pain wasn’t from a wound. It was the same sensation she experienced when Morgen healed her, buteverywhere,crawling underneath her skin and knitting her back together against her body’s will.
The embers.
It had worked.
She reached for her mother.Help me stand.
Sora glanced behind them, and Nya followed her gaze. Carus knelt next to her father, who was hunched over, a hand pressed against his torso. She met his eyes, and he nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the pain.
Go on, Nya.
It was Carus who stood and walked to her on a silent gait, offering her a hand. He searched her face, an unspoken question in his eyes.Can you do this?
He knew she had to be in pain, but Sol was going to see the embers in her eyes, and she had to bluff enough to convince him he had no choice but to surrender.
She gave a shallow nod, gritting her teeth against the scream that threatened to rip from her throat when he hauled her to her feet. He helped her limp halfway to Sol before letting go.
“Beg,” Morgen said around the hand Sol had tightened around his throat. He didn’t see her yet.
Sol hissed in fury. “You worthless fucking?—”
When she spoke, she forced herself to steady her voice, letting every note of her rage coat the words. “You should probably listen to him if you’d like to live, Sol.”
Sol stiffened, his hand slackening. Morgen gasped—for air or at the sight of her behind Sol, she was not sure. The god of Light whirled, and Morgen coughed roughly, blood staining his lips. She could already see the embers starting to build again in his eyes. She just needed to hold on a little longer.
“You can’t be…” Sol trailed off and shook his head. “This is impossible.”
She shrugged casually, hoping she masked that just lifting her shoulder sent an agonizing bolt pain down her arm. “Evidently not.” She tilted her head. “You know, as a payment for your ‘help’, I was considering letting you pick what happens to you. I’m curious to see what happens if I mix my nytfire and Morgen’s lightning. Or, if you’d prefer humiliation over pain, you could get on your knees, proclaim your loyalty to us, and pray I’m still in a forgiving mood when you’re done kissing my feet.”
Morgen laughed, his voice catching on the air. His eyes were wide and shining, and she winked at him, half for show and half because she needed to let him know she was really here.
Sol, on the other hand, did not find her words funny. “You little bitch?—”
“Or.” She cut him off. “I was thinking we could chain you up in some unmarked cave. Cut your throat, burn out your eyes, maybe take a few fingers, and then heal it all with the embers. If the lesson doesn’t sink in the first time, we could always repeat the process. I have eternity, and I plan to take my second chance at life very seriously, which includes keeping you in line.”
“I willnot,” Sol snapped, but she could see the fear creeping into his icy-blue eyes.
Morgen pushed to his feet, and Sol stiffened, his eyes flicking between the two of them.
“Neither of you are fit to rule,” he said, his hands curling into fists, but his wavering voice gave away his unease.
“Neither was Kronos,” Morgen said in a low voice. “You knew that, though, right? It didn’t take you long to realize your mistake in giving him so much power, but you did nothing about it. And when Sora and Vane died to clean up your mess, you stepped in and acted like some savior.” He laughed, his voice stronger now. “Did you really thinkyoucould be king, Sol? That’s what you want, right?”
Sol’s nostrils flared. “Nyx may have been the first to this world, but it would be a lifeless wasteland if not for me.”
