Burning tears filled my eyes. I did not know this woman, if she’d been fae or human, young or old, or how long ago she’d lived her own life before Andromeda had stolen it from her. I didn’t even know her name. And yet, I felt an aching sense of loss deep in my soul.
Somehow, I understood she would not survive what I needed to do. And she knew it, too.
“Nellie, stand back,” I whispered.
But my sister remained by my side and gripped my hand. “I’m here to give you strength. You may need it.”
Because I would have to pull the power of the gods into my body. All seven of them, with their vicious rage and terrifying strength. Andromeda had meant tobreakme with this power. She’d thought me using it would shatter my humanity. Maybe it would. But this was the only thing that could save us all.
Shuddering, I put some distant between us and Andromeda, and I closed my eyes.
Blocking out the sounds of battle, I timidly reached through the bond and felt for Kalen’s power. It curled deep inside him, pulsing faintly, muted by the other gods. I carefully reached out and touched it. A blast of power slammed into me, eager, yearning, ripping through the bond with a force that always knocked me to the ground.
Distantly, I heard a voice. It sounded panicked. “What is happening?”
I set my jaw. Andromeda had woken, but I couldn’t afford to let her distract me again. This ended now.
I heard the rush of wings.
“Tessa, hurry,” Nellie said worriedly. “She’s coming.”
I wrapped my mind around that power and pulled with all my might. Kalen’s vicious strength tore through my limbs. It rushed through me, burning me up. My body shuddered. Tears leaked from my eyes. I could feel Kalen’s attention shifting to me, curious yet alarmed.
I wished I could warn him.
Exhaling, I felt his mist leak from my skin. I cast that mist around me. It reached Andromeda, caressing her cheek. She was only a few feet away now.
With a deep-throated roar, I lifted my right arm, and I yanked it back to my side, pulling, straining, jerking every ounce of power nearby. Andromeda screamed as her power exploded from her body. It hurtled toward me, a whirlwind of pure death and life.
It almost knocked me off my feet, but I stayed my ground, anchoring myself with the unyielding strength of Kalen’s power. Andromeda’s essence tried to break free from my hold on her. But I would not relent. I pulled and pulled and pulled. Sweat drenched my neck.
Suddenly, her power consumed me.
My eyes flew open. The world was bright and keening with sound. Rage burned in my veins. Gasping, I tugged out of Nellie’s grip and focused on Orion. He’d noticed me now, and he was heading toward Kalen, no doubt to infect him and stop me from channeling his power.
I couldn’t do this one by one. It was too slow. They would win if I did not make them all bow at my feet.
A wind rustled my cloak. I tipped back my head to look at the stars. The clouds had cleared now, and the moonlight was almost blinding. I murmured the words of that ancient song.
The darkness cries for the light
And comes undone beneath the sky
An old wind blows
With ancient woes
But light will never die
Closing my eyes, I called upon the power once more, lacing it with the intoxicating rage from Andromeda. The ground beneath my feet began to rumble as the power expanded out of me, desperate for release. I fisted my hands.
And then I ripped the Lamiae from their gemstones. A hurricane of power slammed into me. Angry voices filled my head, shouting for purchase. Storms and shadows, violence and hate, fear and famine. All of it consumed me.
It was too much.
I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.
A storm of black clouded my vision.
