Thirty-Five
Tessa
Andromeda’s attention shifted off me for one beautiful second. I lunged toward her with the Mortal Blade. She threw up her hand and caught my arm when the tip brushed the front of her shoulder. Hissing, she shoved me back.
“You attempt to wound me with the power of my own brethren?” Her eyes sparked with fury. “You’re right. You are no daughter of mine, and you will pay for your mistake.”
Nellie grabbed my other arm and yanked me away from Andromeda. Together, we tumbled out of the way as the beasts rushed past. I hit the ground, my knee cracking from the impact. Gritting my teeth, I rolled. My cloak got tangled up in my legs.
Dirt sprayed into my face when a pair of hands jerked me to a stop. One of the gods lifted me from the ground and tossed me sideways. This time, I landed in a crouch, though the impact jarred my skull. I blinked at the chaos, trying to make sense of it, trying to understand who I faced now.
The beasts had reached the gods, mist swirling around them all. They were attacking in a furious frenzy. Andromeda and Orion fought side by side, their majestic swords cutting the down the beasts faster than they could swipe their claws. Nellie was backing away, watching with horror as a group of wraiths lurched toward her. Tattered cloaks hugged their frail forms. Poisonous sand dripped to the ground in their wake.
Perseus stood just before me, his face screwed up in pain. Steel plates covered the rest of his body, but he’d removed his helm. It sat by his feet, along with the tip of his great sword.
“Fight against her,” I said to him. “Help me help the beasts. They can stun her long enough for me to use the Mortal Blade.”
He shuddered against my words, and a single tear leaked from his eye. “I cannot, Tessa Baran. My vow prevents me from going against her orders. She is forcing me to do this.”
“You helped me escape,” I pleaded with him. “That means you can dosomething, Perseus.”
“She didn’t know we were trying to work against her then, and her orders for us were less specific. She has made it clear now. We cannot allow Nellie to control the beasts. I am so sorry, Tessa Baran, and it’s difficult for me to say even that. This is not how I wanted your fight against Death to end.”
Us. Nellie.
My heart lurched into my throat. Where was Sirius?
I whirled toward Nellie. Perseus grabbed my shoulder and anchored me in place. Sirius was hovering over Nellie’s head. I cried out as he grabbed her. Pumping his powerful wings, he hauled my sister from the ground. She screamed and kicked out her legs, trying to wrench herself free. I yanked away from Perseus so hard I had to stumble forward to catch myself.
And then I was off. My wings exploded from my back, nearly getting caught up in my cloak. I ran toward Nellie and shoved myself into the air, my eyes trained on their vanishing forms. Because of Perseus, Sirius had a head start, but he was not fuelled by love and desperation. I wouldn’t let him take her from me.
I ground my teeth as I hurtled toward them, faster than I’d ever flown before. Wind gusted against me as my anger grew. The skies cracked with thunder. Lightning pierced the skies, illuminating Nellie and Sirius locked in a strange embrace. She was fighting him, I realized, when another bout of lightning flashed across them. Her hands had transformed into claws, and he was holding her back as she tried to slice his face.
“That’s it, Nellie,” I whispered as I pounded my wings faster.
Rain slashed against my face. The cold droplets stung my skin, drenching me instantly. I blinked through the sudden haze, and I almost lost sight of them. But no, there they were.
I’d almost reached them. Two more minutes, and I’d have Sirius’s head in my hands. I didn’t care what he’d done to help me, or how hopeless he was against Andromeda’s whims. I would not let him harm my sister.
Sirius shoved his hand into Nellie’s pocket while holding back her claw. He ripped out the gemstones, then shoved his boot into her chest.
The world shuddered to a stop. Rain misted. The thunderous boom slowed. Nellie screamed as her body tumbled away from Sirius. She arched toward him, arms outstretched. My own hands reached out instinctively, though I was too far away to catch her.
And then time sped up. Nellie fell.
I screamed and dove after her, tucking my wings close to my body. My sister tumbled over and over on herself. Her brunette hair whipped her face, and her cloak wrapped around her legs, holding them together like a cocoon. Suddenly, her body went slack. She stopped fighting, though she pointed one finger at the sky. At the stars.
A sob choked me. I squeezed my fists against the pain and tried to force my body to move faster. Nellie had given up. She saw death coming for her, so she was embracing the stars.
“No!” I shouted at her, not knowing if she could hear my voice through the storm. “You can’t give up, Nellie, you have to fight!”
But fight what?my mind shouted back at me. There was no enemy here with us now. There were no beasts to defeat. It was just the wind and the rain and the ground rapidly rising to greet her in its deathly embrace. I choked, tears spilling from my eyes.
I’d thought I’d lost her once. It had nearly killed me. I couldn’t go through it again. She deserved more from life than this, and the world would not be the same without the brightness of her smile and the kindness in her eyes. Another sob shook me.
Nellie was only seconds from hitting the ground. I strained to reach her, but I wasn’t moving fast enough. I couldn’t do this. I needed help.
A feral scream ripped from my throat. “Kalen!”
