All of it surrounding the prince.
Only … the prince is gone.
Instead, in his place, an enormous snow leopard stands, staring at me with purple eyes.
The cat opens a mouth filled with huge fangs.
Androars.
After that, the Zhagarn fall into fear and chaos. They stay and fight, but between the snow leopard tearing into them, ripping skin and rending bones, and the flames on my body that burn any I touch, they’re terrified.
Still they fight.
And still they hurl daggers at me.
For every two that miss, one plunges into my body. A blade drives deep into my thigh, knocking my leg out from beneath me. I start to fall,catching myself with my hands before I smash my face into the stone floor. But then a massive jolt smashes me sideways, and the flames finally vanish.
I almost laugh. All it took to put out the flames was a dagger to my ribs.
I try to catch my breath, but I can’t. I hurt so much, both inside and out. I’m probably dying, and my friend is already dead.
Trick.
I need to get to his body. If I’m dying, I want to be next to him.
Friends, together in life and death.
But someone is screaming now. Many someones.
Shock breaks through my resignation when I see Elianna rise to her feet.
She’s not dead.
She’s not dead.
Three Zhagarn lie broken and bleeding on the floor around her.
When she throws her arms out and levitates into the air until her feet dangle a full pace over the ground, I stare at her and dimly realize what must have happened.
Her magic came back.
All at once, the Zhagarn flooding into the room drop their weapons and clutch their throats. They choke and howl and fall to their knees, eyes bugging out of their murderous faces. Begging.
Pleading.
Choking.
Dying.
Elianna’s magic came back, and she reached the Thirteenth Pillar.
She did it.
This is the Last Kiss of Breath.
Every single one of them dies choking, desperate for air, and my only regret is that their fear and pain don’t last longer.
I force myself to stand. The snow leopard, tail swishing with fury, stalks over to me and pushes against my side to help me walk. He’s so huge, his head is as tall as my shoulder.
