Then it hit me. The dragon oath. I had sworn to do whatever it took to save Malovia— promised to pay any cost.
But the price I was willing to pay… I had never imagined this.
Bile rose in my throat as Elijah gave a horrible wail. The spriggan sunk his claws into Elijah’s back, and ripped, pulling apart his rib cage. I heard my cousin shriek in agony as his back was split open, and his organs spilled out from behind his spine. The spriggan put his head down and began feasting on Elijah’s open flesh, swallowing his liver and stomach whole.
Emma scampered backward, jaw dropping open as her skin turned green. I crawled toward Elijah as quickly as I could, lips quivering, as the spriggan continued its feast.
Gabby’s eyes were blank and dark. She observed the spriggan enjoying his meal, like she couldn’t believe her eyes. Tears spilled past her lids. She and Elijah’s gazes connected. He reached out his hand to touch hers, like that was all he wanted in the world. She held it loosely, her form shaking in disbelief.
When the worst was done and there was no turning back, my voice returned to me. “Stop!” I cried out hoarsely. “That isenough!”
The spriggan whirled to face me, anger resonating at my order. Elijah’s blood was dripping from his teeth and claws.
“Go back to Edinmyre,” I commanded. “Now!”
The spriggan let out a wretched hiss, and vanished. By this point, I was near to Elijah. I looked at his broken body as he hunched over his knees, and counted organs missing.
Gabby didn’t react to my presence. Her shock had made her frozen.
“Cousin,” Elijah rasped. “Hold me.”
I did not know how he found the strength, the ability, to speak, but I honored his request. I brought his front to my chest, and felt his failing heartbeat. I wanted to take him in my arms, but what could I hold without causing him pain?
Elijah gave a short breath against my ear, and his body stilled. A coldness infected my heart and crept over my skin as his heart ceased to beat against my own, and his skin turned cold.
I took Elijah’s corpse by the shoulders and laid it on the ground, on its side. Elijah’s vacant eyes glassily stared out at Gabby.
She raised a shaking hand, and laid it on his cheek. “My mate?” she whispered.
Elijah did not respond, as we knew he would not. Gabby gave a wretched cry of grief. She knelt forward, to place a kiss on Elijah’s bloody lips that he could not return, a black heart full of love that he could no longer reciprocate.
Gabby straightened up. She gave a scornful, despising look to me that caused me to wither from the inside out. With a scream of great sorrow, she lifted her hand to conjure a spell, and end me in the most painful way she could possibly imagine.
But before she could, Emma was in front of me, her sword at Gabby’s throat.
“Surrender,” Emma said softly. “It’s over.”
Gabby’s voice echoed with grief. “I’m going to make you pay for this,” she stuttered, gaze locking on me. “You tookeverythingfrom me that mattered. One day, I will take everything that’s yours. And I will savor each moment of your suffering.”
Gabby cast her spell, an explosion meant to kill us both. Emma flung up a shield at the last moment, to protect us, but it was almost too late. Both of us were still blown backward by Gabby’s magic. We rolled against the roof, and once the world stopped spinning, I looked up. Gabby had taken to the sky, spreading her wings and soaring into the gray clouds, which had ceased to pour any rain.
Gabby amplified her voice, and it echoed over the entire university as she cried out, “Retreat!The king is dead! Retreat, if you vow to one day avenge your king!”
There were multiple noises that rose above the university— victory for the students, moans of despair from the soldiers. Gabby flew off, heading in the direction of the mountains.
With the loss of their king, his army began to scatter. Some broke off and made a run for it, but most summoned their wings and followed Gabby, soaring through the air. Andrik, Oren and Zander abandoned their fight with our friends, and sailed after her.
I was still kneeling by my cousin’s body. Emma put a hand on my shoulder. I grasped it as our friends came to land on the roof beside us, gathering in a circle.
Odette put a hand to her lips. “I can’t believe it,” she breathed. “King Elijah, really dead.”
“Let’s burn him and be done with it,” Stefan said blatantly. “I long to be rid of him.”
“No,” I said sharply. “His body will be moved to lie in state at theKaterina da du Boyina.”
“What?” Everyone looked up.
“He was a king,” I said. “A miserable king nonetheless, but still one that should lie in the halls of his fellow monarchs, and be buried in the tombs where my father is after nextHeimskanun.”
