Magdalina approached Korva with a snarl. “I suppose you want to be next.”
Korva came to her senses and fled. She knew when she’d been beat. She summoned a portal and vanished into it, disappearing from sight.
Magdalina hurried toward Lucien. She used the same spell she conjured before to destroy the iron chains. They fell off of Lucien’s limbs, setting him free. He appeared unbothered by Magdalina’s incredible magic and simply stood, rubbing his wrists.
He took me in an embrace. “Did they hurt you,dzika?”
“No,” I forced out, but even still, I trembled. I would’ve rather they tortured me than destroyed Dolinska in the manner they did.
There was a loud crashing sound, and I wondered if the very sky had broken. Instead, I watched in horror as Milonna’s cathedral came down, finally succumbing to the terror of Droga’s black flames. Upon the horizon, my spirit convulsed as I watched Droga fly closer.
Worldweaver! Droga cried.I am coming for you!
“The three of you must leave,” Lady Magdalina said shortly. “I will handle this.”
“You can’t!” I begged. “Not even you can fight a god!”
“Droga will never let you go. Someone has to stop him from following you.” Her mouth was hard as she faced Droga like he was nothing at all.
“You’ll die,” I wept.
“Everything dies, Emmaline. The birds die, the fish die, and even someday, you will die, though it is not this day. What is death, except a departure into a new world?” Magdalina asked. “I am old, and I am tired. This body no longer serves my interests. Leave me be.”
“No!”
I felt like a toddler protesting the departure of a grandmother. Magdalina had been my first introduction to the fae world. She’d taught me so much about magic, about skating, about myself. She’d guided me along on my quest and been more than my teacher. She’d been my protector. I wouldn’t have survived this long without her.
And I was certain I wouldn’t continue to survive if she wasn’t at my side.
She’ll ask you to do things that are extremely difficult, and she expects success every time, my mother whispered yet again. The warning she’d given me before I’d come to Malovia echoed in my ears.
This was the most impossible thing Lady Magdalina would ever ask of me; allowing her to become a sacrifice. How could I accept that she wanted to lay her life down for me?
And yet, how could I stop her?
Time halted as Magdalina swept her cloak behind her and forged onward, calling magic into her hands. Magdalina used her magic to forge stone golems out of the fallen stones. The stones jumbled together until they made men of concrete and steel, charging Droga as an army of giants. Magdalina created dozens of stone golems, forging a blockade of concrete soldiers I was sure not even Droga could get through.
I was wrong, though. Droga put his antlers down and charged through the army of stone giants, shattering them to pieces. Gabby flattened herself to Droga’s back and gave a wicked grin. Droga slowed to a stop as his hooves touched the ground, standing before Lady Magdalina.
I didn’t expect you to be here, Droga lolled.What a charming situation.
“I prefer you in your grave,” Magdalina said dryly.
And I prefer you in yours. You are standing in my way, Droga said, impatience rattling his voice.
“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Magdalina cast her hand upward, and sparks emitted from her palm. They fell into Droga’s eyes and he gave a cry of pain, shaking his head back and forth to scatter the sparks away. Gabby screamed, letting out curses.
Lucien turned away from the fight. “The iron has weakened me. I cannot forge a portal for our escape,” Lucien said. “We must flee on foot.”
“We can’t leave her!” I screamed.
Lucien changed into a wolven and cried, “Ethan, with me!”
All my begging and protests didn’t do any good, because Ethan tossed me on his back with his head, and began running after Lord Lucien. Against my better instincts, I looked back.
Droga was bleeding from the eyes. His blood was black, thick like tar. He circled Lady Magdalina and blindly attempted to stomp her beneath his hooves. Lady Magdalina cast up harsh spells, one that whipped Droga’s legs and burnt his feet.
Droga howled, rearing backward. He almost toppled over. Gabby had to flounder to remain on his back. As he came back down on all fours, one of Magdalina’s spells hit Gabby on the side of the head. She slumped forward and fell off Droga’s back limply onto a pile of rubble, completely knocked out.
