The other shadow, seeming to have been moved by what the Southern King said, slowly backed away from me and toward my sister.
It wasn’t until they materialized that I understood.
It wasn’t Rayven, as Robynhad thought.
Instead,Mateastepped out of the shadows, kneeling next to Viva.
My…sisters.
Robyn looked upon her,shockwritten across his features, though there was an underlying level of understanding mixed in, too.
I slipped back into my physical form, forcing my arms to stay by my side instead of trying to stop any of the bleeding.
“I’ve got you,” Matea said gently, wrapping her arms around Viva’s vibrating shoulders. But before theydeparted, she locked eyes with me.
“Where is my mother?” she asked—no,demanded.
“Not here,sister,” I sneered, blood dripping into my eye from a gash in my eyebrow.
“Don’t call me that,” she seethed. “As a matter of fact, don’t calleitherof us that. You’re nothing to us, Dimitri.You are nothing.”
With those final words, she dissipated into shadows, taking Viva with her.
Though as their dark forms slid away, another smudge of black marred the sky above—and was coming closer.
Ziana. And on her back sat Val.
Robyn followed my gaze, though hedidn’tshrink away from the fight approaching him.
Thatwas something I could appreciate.
Yet before Val could make it to us, the most powerful surge of shadowziriliumI’dever experienced washed over me. Not my own—no. Whatever it was, it wasapproaching fromthe gaping hole Viva had managed to tear into the wall.
And it was approachingfast.
“What did you bring?” I asked Robyn, an edge of horrorin my voice.
“What are you—”Hewas cut off by the sound of my soldiers screaming coming from the battlefield.
It was hundreds—no,definitelythousands—of shadows that began pouring onto the battlefield from the hole in the wall.Their presence was sonumerousand overwhelming that I could feel the weight of their power pressing against my bones. I barely even registered Ziana and Val landing on the opposite side of the roof from all the energy electrifying the air.
“I’ll say it again, Dimitri,” Robyngroundout, taking a step forward as he motioned to his army—and my falling soldiers. “Call off your army.”
As I opened my mouth to refuse, though, a callused hand landed on my arm.
And the relief I felt at that single touch struck me to my core.
Turning my head to look at Val, she nodded slightly, then dipped her head toward the battle below.
She wanted me to look.
Slowly, I did as she pleased.
It was a bloodbath, I noticed.
And it was Northern blood being shed.
If I ever wanted to win, I had to plan my next moves wisely. Andremaininghere, I realized, would only weaken us. Weakenme.
