“Because you know it to be true! You have seen him. You know there is something not right about him.” Ravin takes a step forward.
“The only one who’s ‘not right’ is you.” I watch his every movement.
“Why do you think he is void-born? Why do you think he can wield cards in reverse?”
I don’t know.But I don’t need to. I know the man Kaelis is with every part of me. I know him in my soul.
“So give your power and your loyalty to me instead.” Ravin outstretches a hand. “Work withme.” His desperation tells me he definitely does not have the real golden cards. I wonder if he got what King Naethor had and is returning from testing them at the font of the World.
“I would rather die.”
A noise of disgust. “Then die.”
I barely have time to react before cards fly through the air, shooting past Ravin’s open palm. Magic explodes in a violent swirl of wind and flame. I throw myself to the side, but another spike of magic swells overhead in the form of a fiery club. It crashes down, and I narrowly avoid it. The Ace of Swords, Ace of Wands, and then Ten of Wands in quick succession tells me two things.
The first is that Ravin isn’t holding anything back. Not that I thought he would. The second is that his deck has many more cards than mine. At this point, both me and my deck are running empty. And it wasn’t like I prepared myself tonight to fight Ravin of all people. This must’ve been his plan all along—use the Stellis and enforcers to wear me down in the city and wait for me in the one place he knew I’d run to.
With the Five of Swords in my hand, I go on the defensive. Our swords cry out against each other, and sparks fly. My arms tremble with the force of every blow—he’s stronger than he looks. More desperate. He’s not going to let me go alive this time.
I feint, trying to gain some distance. I see the Knight of Swords rise, and I barely have time to cast the Seven of Wands. It deflects seven of the blows, but seven more hit. I reel backward, Ravin lunging. I barely have the strength to hold my sword and parry as blood pours down my left arm.
“You honestly think I’m going to let you use the World? The one thing that could be my undoing?” His pupils are blown wide, swallowing the dark brown of his eyes, making them look nearly like Kaelis’s.
“You think so highly of yourself that you think the only thing that could bring you down is a wish on the World?” I grit my teeth, disengaging; he ripostes, and I parry again. “I don’t need a legendary power to destroy you.”
Ravin leans in, our swords warring. “How much of this world will you end up destroying to save what remains? Who are you to decide what is real—what is worthy? All I want is to know I will continue to exist; does that make me wrong? Am I lesser than you if that is my sole desire?”
The ground beneath me shifts. Another Ace of Coins. I use my own to firm it up, scrambling away as I fight for my balance, jabbing at him wildly and barely getting in a nick before he pushes me. I hit the ground hard, the back of my head cracking against one of the gravestones. I blink, the world spins, and I nearly vomit. My grip relaxes on my sword, and it vanishes with a flash of pain and a whisper of wind. All the while, he approaches as I frantically feel out my deck. Only a few cards left. None of them useful.
“You’ve lost.” Ravin towers over me, eyes gleaming with triumph. I grit my teeth and try to get up, but his boot presses into my chest. “You thought you were so strong. But all you had was a parlor trick and a prince to hide behind. You think Kaelis will help you? He’s a monster, and you’re playing right into his hand. He’s never loved you. He loves the idea of what you represent—loves finally having all the cards under his control. And above all, he loves feeling like he has control of fate.”
“Fuck you,” I spit, trying to twist from under his boot. He holds fast, pressing so hard I wheeze.
“I’ll give you one last chance.” He lowers his voice, leaning closer. Ican hear the shouting of Stellis in the distance in concert with the clamor of their plate. The guise drops. “Tell me where he hid those fucking cards, and I’ll spare you.”
“Never.” I thrash as he raises his blade. If this is it…I won’t go down without being able to say I fought until my last. I cast the Queen of Wands—perhaps making myself incredibly alluring might stall him. It does nothing. I cast my final Ace of Swords, but no blade of air will ease his grip on his sword. I use the last card—a Seven of Cups—to try to shift my appearance to be more like Leigh’s. But the man does not even flinch.
Footsteps pound in the distance. The Stellis are closer. But all I see is Ravin.
Arina.
Kaelis.
Everyone…
I’m sorry.
Ravin’s blade rises and comes whistling down.
Then the night splits apart. A shock wave of purple-black flames races over us. My right arm feels like it’s about to rip off as tendrils of ghostly white light vein over me. Ravin is sent flying. He crashes against a monument and falls hard. I roll onto my stomach, gasping for air. Every rib feels as if it’s popped from my breastbone. My eyes land on a lone figure standing at the graveyard’s edge, positioned between the city, the Stellis, Ravin, and me.
Never have I seen Kaelis look so utterly murderous, and I can’t stop the smile that breaks across my face at the sight of my future husband.
Magic writhes around him, rising from the ground around his feet, flaring from his shoulders like wings of night and purple flame. His coat billows in the wind, and his eyes, void of any emotion but loathing, lock on Ravin.
When Kaelis speaks, it’s with an ominous growl in the back of his throat. “Never touch my wife.”
Chapter 78
