Straightening, I lifted both of my hands and willed my black chains to crawl up my arms, a few links hanging from my fingers. Then I jumped towards Azazel. He seemed ready, leaping my way as well, as if he’d understood exactly what I was hoping to do.
Get to Az, shadow walk home,survive.
Another burst of darkness shot between us, forcing me to nearly shatter my ankle as I hit the ground and pivoted back the other way. Iblis Altair chuckled, the deep sound almost seductive in the way it bubbled out of him. As if he enjoyed this moment very much. I looked up, catching sight of Talon’s wide, slightly watering eyes settling not on me, but on Az.
“He’s your best friend,” I said, trying to get Talon’s attention. “All you’ve done this last year is exactly what you once believed he’d done to you. You’ve given up on him, Talon.”
A tear traveled down Talon’s cheek just as the general once again began his attack. Passing Talon, Iblis Altair charged forward, sending burst after burst of magic out of his palms.Not every shot sailed towards us at blazing speed, some of them morphed into snakes, viciously biting at our ankles and wrapping around my legs, forcing us apart.
With a deep, guttural scream, Az ran at his father, ducking and dodging every offensive attack thrown his way. I watched in awe as he stomped snakes and twisted in the air, his boot just barely missing his father when Iblis Altair leaned backwards. Az landed on his feet, his hand reaching towards the stone ground to steady himself as his head flung up.
As Father and son locked in battle, Talon darted towards me, his amber eyes soft and his lips curved down into a frown. His skin was sallow, undereyes dark. He looked exhausted. Lifeless.
“Supernova, please, just come home. I’m sorr—”
I punched him in the face.
My knuckles collided with his cheekbone, bones rattling as my hand cracked slightly beneath the pressure. Nearly unfazed by my action, Talon wrapped his thick fingers around my wrist, yanking me forward.
“Be reasonable, Nova! For once, just fucking listen!” Talon pleaded. I brought my knee up into his groin, smiling when he grunted in agony. Rotating my wrist, I ducked under his arm and pulled, freeing myself.
Hunched forward now, he groaned, letting his hands rest on his knees. I took the opportunity to lift my leg and shove my boot into the side of his face, watching with glee as he collapsed. He was making it far too easy, but I wasn’t going to complain. If he wanted to act like a fucking idiot, then I’d take advantage of that.
Daring to look away from him, I watched as Az and his father fought. It seemed Az was on defense more often than offense, forced to evade twice as much as he fired back. Blood dripped from somewhere beneath his cloak, just as it dribbled from his mouth. His father appeared unscathed, but I could tell by theway he scowled that Az was doing better than either of them had thought him capable of.
Only seconds after I looked away, Talon came barreling towards me, taking my legs out by shoving his shoulder into my thighs, wrapping his arms around me like a vice. I flew to the ground, the back of my head slamming into the stone and making my stomach roll with nausea.
Gasping for the air that evaded me, I wheezed, tilting my head to the side and watching as Azazel’s body flew into the wall behind him, his back and head slamming into the wood so hard that it cracked beneath the weight. He slumped to the ground lifelessly, blood coating his face. As if we were destined to mirror one another, I felt the blood seeping from the crown of my head spill across the stone, coating my cheek and temple.
“Are you okay? Stars, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard! I just got angry!” Talon’s voice was hysterical as he leaned over me.
Iblis Altair stalked our way, shoving Talon to the side as he bent down with a twisted sneer. He lifted me by my braids, forcing my feet to go under me as my scalp cried in protest. When I was upright, he used his grasp on my hair to pull my face towards his, the spit flying from his mouth coating my blood-soaked face. Up his neck and across his cheeks twirled shadow marks, the dark swirls making his protruding veins less noticeable.
“You worthless, disgusting excuse of a shaytan!” he screamed into my face, his eyes wild as they stared into mine. That was when he finally noticed. “Your eyes…”
Laughing, I tried to shake my head, earning a violent jerk of my hair. “They went away for a while. Apparently, they finally decided to listen to me.”
“What have you done?” he asked, his voice hysterical.
I only continued to laugh, smiling now. “I reminded them of what the real goal is.”
Roaring like a wild beast, he dragged me to the wall and slammed my face into the wood, a loud crack following the jolt of agony that traveled from my face down my spine. I screamed, blood pouring into my mouth and causing a sort of garbled shout. Iblis Altair grabbed my neck—men truly couldn’t fathom any other way to kill a woman apparently—squeezing as he once again spit out his venom inches from my face.
“You are a disease! A stain on our society! The stars will once again choose me, because they now see you for exactly what you are.”
“Or maybe they understand the world better now,” I wheezed.
“I lived with them in my head for decades, stupid girl! The stars won’t save you nowbecausethey understand the world—the universe itself! The strong conquer and the weak serve! Men rise and women fall! I was raised to be more than anyone else could ever fathom, and you were raised to die of starvation and become nothing, just as everyone in your foul eadi family before you!” Blackness creeped into the sides of my vision, the blood leaking into my mouth dripping down my throat and making what little air I could swallow flood my lungs. All the while, the general continued to shout in my face. “Our mighty rulers will do anything for entertainment. They’d give up any of us for a moment of reprieve from their monotonous existence. Do you think they’d throw everything away for whatever ideals you hold? Please. They’llnevergive up their search for amusement, because it’s all they have. And now that they’ve finally realized you can’t give it to them, I’ll kill you and earn their favor by burning down everything you eadi care about! I’ll finally be enough! I’ll be their chosen one again!”
“Put her down!” The yelled order startled Iblis Altair enough that he did release me somewhat, the sudden flow of air so harsh I wondered if I’d suffocate on it.
My eyes, which had felt like they might burst, strained to see the figure who stood across the way. Was it Az?
No, not Az.
Talon.
Chapter Forty-Five
