Page 52 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

—but an eerie sense of knowing snapped my attention aside.

Brown eyes, heavy with an ache I couldn’t name.

A face I would’ve known anywhere, pity painted across it.

He marched through the chaos, disarming opponents and dropping souls to the earth with terrifyingly swift blows. They writhed in the dirt behind him.

This was the part that felt like torture.

Watching the conflict unfold without the ability to intercede. I couldn’t stop it. Couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t cut the enemy down myself or protect our people as they fought their way toward Moros, who blocked, shielded, parried, and crushed their minds from within.

Helpless.

Always helpless, except when I could jump out the injured.

Even as I dropped the third writhing soul at Kenna’s feet, my heart ached with the need to do more. But Ken couldn’t jump with my accuracy, which left me as a celestial ferry, yanking the wounded away from death and depositing them at the outskirts of the fight.

I was preparing to jump to August when a familiar baritone sounded behind me.

“I heard you assholes were saving some fun for us this time.”

I whirled, wide-eyed, to find Alec and Fae standing there in full armor.

No.

No, no, no.

Too many.

Every remaining player in the prophecy had gathered in one place—and that bastard was here to collect his pieces.

“You cannot be here,” I snapped, my gaze locking on Fae before faltering at the determination in her bright blue eyes. “Look at me,” I demanded.

She did.

The stony set of her jaw mirrored my righteous fury. Only she possessed the training to do something with it.

“Winnie…” I breathed.

“Will grow up knowing her parents didn’t stand by and do nothing while her world crumbled,” she said, leaving no room for negotiation.

The earth shuddered beneath our feet as lightning cast harsh shadows across her face. I swallowed hard, seeing Aren’s unshakable stance and rock-solid resolve stitched into the souls before me.

I nodded. “Give ’em hell.”

They returned the gesture in unison and vanished into the chaos, blades swinging.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

More.

I had to do more.

“Cyrus!” I barked, looking up at his aerial assault.

Those haunted eyes snapped toward me, fury written across every inch of his face.