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I glanced at Jeremy, knowing he wouldn’t be thrilled at the idea of me giving the sword to someone who had just been viciously attacking us moments before, but my gut was telling me this was the right thing to do. I didn’t have time to question it.
“Here,” I said, holding Bond Breaker out to Nytara. Her eyes widened in surprise. “Take it. Use it tuh free Raven and Prince Amon if yuh can.”
“Conrad -” Jeremy growled, but I shot him a glance.
“Are you sure, Obeah Man?” Nytara asked, eyeing the blade warily, and I nodded.
“If yuh find dem, yuh need tuh set dem free. What if we take longer dan expected?” Not to mention, she was at risk of re-enslavement without a shadowstone weapon of some kind.
Nytara glanced nervously at Jeremy, before nodding, and taking the sword from me.
“I will not fail.” She promised. Jeremy stepped forward and cocked his gun, making eye contact with Nytara. She met his gaze without flinching.
“If you betray us, and something happens to my daughter, I will kill you.” His voice was dark, and terrifying. I heard the truth in his words. He would follow through on his threat, and The Siren seemed to understand that as well. She nodded, her face serious.
“I will not betray you. I owe you my freedom.” She said quietly and Jeremy nodded curtly.
“Here, take this with you. If you run into any trouble, do not hesitate to use it.” My heart skipped a beat in my chest when I realized she was handing me The Flute. I took it from her, jumping as its terrible magick hummed in my palm.
“Yuh should keep dis, tuh help yuh here!” I exclaimed and she shook her head.
“If I am captured they will have both Bond Breaker and The Flute. You need to take it far from here. Put it somewhere safe or destroy it. It doesn’t matter, as long as it does not fall into the wrong hands.” Nytara whispered, and I could see from the tightness on her face, how much it had disturbed her to use The Flute against us.
“‘Aight.” I said. I could understand her hatred for the instrument. It did not feel like a neutral piece of magick. It was a weapon, and wanted to be used as one.
“Conrad let’s go. We’re wasting time.” Jeremy snapped, shooting Nytara another suspicious look, before turning to Tidewalker.
I gave Nytara one last determined nod. “Bi careful.” I said.
“You too, Obeah Man.” She whispered.
And with that, Jeremy and I mounted the sea drake and took off for The Court of Pride.
Nytara
Iwatched Tidewalker take off and soar toward the crisp line of the horizon. Several other sea drakes exploded from the water and I sent a prayer to The Origin that they would make it back in time before the Queen or her prince were killed. The sun was already making its descent, which meant the evening’s events would begin shortly.
Aquaflit fluttered down on my shoulder and chattered in my ear anxiously. I looked down at the dark sword Conrad had given me and pursed my lips.
I had resented the fact that Amon carried this sword for centuries and never seemed to do anything of true value with it. I had seen him do horrific things in Ash Nevra’s court without batting an eye, and had hated him for it.
He had watched as I was forced to slit my brother’s throat and had done nothing, despite the fact that I had believed him to be free. I realized now, how wrong I had been. Seeing Amon these past few weeks, in contrast to the Amon that had haunted The Origin’s palace, there was no comparison.
The Amon from my past had been ordered to torture and kill as well, but the methods had always been milder, and the end had always come sooner. At the time, I had thought him cruel, for publicly slitting the throats of the innocent. Over these last few weeks, seeing what she was forcing him to do, I realized how much of a kindness he had been attempting to give his victims.
Never once, had he whipped someone to death when he had been free. Never once had he skinned someone alive, or committed any of the other violent and cruel crimes he had been forced to enact these past few weeks.
Holding his sword, and knowing what I was about to go up against, I felt I truly understood him in a way I had refused to see before.
Amon had only been one daemon, with one sword and he had done as much good as he could without giving himself away. He had played the part of loyal follower to Ash Nevra so well that I had fallen for the act along with her. The Dark Prince had always known he couldn’t save everybody, but he had saved as many as he could with the small amount of power he had.
Now, I was one daemon, with one sword. Though Amon had never saved me, I knew now that he likely would have, if the opportunity had presented itself.
Giving Aquaflit a determined look, I set off at a brisk jog back toward the villa.
Amon may have not been able to save all of us… but maybe I would be able to save him.
Amon
