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We danced in a sphere of lightning and clumps of earth, masterfully attacking and blocking each other. I hated to admit that I was surprised by her skill set. I hadn’t expected her to be so competent.
But I was better.
I was made for this. I spent my whole life training for this.
She didn’t make many mistakes, but each time she did, I used it to my advantage. An elbow in the back. A cut across the bicep. A kick to the shin. Over and over again, I took whatever small win she would give me, until she was panting and hanging on by a thread.
Fighting at close range made it difficult for her to use her magic. She could strike herself just as easily as she’d hit me. So when she sent another bolt, I knew she was getting desperate.
I barely managed to evade it and she slipped out of my reach. When I straightened and found her again, she looked even more rabid than usual—hair tussled and clothing shredded. She was a madwoman. I didn’t want to know what it was like to be in her head.
“Give it up, Reyna. It’s over.”
“My sweet Ladon. It is so far from being over.”
I tilted my head and shrugged my shoulders. “Then let’s carry on. Shall we?”
She was breathing so heavily, and I’d struck her chest harder than I’d thought. A bright line of red stretched from shoulder to shoulder and blood dripped down the top of her dress. On the other hand, I was doing quite well. I had injuries, of course, but I was used to fighting through the pain. I’d mentally blocked it all out.
I smiled, knowing she was close to giving up. I could sense it.
But then she smiled back at me.
“Luther,” Reyna shouted. “It’s time.”
Time for what? I let my gaze bounce back to her guard and only caught sight of him for a moment.
Then he was gone. One second, he was standing in front of me and the next he’d completely disappeared. I heard what sounded like a light breeze, and I turned to find him standing next to Reyna.
She winked as Luther wrapped a hand around her upper arm. My insides screamed for me to make a killing blow. Screamed for me to leap through the air and close the distance between us so that I could drive my sword into her cold, black heart.
“No!” I shouted.
I never got the chance to make that killing blow. Just as fast as he’d appeared next to her, they were both gone.
My jaw went slack, and the silence and emptiness surrounding me sank in. They were gone.
Luther was a traveler—a type of magic even more rare than my siphoning abilities. I wracked my brain for any hint that he’d shown—any sign that I should’ve known—but there were none. As I looked at the dead guard on the ground, I wondered if he’d had any special talents as well.
I ran a hand over my face, smeared with blood and sweat, and I dropped to my knees. I looked up toward the sky and the gods who should’ve been on my side, and I screamed.
By the time I’d left the maze behind, the battle was swaying largely in our favor. Most of Reyna’s forces had been defeated. Some were fleeing, and I wondered if they knew their master had abandoned them.
As I walked through hordes of my men celebrating, one of my generals approached.
“Sir, what should we do with the living?”
Without Reyna, there was no one to officially surrender. Coward. “Take them prisoner. Kill anyone who resists.”
He nodded and moved to relay the message to the other generals while I continued back to the camp. Up ahead, I noticed a swarm of bodies gathered in a circle. Curiosity got the best of me and I moved my way through the crowd to see what the spectacle was. I couldn’t help but notice the way all conversation ceased as I weaved my way through the bodies.
My heart began to beat faster. Then it stopped entirely as the crowd parted and I found myself in a small clearing. Emilie knelt on the ground with my brother’s head cradled in her lap.
He looked so peaceful with his eyes pressed shut. A peace I hadn’t seen on my brother in years. I swallowed hard and Emilie looked up with tears in her eyes. She gasped at the sight of me. Her bottom lip trembled as she said my name.
I could hardly hear her though as I collapsed. There was a ringing in my ears that blocked out all other noise. I pressed my hand to Cyrus’s cheek, choking back a sob when I felt how cold his skin was.
A haggard breath escaped his lips, and I almost lost it. He was still alive, thank the gods.
