“Cress will kill them both as soon as her goals here are accomplished,” Gideon growled.
“Then let’s ensure they aren’t accomplished,” said Rune.
At some point, Gideon had drawn his gun, pointing it at the soldiers on the other side. But he only had so many bullets, and every soldieralsohad a gun—most of which were pointed right back.
Cressida would have ordered Rune to not be harmed; she needed her alive.
Would she have ordered the same for Gideon?
No, she thought, remembering the witch who’d nearly killed him on the train tracks. Remembering Cressida pointing her gun at Gideon’s chest and firing—only to be thwarted by Alex.
Gideon was disposable.
Rune reached for his free hand, lacing their fingers tight as she scanned the gorge.
We are completely surrounded.
Laila and their soldiers were leagues away, heading forthe Rookery. Their allies here—Seraphine, Antonio, Juniper, Harrow—were hostages. It was only Gideon and Rune, surrounded by a deadly whirlpool, and on the other side: enemy soldiers. All of whom had their guns aimed directly at them.
Her breath hitched sharply. Cressida was now crossing the bridge, followed by several witches.
“Thank you for doing my work for me!” The witch queen moved confidently along the ropes. She’d discarded her traveling cape, and her casting knife shone at her hip. “You couldn’t possibly have made this any easier.”
BANG!
Gideon fired on Cressida and the witches with her. The bullet ricocheted off some invisible shield surrounding them and flew into the night.
BANG! BANG!
More bullets flew, only to bounce off again.
“Gideon,” Rune warned, seeing the soldiers surrounding them lift their guns, aiming straight at him. Waiting for Cressida’s command.
Gideon wasn’t listening. Rune felt his desperation with every shot of his pistol. Saw it in the unsteadiness of his hand as he reloaded. He was not going down without a fight.
Except the fight’s over,Rune realized as Cressida and her witches stepped off the bridge.
Their allies were all taken hostage. Their only weapons were Gideon’s gun—clearly useless against Cressida—and Rune’s spellbook. But any spell Rune tried would only be deflected by those magic shields. There was no point even attempting to cast one; by the time she drew the spellmarks, Cressida and her witches would be on them.
And Gideon would be dead from a hundred bullets.
BANG!
Cressida was ten paces away. She’d be here in seconds. The other witches were fanning out, preparing to surround Gideon and Rune. Beyond them, the soldiers cocked their guns.
Cressida raised her arm, about to give the command to fire. To end Gideon.
And suddenly Rune knew there was only one way left to beat her.
She thought ofEverlasting.A spell with no end.
Rune could keep Gideon safe forever with that spell.
She thought of everyone who called this island home. People who deserved to be safe.
Rune could keep them safe with her life—by giving it up before Cressida could steal it from her.
She remembered her dream at the summoning stones: her and Gideon, face to face, in the dark and the rain.It wasn’t rain,she realized now as the mist of the whirlpool soaked them.
