“I’m sorry, Ellowyn. I’m tapped,” Leal called, exhaustion heavy in her voice.
“Go. Stand with Leal behind the line of Mages. See what you can do to help them. They very well may be our last line of defense,” I said grimly as I shoved Talamh in their general direction.
His glare was nothing short of murderous, not happy to leave behind his brother’s body.
“That’s anorder,” I growled, and he finally listened, sluggishly pulling himself toward Leal.
A buzz settled suddenly under my skin, pulling my gaze away from the group of Mages and back to the front lines.
Time seemed to still, magic flying through the air in slow motion, the world around me stilling and growing silent until all I could see were two figures striding through the carnage. The battle seemed to bend around them, never coming close to touching their godly skin.
My lips curled back in a snarl as I pulled on both of my magics at once. I pushed heavily to my feet, exhaustion pulling at every muscle and bone in my body, but I was unwilling to give up yet. All around me, Mages and Vessels from the Academy and the rebellion lay dead or dying—cadets I’d trained with stared at the sun rising over Vespera with unseeing eyes.
Boys and girls too young to be here, dead before they could even Awaken and defend themselves properly.
It was a disgrace to the very nature of our existence.
And I turned my hate-filled eyes on the two responsible.
Solace strode confidently through the courtyard, her whiteness nearly blinding, with a smug grin etched on her stupidly perfect face. Her brother, Kaos, stood a few paces behind her, the shadow to her light.
Theywere the reason so many were dead and so many more would die.
Theywere the reason I couldn’t just live in peace.
I snarled, anger coursing hot in my veins, before striding purposefully toward the approaching gods. I batted away feeble attacks as if they were nothing, my magic operating almost on unconscious autopilot. As if it knew exactly what to do to protect me.
Kaos stopped suddenly, wary eyes assessing me and the destruction I’d left in my wake.
Fine. I’ll take his sister then.
After all, only a god can kill a god.
“Solace!” I called. The goddess halted her steps before her grin stretched terrifyingly wide.
“Mage,” she intoned as she shot an ice arrow straight for my heart. Instantly, a tendril of Destruction Magic snuck out and disintegrated the ice before it could even get close. The goddess narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side before changing tactics. She formed the rough shape of a sphere with her hands, wisps of white mist gathering between her palms, before opening them and exhaling gently.
Slowly, the ball of white mist floated across the courtyard, its direction clear. Without thought, I held up my right palm and my Creation Magic burst forth, dispelling the mists just as they started to become corporeal.
“Impossible,” I heard Solace hiss, her infinite voice bouncing from all directions. Mages and Vessels on both sides of the conflict ceased their warring in favor of covering their ears. My eyes scanned the crowd, instantly finding Torin’s honey eyes wide with fear. Mouth agape, he seemed to reach for me, but he would be too late.
This was my fight now.
“It seems my brother has kept secrets from me,” she purred. “No matter. I shall kill you just as I murdered your predecessor. Then the magic you possess will respond fully to me.”
“You can try, Solace,” I called, my voice much steadier and more confident than I felt. A feral grin ripped across Solace’s face.
“Oh, I will love bathing in your blood, little goddess,” she cackled before unleashing a bolt of ice straight for my heart again. I barely had time to block it before a windstorm swept me off my feet and carried me closer to her.
Scrambling, I pushed my Creation Magic to create a vine that attached to the ground, hastily pulling me from her magic’s clutches.
My heart pounded in my chest as a wave of water enveloped me, nearly stealing my breath. The wave was over just as itbegan, and I emerged exhausted, soaked, and sputtering for breath. Rain and lightning fell from the sky next, and I hastily created a structure from the fallen Academy stones just as lightning struck in quick succession, making my hair stand on end from the electric force.
The realization came quick—I was no match for Solace, so far out of my depth that it was almost comical. Fear like I’d never known before crawled up my throat and constricted my airways.
I was going to die here. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
I was exhausted from fighting so long already tonight, my magic dwindling and sputtering even as I tried to call forth a tendril of Destruction.
