Knowing this place would become rubble the moment we unleashed our magick against each other, I channeled through the void. In a heartbeat, the mild temperature of the temple was replaced with the numbing winter air, so sharp and powerful this high, as I enticed Nightsdeath to strike me out here instead.
He didn’t waste a breath.
A familiar stroke of dark awareness slithered across my nape, all the warning I had to spin and throw out a bright flare to clash with his starless blast.
The collision was as stunning as it was devastating. When it cut off, we chased each other through the snow that fell, which hindered me but not him. My only advantage was that I could move through the void and he couldn’t, leveling the playing field. That started to annoy him as I used the void to dart around him, play with him. The velocity of his attacks amplified.
This was the Nightsdeath that would kill me over and over and not feel a shred of remorse. He was furious, realizing I’d tipped Auster off about where we were heading, and I had to admit, I was torn about the deception I had to play too, but it was just a distraction.
You have to kill Nightsdeath.
My soul cried at the thought, but if it wasn’t too late, I had totry.
“You lie as prettily as you look; I have to commend you,” Nightsdeath called, but there was nothing admiring in his tone.
A stroke of darkness shot for me, and I twisted. It didn’t blast past me but rather snaked around my ankles, quickly ensnaring my body. My hand was free enough to send a coil of light around me to extinguish it.
Nightsdeath raised his arms, and in one elegant motion it conjured the darkness around us, flooding in front of him before forming into a giant serpent that loomed high, swallowing the distance to me as his steps did.
I stumbled back from the rippling animated serpent, but I rallied my own magick, conjuring a huge wolf made of light that stood off against the serpent.
Heart thundering and breath heaving, I didn’t know how much longer I could contend with him.
Despite the energy of our clashing power unleashing an angry storm around us, a faint caw caught my attention enough to glance up. Through the whorls of dark and light, a large crow flew overhead, circling. It was so peculiar. Almost… familiar. With the sight of the dark bird I remembered my guardians. A seemingly jarring drift of my thoughts considering the circumstances.
You have to kill Nightsdeath.
The distraction cost me.
I choked when Nightsdeath’s hand wrapped my throat tightly. I clawed at his fingers, snapping my wide eyes to his glowing amber irises. He hissed when my wolf made of light wrapped its powerful jaw around the neck of the serpent. I used that advantage to strike his chest and gain a second to brace for his immediate advance.
As I stared at the hauntingly beautiful version of Nyte that stormed for me, uncertainty stalled me, and I again doubted that killing Nightsdeath could end the shallow heartbeat in his true body.
Shadows grew around me and I took in their wraith-like forms.
Everyone who faced Nightsdeath saw a monster—a merciless killer. No one stopped to see that pain made vicious things. Pain only knew how to fight back. To deflect. To ease some of the suffering so we could survive.
“I love you,” I said. The darkness gave no reaction. “I love every version of the night you are.”
A tear slipped down my cheek as I braced my stance.
“Love is not a cure; it’s a poison,” Nightsdeath snarled.
I didn’t declare it to reason with him. I knew he would repel anything warm or true. I’d been there before.
Yet I loved all of him anyway.
Nightsdeath reached me, and I didn’t try to attack or defend this time. When he gripped me, I slipped a hand over his face, which bore such rage and repulsion for me. Then his darkness started to devour me.
Shadows crept over my body, and my eyes pricked at the devastation that engulfed me. I didn’t let go of his blazing amber eyes. The darkness seeped into me—through my eyes and nose and mouth—seizing my whole body with the agony of ash curdling my blood.
I could hardly remain standing with the shadows tearing me apart from the inside, scorching and shredding and consuming. I fought with everything I had to not let death claim me yet.
Just a little more.
I had to absorb as much of him as I could tolerate.
As I pushed up on my toes, Nightsdeath wrapped an arm around me as my lips met his.
