“No need,” Elaron says calmly.
A pulse of light and Talia’s corpse evaporates, gone in a flash. Daisy’s scream is soul-rending.
“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” she whispers, her voice shaking. “You tore everything away from me once… and now you’re doing it again.”
She stands slowly, her legs unsteady as she takes a single step in front of me. Her crown ignites, white flame bursting from her head like a star exploding in the cosmos. The Divine Six simultaneously freeze, taking in the sight of her. Velentha’s the first to move, falling to one knee with her head bowed.
“The Queen born of ash has risen. Reborn as the sun,” she whispers. “And she has come to burn us all.”
Seraphiel’s mouth opens and closes several times like a fucking fish out of water. “No,” she mutters. “That does not belong to you.”
“Why are you wearing that crown?” Amarithe snarls, her lip curling in disgust.
“That does not belong to you, mortal,” Mal’Thariel growls, his otherworldly voice sending a shiver skittering down my spine.
“I believe,” Elyistria says calmly, stepping to Daisy’s side, “you’ll find it does.” The two stand together, hand in hand. Sisters, light and rebirth, magic and fire.
“You let her wear Dasmyrin’s crown?” Seraphiel spits. “You stand by this mortal and call her your equal? You truly are a fucking idiot, Elyistria.”
Elyistria’s expression doesn’t waver, even when Seraphiel speaks Dasmyrin’s name with such hatred it makes my skin prickle. She looks at Daisy, giving her a nod of reassurance.Daisy raises her chin, her spine straightening, and I can’t help but smile at my fierce little flower.
“I am not mortal anymore,” she says, her voice strong and steady despite the chaos surrounding her. “And I remember what you did to me. Especially you.” She raises her hand, pointing a finger at Elaron, venom lacing her tone.
“You cast the soul-erasing spell. But you forgot something, didn’t you?” She moves from between Elyistria and me, stepping closer, her fury radiating from her. “I created you.”
The room goes sosilent I can hear every heartbeat within it; each beat like a war drum, warning of the storm about to break loose.
“You could never truly defeat me,” Daisy says, voice like fire. “It was only a matter of time before I returned.”
She raises her chin, staring each of the Six down as she squares her shoulders. Her crown blazes on her head like an ancient warning.
Seraphiel’s shriek pierces the air. “NO! She’s just a weak, pathetic mortal. She is not her!”
Daisy doesn’t blink, doesn’t falter. And she sure as shit doesn’t stutter as she stares down the biggest bitch in the celestial fuckery known as the Divine Six.
“You led the charge to destroy me, Seraphiel. I will not let you succeed a second time. This is my kingdom. This is my universe. And you need to remember, I created you—not the other way around.”
Seraphiel staggers back like she’s been struck, clutching where her heart could be—if the cold bitch had one. Calrix roars and hurls another blade straight at Daisy’s chest.
This time, I don’t allow myself to think; I just react. Hellfire surges from my hand, catching the blade mid-air and turning it to ash.
“And that,” I say in a calm, deadly voice, “was your third fucking mistake.”
I reach my arm up over my shoulder, drawing my sword from the sheath at my back. I move to Daisy’s side with Aran, holding the sword in my right hand, the obsidian blade hissing to life as pure black flame licks down its edge.
Sariya moves to Daisy’s other side. “This does not have to end in violence. I know what happens if war breaks out, and nobody fares well from that choice.”
The Divine Six don’t speak. Velentha stays kneeling as the rest of them stand snarling. They had no intention of letting this go; they want war, they want blood, and every single one of us knew it. Sariya lets out an exasperated sigh, knowing they’ve made their choice.
I feel a presence move behind me and glance sideways—Vor’Khar steps up beside Elyistria, hands crackling with lightning as thunder booms outside of the castle. Another motion draws my eye as Maelkar joins Sariya’s side, grinning like a feral beast.
“Well,” he drawls, “you fuckers gave up trying to control me long ago. You knew you didn’t stand a chance against the Shadow Tongue and his creations. But in case it isn’t clear, I stand with Queen Daisy. You fuck with her, you fuck with the shadow realm.”
My lip quirks up as I watch him flip off Calrix. Maelkar may have mentally tortured my girl, and I still owed him at least one fucking punch for it. But he stands by her now, so I may just let it slide.
Virena slowly steps forward, taking place beside Vor’Khar. Rain suddenly batters the windows as she speaks.
“I, for one, am real tired of you pretentious assholes. I stand with Queen Daisy.”
