She offers a weak, painful nod.
We hold the line.
CRACK.
A spiderweb fracture appears on the flawless face of the crystal spire.
Soryn screams, backing away from the console. "No!"
CRACK.
The fracture spreads. The agonizing hum of the Bore turns into a screech of dying, twisting metal. The internal pressure of the conflicting frequencies tears the machine apart.
Kael takes one shuddering breath. Blood stains his lips.
He delivers the final, devastating note.
A roar. A challenge. A promise to the deep.
SHATTER.
The Tidal Bore explodes.
It foregoes an explosion of fire or shrapnel. It explodes in sound. A shockwave of pure, heavy silence blasts outward, knocking everyone flat against the marble ground. Guards, scavengers, nobles, all swept away by the invisible tide.
The crystal spire disintegrates into a blinding cloud of fine diamond dust.
The podium console ruptures, throwing Soryn backward into the decorative fountain.
Silence claims the High Plaza.
A real, profound silence. The sickening hum fades. The fighting stops. Smoke rises from the ruined metal of the podium.
Pulling myself up from the floorboards of the porch, a high, thin whine rings in my ears. My dagger slips from my fingers.
"Kael?" I whisper, wiping the crust from my eyes.
He rests against the rusted railing of the porch. He breathes hard, his broad chest heaving. Blood drips from his nose and ears, staining his gray scales. The raw, terrifying power fades from his form. He looks exhausted.
Yet, a smile graces his lips.
He looks at me through the settling dust.
"Did you hear that?" he rasps. His voice presents a broken, jagged ruin, stripped raw by the effort.
"Is that a serious question?" I ask, sinking to the floorboards beside him and pulling his heavy head into my lap.
"No, not me," he rumbles, closing his eyes. "The quiet. It's nice."
I laugh.
A sob catches in my throat.
Leaning down, I bury my face in his solid chest. I listen to the steady, comforting beat of his heart. He is alive.
"You did it," I weep into him, holding him close. "You broke it."
Below us, the diamond dust settles on the marble floor like fresh snow.
