Yazmin had lost control entirely, and she was searching wildly for something in the folds of her cloak.
“You see,”Ocnolog said,“they’re not as loyal to their Charmers as you’d think. The love you speak of must not be real.”
“That’s not true!” My gaze bounced from creature to creature, until I found my beasts grouped together at the front of the line. They trembled under the weight of Ocnolog’s compulsion, shaking their heads and snarling at nothing in particular. Aeon. Reine. Dominus. Iky. Kinana. Kapro. So many more. I wouldn’t let Ocnolog convince them they weren’t loved.
Turning back to Ocnolog, I called on every ounce of power I had left. Rosewood light fractured around me until I was drenched in an otherworldly glow, and I thrust both hands outward. The leaves, flowers, and vines along my arm bloomed to life, luminous against my skin. Celeste’s magic lived within me, warm and soothing andreal. Holding my chin high, I dared Ocnolog to tell me again how I wasn’t worthy. Then, I wrenched open the beast realm door. The signature groan was a beautiful melody, proving Celeste had granted me access to the realm. To my beasts. To everything that made me, me.
“You might think I’m not worthy, but you’re wrong.” I took a definitive step forward, and Ocnolog hissed. “My beastschooseto be with me. I don’t need dragon speak to compel them to stay by my side.”
Thunderous roars sounded at my back, and I knew I’d broken through Ocnolog’s magic. Without hesitating, my beasts rushed over and stood tall against the monstrous dragon beast of legend. They ignored the open door calling them to safety, and instead remained with me. Their love and devotion—the same emotions I felt for each one of them—washed over me, soothed the pain in my side and calmed the burn along my skin. Tears flowed freely down my face.
“You,”Ocnolog said, his voice a dangerous whisper. He lowered his head so that his snout was only inches away.
“Enough of this!” Yazmin shouted, finally securing what she’d been searching for—the blade she’d used to pierce her heart. It was still coated in blood, and she pointed the tip of her dagger over the stained patch of red across her blouse. Right through the same slit in the fabric.
Beneath her, Ocnolog froze.
A wild laugh bubbled from her lips. “Remember who’s in charge. You are bound to me, and I to you.”
Ocnolog shuddered and cast one look beyond me to the battlefield. Charmers were still screaming, begging for their beasts to come back. They didn’t care about power. They weren’t looking to control their creatures. All they wanted was to know if they were okay. And with every bellow or heart-filled cry, another beast began to quiver in place. Confused groans simmered from the backs of their throats, and they swiped at their faces, trying to rid the dragon speak from their ears. One by one, they succeeded.
And then they abandoned their stations to rush toward their Charmers. Only when they were reunited did they dare to glance back, to stand defiantly in front of the person who loved them most, and snarl at Ocnolog.
Slowly, he swiveled his head in my direction and pried into my mind.
This woman was reason enough for me to believe that I’d been right all along. Celeste was the only one who could be trusted with such power. And yet…Ocnolog’s voice was free of Yazmin’s feminine tone, and his body gave a visible shudder, as if he were fighting to hold on to what little control he’d wrangled from her.
Yazmin pressed the dagger flush to her chest, and a rivulet of blood welled against the tip. Ocnolog’s gaze went cold, all semblance of consciousness wiped away in a breath. Yanking his head back, he let out an earth-shattering roar. Spittle rained down on us from his open maw, and Yazmin laughed.
“Ocnolog…” I whispered. The agony he felt was palpable. Not just because Yazmin controlled him, but because he’d loved Celeste with everything he had. When the goddess had shared her gift with the Charmers, he’d felt betrayed and unleashed fury on the world.
What he didn’t understand, though, was how deeply Celeste had loved him. How she couldn’t bear the thought of ending his life, no matter how dangerous he had become. So she did the only thing she could—she sacrificed herself to grant him peace in eternal slumber. But when Yazmin awakened him, breaking the spell and proving to be everything he feared Charmers would become…
Fire and brimstone, just like the prophecy predicted.
The prophecy.The rosewood light around me sharpened as the words flashed through my mind.A loving hand with the gift to break… Offers their heart…It was as if Celeste herself whispered the words into my ears, and time seemed to slow. The goddess had given her life as a show of love for her beast. She’d broken their bond so that he could find peace.
Just like you.Realization slammed into me at the same time a wondrous warmth bloomed in my chest. I had broken bonds before. I had given beasts peace when they’d been lost or subjected to a Charmer’s whims. Wynn and his Scorpex. Yazmin and the Vrees.
Myhand had the power to break.
And as I stared into the endless ruby eyes of Ocnolog, I knew what I had to do.
Thirty-Eight
Noc
The grating clang of metal on metal filled the air, punctuated by the chest-rattling roars of beasts and monsters. All of it was a din as I fought against Darrien, parrying swipe after swipe of his devastating scythe. I’d always pegged him for a warrior, but his skill was startling. So used to seeing him hide behind his bow, I hadn’t been prepared for the swift arcs of his attacks, the whirl of his feet as they cleverly darted across the body-strewn earth. We moved with the shadows, bleeding in and out of existence as we tried in vain to outmaneuver one another. We’d each landed a few blows—a cut across his cheek, the gash in my arm, a smattering of bruises and welts—but nothing fatal. And every time I tried to send a droplet of blood racing toward one of his open wounds so I could control him, he’d deftly escape it. And then his skin would heal, just like mine, and we’d be back to hacking at each other all over again.
Rearing back, he brought his scythe swinging through the air. I thrust my blade forward, turning the broadside toward him, and effectively halted his attack. Our weapons scraped together, and I snarled.
He answered with a growl of his own. “Iwillkill you, Noc.”
Pushing all my weight into my arms, I shoved him off and sent him tumbling back. “All this because Talmage made me guild master? You went as far as to align yourself with Varek? Yazmin?” Fury burned through my veins. His arrogance had split my home in two. I’d murdered my own brethren because of him. Because of his actions. All for a title he thought he deserved.
“You’ll never understand.” He regained his footing and charged.
Shadows ensconced my feet, and I leapt away. “No, I won’t.”
