“It’s too quiet. We should go back,” Kilian said, reaching for me.
“No.” I pulled away. “We came here to unbind the three of you. I’m not going anywhere until it’s done.” I understood the process. I knew what to do. I looked between the three of them. “Now, who’s going first?”
Kilian stared at me for a beat. He must have noted the grim determination in my eyes because he said, “Septimus. Then Syrina.”
Septimus shook his head. “No. Kilian first.”
Syrina nodded in agreement. “You’re our best shot against Primus. We’ll go afterward.”
Kilian scowled. “We’ve been through this. Septimus first, then Syrina. We don’t have time to argue. Lirah, go ahead.”
I stepped toward Septimus, reaching out for him. Reluctantly, he curled his fingers around my forearm. I did the same to him. And then I reached deep inside of me for the shadows.
Hello, again, wicked lovely, the darkness cooed.How would you like to wield me?
The magic coiled and unfurled inside of me, like a serpent’s tail or the feathered wings of a raven.What shall we do first? Shall we lay waste to Tarlor? Or shall we stop the hearts of our enemies and eat them for supper?
Neither. I gritted my teeth.We will unbind Septimus. We will release him from the bonds inflicted by Primus. And we will forge him anew in his rightful place as Adonitis, God of Luck and Fortune.
How dreadfully boring, the darkness clucked.But as you wish.
Cold magic seeped through my veins, black and dripping. Sparks erupted at the point of contact between Septimus and I, charcoal embers of starlight, crackling and fizzing, heating my skin from the inside out. Energy thrummed in my veins, pooling in a vibrant cascade that morphed and twisted into a thread of midnight. It flowed through me, and I sent it onward from my fingertips, into Septimus. I felt it balk as it touched his skin, touched the curse, retreating along the edges and curves, looking for a way in.
I pushed it further, willing it as Kilian had instructed me. The magic rippled through me and against the intangible walls of the curse. It pulsed once, then twice, and I felt the curse crack, splintering like fine china. The thread of power seeped out of me and into Septimus, in a rush that left me dizzy and breathless. I knew the second the curse broke, because golden light poured from Septimus in an arc so brilliant, it burned through my closed eyelids, eating away at the lingering shadows wreathing my hands.
My hold broke on his arm as a gust of warm wind wrenched through the air. I skidded back, sand skittering beneath my feet. And then, as quickly as it had come, the wind vanished. Light dimmed into a pale twilight once more. When I blinked, Septimus stood before me, a devilish grin on his face.
He didn’t look any different, but it had definitely worked: seconds later I was swept into a tight embrace. My feet lifted off the ground as he spun me. I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from my throat.
There was relief on Kilian’s face, but beyond that, so much hope. Septimus set me back on the ground and strode over to Lana to kiss her.
Syrina bounded toward me, her hand outstretched and a wide smile on her face. “I’m next.”
I reached for her hand as Kilian said, “We should hurry. Someone might have seen the flash of light.”
Syrina grasped my hand, and I reached for the darkness once more.
It happened so quickly.
Scarlet light split through the sky and the entire ground trembled. My knees hit the beach as a thick coil of cold metal snaked around my thighs. I gasped, blinking against the fading light. A male stood a few feet away, shrouded in red mist. When I turned to the others, I saw they had each been similarly bound. Kilian’s arms were clamped firmly at his sides, knees sinking into sand, but his gaze was on the male. A look of such hatred and fury blazed in his eyes that I knew exactly who had appeared on the shore before us.
“Well, well, well. Look what the tide dragged in,” Primus crooned.
CHAPTER 28
Primus gave the air of someone who was used to getting what he wanted. He had a shrewd look about him, accented by a pointed chin and clever, sly eyes. Brown curls framed his face, and he carried a thin wooden staff in his hand.
He surveyed the five of us like we were roaches that had trespassed on his beach. A cruel smile touched his lips as his gaze flitted to Kilian. “I am curious – how has life amongst the commoners been, Azrael?”
“Fuck off, Primus,” Septimus said. The binds around him tightened, his skin straining against it. Septimus had been given his full power. Surely, he should be able to break out of the binds?
Unless… even as a god, he was no match for Primus.
Primus looked to Septimus and tutted softly. “After all these centuries, I still cannot fathom that this is the rabble you’ve chosen to associate yourself with, baby brother.”
Brother? My jaw hung slack. Lana’s eyes widened significantly, but she didn’t say a word. I didn’t think I could handle any more surprises, honestly. My heart couldn’t take it anymore.
“You are no brother of mine,” Septimus hissed as the binds turned his skin red.
