She kept her arm outstretched over the blade. “Will there be pain?”
Theo whispered his answer as if he didn’t want to give it. “Yes.”
She touched the smooth hilt, admiring the clean ivory color.
What’s your purpose, Helaina?
What purpose was there after all this suffering? What was left?
Callum had found one; Theo knew his. What was hers?
She closed her eyes and kneeled down, still facing away from those that had brought her here. How fitting that her journey started with a blade to her chest, and it would end the same way.
A purpose in all that pain.She could only think of one.
To rid this realm of Dolion and anyone who followed him. She would take his entire being and wipe it from existence.
She craved retribution. For herself and everyone he had wronged.
With eyes closed and courage gathered, she gripped the hilt with both hands, cradling that ancient blade as if it were a dove she was setting free. And with every bit of strength she possessed, every ounce of force she could muster, she drove the blade home.
Straight through her heart.
Theo watched as the woman who drove his obsessions made the blade connect. His deep inhale as the dagger pierced its mark was audible, as his own hand reached for the center of his chest.
A flash of white light erupted from its entry point between her breasts. Helaina’s scream rang loud. Then there was silence. It took every ounce of discipline not to run for her.
But he remained still, not interfering with the ritual. All his restraint couldn’t stop the whisper from leaving his lips.
“Come back to me, Hel.”
He felt Callum’s eyes on him. All Theo could look at was her. He had seen this ceremony thousands of times. All the Divine had come here. Every single one of his soldiers had used that dagger—everyone but him.
That dazzling beacon of brightness shot from the girl in every direction. The bone dagger dropped to the ground, not an ounce of blood dirtying the piece.
Her mortal soul ended in that moment.
The white glow took over Helaina’s body. It spread across her skin like paint on a canvas. He watched her, wishing he could touch that skin once more. He wasn’t sure if her shielding against him would still exist when she returned.
At least for a fraction of his time, he learned what that could feel like, to enjoy someone with abandon. His heart was fuller for knowing it—for knowing her.
Her entire body shone like a fallen star, fully encased in the light. Callum and Theo hovered their hands above their faces to shade their eyes from the aggressive glow. Then, like specks of sand in the breeze, the brightness started to fade, and so did Helaina. First her arms, then her legs kneeling below her. The silhouette of her face looked back only once.
Then she was gone, that radiant light disappearing with her.
His heart pounded as he stared at where Helaina had stabbed herself without an ounce of hesitation.
“It’s been so long... I almost forgot what this could feel like,” Theo remarked.
“What do you mean? What do you feel?” Callum asked.
Theo met Callum’s gaze. “Fear.”
CHAPTERSIXTY-ONE
BEFORE
Helaina sat atop the watchtower staring into the night sky, as she had done nearly every night since Krysta died. It was the only place she could avoid the accusatory glances that lingered in this castle, the disappointment and the disgrace.
