Page 160 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin

“Gods,” she whispered.

The Ashvins threw out another wave of nightfire. It struck her in the chest, but she could feel her resistance weakening. Her anchors were dimming again, flickering to only dim points of light.

The sphere of her silver light began shrinking, and the demons recovered as they shook off her ebbing power. Horror swirled in her gut as more nairatta advanced, their roars echoing across the mountains.

They were lost.

She’d come so close.

“There are too many!” Row shouted. “We can’t stop them all!”

Zarya gritted her teeth as another flash of the Ashvins’ nightfire struck her in the heart, and magic ripped through her bones and organs.

She didn’t know how long she could hold on.

“What do we do?” Apsara called. “This is burning her out!”

Zarya bent in half, her eyes squeezing shut and the muscles in her neck straining as she tried to cling to her power.

How could they be losing? She’d done everything the gods had asked of her.

Why hadn’t it been enough?

“Zarya,” came Row’s deep voice. “Look.”

She lifted her head and opened her eyes at where Row was pointing.

Vikas fought at the end of their circle, trying to keep the nairatta at bay. Ribbons of shadow magic swirled from his fingers and wrapped around the throat of a massive demon to cut off its air. It clawed at its neck as it choked on a scream. It took only a minute for the monster to collapse and stop moving altogether.

But Vikas… Vikas… was outlined in the faintest silver light.

“The Taara Aazheri,” Zarya whispered as she understood everything all at once. “We need them, too.”

“Vikas! Vikas!” she shouted. “Vikas!”

At first, he didn’t hear as he swung his sword and lopped off the head of a demon. The silver outline flared brighter as the creature succumbed.

“Vikas!” Row shouted, and then Vikas turned to look over his shoulder.

“Get in the line,” Zarya screamed. “Get everyone! We need all the Taara Aazheri! Join the line!”

Vikas shook his head as his brow furrowed.

“Please! I’ll explain it all later!”

He nodded and came running over, slipping his hand into Koura’s.

Immediately, she felt a surge of strength, her silver light spreading to include him in the protection of her magic.

The Chiranjivi began shouting for everyone to join hands.

The message filtered across the field until they all caught on.

They trickled in at first, and Zarya’s magic grew stronger with each addition. It filled her up, ballooning across the growing line.

That’s when she noticed the Ashvins watching her. Watching all of them.

They worked together, flinging out nightfire, sending it in every direction. A beam struck her in the chest, and she screamed, but the pain diminished in the face of her new strength.