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“Goddess of the moon, I draw upon your help. Unify me. Empower me.” Adrenaline awakened in my body as every inch of me cracked with sharpness. Golden light struck down from the heavens, rotating around my arms, sliding down my body. A scream of pain pierced through me. My head yelled to run, but I’d done that my entirelife.
The light burned, and Iwailed.
The ground shook and black serpents slithered upward, curling up my legs andhips.
No more fear. I am finishing thisnow.
“Unify me. Empower me.” I chanted over and over, biting past the sensation ofdrowning.
I shook, unable to feel where I started and ended. Half of me scorched with fire; the other froze withice.
“Unify me. Empower me,” Isobbed.
The two opposing energies collided above my heart and shattered outward into a brilliant light, blinding me, cutting through me. I screamed from the sharpness spearing into me, as if someone were dissecting me into thousands ofpieces.
Gasping for a sliver of air, I hit the ground. My ears rang with each heartbeat. Thumping.Pounding.
Stars twinkled in the tapestry overhead and the moon hung low tonight, almost glowing. Each breath I took rasped in mylungs.
Within me, an inferno blazed. But it felt different from before. Less smooth and warming. Now it came with thorns. And not a single sensation of Lilita stirred. Had the goddess driven her away or had I merged ourmagic?
Rolling onto my side, I stared at Talin, his eyes wide open, notbreathing.
I scrambled to his side. Butchered bodies riddled the land, including Tristan. Their chests rose and fell with each breath… thank the goddess he was still alive. I recalled how rudely I’d spoken to him, then stole his horse. Those memories would have stay with me forever if I’d killed him. He was controlling, manipulative, and made a terrible boyfriend, but he didn’t deserve todie.
My gaze shifted to the fallen princes, also unmoving, and a strangled cry pressed against my throat. A shear nothingness took hold of me as I stared at my four shifters, and I choked on my tears. My reversal spell had cursed Talin’s brothers. Now I’d delivered them to their deaths. I sank to my knees next toTalin.
“Please, come back.” I shook his shoulders. My chest constricted and crushed my ribs. I remembered the way he would stare at me with desire in his eyes. I locked that away foreternity.
Tears flooded my cheeks. I shouldn’t have survived without them. Not like this, never likethis.
I reached a shaky hand for Talin’s chest. Fire singed my insides, but I refused to believe this was the end. A crack of energy pinched my skin, and I forced my magic down my arm. It danced across my fingers, the tethers twisting together. At once, it speared into his chest, and I jolted from theimpact.
He didn’t respond, and I broke out into a desperate cry. I couldn’t be toolate.
Popping sparks of dark and white flames encased my hands. I lifted myself and raised my arms. “Lift my princes. Ash, Talin, Leven, andRaze.”
Power pebbled through me, and each of their bodies elevated.Focus. I sailed my arms and the men toward the tub. Two at a time, I placed them inside. “Sit.”
And they did as I commanded, the water lapping at my knecks, without an herb in sight, just as Lilita had done. Darkness spread within my chest, swirling together with the light, as if together they balanced one another to perfect harmony. Had I been wrong to believe I only needed oneside?
Had I fought against Lilita because the unknown had scared me when the whole time she’d just been a part ofme…
Hell. Shewasme! My powerdivided.
I shoved that aside and ran to my princes, tears dripping down my cheeks. But I couldn’t fall apart yet. I collected the bowl with what remained of the rose paste, then climbed into the coolwater.
My hands shook as I reached Talin and yanked the blade sticking out of his stomach. Blood gushed out, pouring out of his body like a dam, tainting the water. Had I been too late to savethem?
Not thinking, just focusing as Mom used to, I sliced my wrist and dropped the knife. I blinked to clear my dancing vision, and emptiness swirled through me. Blood trickled into the water, spreading outward, and I collected blood into the bowl I still held. I mixed it with the rose contents. Dizziness swirled across mybrain.
No time.I approached each prince and smeared the paste onto their cheeks and lips, pushing some into their mouths. A swirl of red trailed me, and the world tilted aroundme.
I clasped my earlier cut on my arm to my lips, tasting myself, swallowing theblood.
I cried out, “Heal my princes. Take my blood and bestow it upon them. Give themlife.”
A new force prickled across my skin, different, yet similar, as if it had always been there within myreach.
