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Another explosion sounded behind him. The copter again?
He stumbled.
I couldn’t comprehend what I was seeing.
A piece of the rotor had cleaved through his impenetrable armor. Through his side.
His helmeted head tilted down as he glanced at the gaping wound. He dropped to his knees.
I shrieked, “Nooo!” I sprinted for him, catching him as he collapsed to his back. “How? Your armor?” Nothing remained on that side of his torso, just . . . a wash of blood. “No, no, no.” I yanked his helmet off, stunned by his expression.
Acceptance.
“Win, Evie.” Blood spilled from his lips. “In the next game, find me.”
He can’t die; he won’t die. This couldn’t be happening. “Stay with me! You stay with me, Aric.”
“Letters for you, Tee, and Jack. In my chronicles. Forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive! You’re not going to die. I won’t let you!” Even as I said those words, I felt myself changing into the red witch. Claws gone sharp. Glyphs aglow.
“Sieva, your tableau is turning. I see it . . . reversing.”
Reverse, perverse. Was I about to succumb to the dark calling—when uncontrollable emotion reversed an Arcana?
Over my shoulder, I yelled, “Lark!”
She scrambled over.
“Heal Aric! If you can create flesh, you can heal him.”
She gave a shaky nod. “I’ll try.”
As she sliced her arm with her claws, Aric grated to me, “Fight the Emperor, but then you must find a way to harness your power. Return to Evie.” His eyes pleaded. “For our son. Everything for Tee.”
“We’re going to save you!” I turned to Lark. “Now!”
She poured crimson into Aric’s wound.
“The Emperor’s coming,” he said, more blood spilling from his lips. “You must be ready. You kill him here. Or you all die.”
“Lark!”
Her eyes glowed red, her fangs lengthening. Her body thrummed with power—but nothing happened.
Sinews and tissue had appeared as if by magic with that last beast she’d created. Here . . . nothing. “I-I can’t do humans! I can’t resurrect a person.” Her brows drew together. “I never could.”
Aric’s eyes were unseeing when he told me, “Read my letter. Tell our son . . . how much I adored him. And please, Evie, know that you are my heart. Es tevi milu. I believe in you.”
Kentarch yelled, “Incoming!” A colossal fireball bore down, heading right for us.
I couldn’t move Aric in time.
“Go, Evie.”
Leave him? “NEVER!”
Lark struggled to pull me up and yank me away. “Come on! Move, damn it!” At the last second, she lunged to safety.
Flames engulfed me and Aric. Shock. As I stared in horror, his face twisted with pain for a split second before life left his burning body.
Yet for some reason the flames didn’t affect me. I only felt a slight pressure around my neck.
Oh. Kentarch had wrapped a bloody forearm around me, was using his powers.
He’d teleported over to save my life, but he couldn’t seem to evacuate us. So he ghosted us, yelling from the effort to protect me.
He hadn’t been able to help Aric. When the flames abated, Death’s armor was empty. Only fluttering ash inside. His helmet rocked back and forth in the breeze.
He was gone. Murdered. No. Not possible.
Kentarch collapsed beside me. I couldn’t tell if he was still breathing.
Was I?
Shock. Real? Unreal?
Richter rode a flow of lava closer to the river, to Circe’s wave. “Burned to a crisp, Empress! I just played the Death Card. Man, has anything ever tasted so good?” He threw back his head and laughed.
That laughter. When I thought he’d murdered my Jack, that sound had haunted me.
I’d been wrong about Jack’s death, but I couldn’t deny what I’d just witnessed. Aric Dominija, the Endless Knight, was gone.
That laughter.
I made it to my feet. The river steamed as Richter drew closer.
Sol fired his last rocket. “I’m out!”
Lark dove to the stockpile of munitions, scrambling to help him reload. “All my animals are just melting. I need to keep the wolves close.”
Circe yelled, “My turn!” Sweat dripped from her forehead as she fought to control her wave. Her raised hands shook, her scales reflecting Richter’s flames. “No closer, fire starter.”
We all knew—even Richter—that the wave wouldn’t make a dent in his miles of lava.
With a scream, she directed it to crest above him . . . poised . . .
The surge crashed down over his heat with a blast of steam.
Back and forth went Aric’s helmet.
Real or unreal? A tormented sound left my lungs.
Richter emerged, glowing even brighter. “You can’t fight fire without fire, sea bitch! It was always going to go down like this.” The river was gone, the bed drying up as he rode his piping swath closer.
Sol launched another rocket.
Richter melted it. “You traitor!” He hurled a fireball.
It passed me and Kentarch by as Sol, Lark, and Circe dove for cover in the foxhole, narrowly avoiding the flame.
The Chariot hadn’t flinched. Had probably died.
Like Aric. Aric was dead. Murdered. Nothing could bring my husband back.
