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Her crimson eyes hold mine hostage and she pulls out a long, black aura blade from her hand, pointing it at me and smiling like a crazy bitch. There’s something jagged in her other hand and she’s clutching it tightly.
“You were too late,Talia… I’m sorry.” A tear falls from her eyes and she lunges at Rune, slicing his forearm before any of us can react.
I thought she’d be after me.
No. She knows.
She’s found the final god to complete the curse.
His blood shines on the ebony blade and she presses the fragment of bone in her hand against his blood. We were fools to think we could get ahead of her…
The fragment of bone glows red and I feel a dark spirit within me rise to meet it.
I’m plunged into darkness.
32
Kastian
Arulius’s eyes are furiously blinking out the blood that relentlessly spills into them. I’m blocking as many of his tight punches as I can, but gods, I’m fucking spent. My jaw feels like hell and my core is on fire with the amount of aura I’ve expended. He’s clearly at his end too.
“What are you even fighting for at this point, Arulius?” I growl at him and I land a perfect blow to his cheek, sending him to the ground. I pant and spit out blood while I try to steady my legs beneath me.
Arulius glares at me, shutting one eye as blood spills into it from his forehead. “You wouldn’t fucking understand. You’ve never lost her like I have… You never had to… had to rip her heart out and watch her die at your hands.” His remaining purple eye blazes with fury.
He’s a mess. Traumatized like we all are, but twisted into thinking he is doing what’s right for her. Such a fucking idiot.
“That’s your own fault for following Violet’s orders like a blind dog. You can’t pretend like you're the one I should pity.” I kneel on his chest, setting my knee heavy on his bone armor. He rasps in a few tight breaths as I wrap my ruthless hands around his throat. “Because at the end of the day,youkilled her twice.”
His eyes round with pain as he chokes out, “I didn’t have a godsdamn choice, Death God.”
I squeeze tighter and he wriggles beneath me. “There’salwaysa choice.”
He goes limp, his arms falling to his side in defeat. He stares up into the dust clouds we’ve created. His purple eyes flicker with acceptance and then he smiles weakly into the sky.
“Not when you’re born of this realm by wrath,” he whispers and I wrinkle my nose at his words because he’s not making any sense.
“What do you mean,born of this realm?”
He flicks his gaze to me. He looks so fucking tired and I’m at my limit too. “I was born of Violet’s wrath. Her hatred and pain for Talia created me. There was no place for a God of Wrath before such pain was endured… I am her darkling, her shadow, herpuppet.”
I flinch and my marrow chills. Loosening my grip on him, I murmur, “You… You’re the god that was created after all else.” My mind whirls and a lump forms in my throat. He’s been her puppet all along. By his actions and feelings, he obviously has his own heart and soul, but he can’t disobey Violet… she controls everything.
He looks back to the sky, a frown cresting his lips, and nods. “I’m the odd sheep. The piece of this world that’s never truly belonged. That’s why I fight. I’ll never let her die at my hands again. Violet can control me if she wills it. I’ll never be trulyfree.”
“You’ve never lived as a human in the other realm.”
He shuts his eyes and nods slowly.
I stare at him for another second before cracking and gasps catch our attention. We both snap our heads toward Elodie and the others. Looks like Wren and Moro are back to normal, and Violet… What did she do?!
Elodie hunches over and screams. It’s so eerie and hollow that it rings through my entire being. It’s as if two voices scream as one and she clutches her head tightly, fisting her hair as if her mind is on fire.
“Elodie!” I shout and push off of Arulius.
I run to her. Her wings double in size and drip with steaming blood. Her once-beautiful feathers have gone red and when she looks at me, her eyes are black—like a dark, starless sky, void of any light.
“Elodie… what the fuck did she do to you?!” I shout as I turn to Violet and clutch my dear Eostrix in my arms. Wren and Moro are stunned and stare at her in horror. Rune’s eyes are desolate, like he’s lost the one thing he lives for.
