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Her eyes are almost unseeing as she gazes up at me, her hand shakily cupping my cheek, but it’s cold to the touch.
My lightning immediately jumps into the wound, and Cora’s back bows, a scream wrenching from her lips as my magic spreads through her body. Despite her severed spine, she can feel the gut-wrenching pain my magic causes as it heals the severe, fatal wound she suffered. Light flashes around us so bright, I have to close my eyes. Those around us pause at the sudden brilliant light around us, curious even in war.
I ignore them all. All that matters is Cora.
My body forces out more magic, more energy, until I’m alive with it, humming with awareness and power. Cora continues to scream for long minutes, all while Nero cradles her in his arms and her other mates reach out to touch her while mine protect us.
The power is too great for my body. I’m channeling so much of it that I can’t stop the cascade. As I push to save Cora and hope that my power can mend a severed spine, the power begins to pulse out of me in large, constant explosions. It echoes across the battlefield and traces the face of every monster and hunter. It picks out my monsters and takes note of their small wounds andtheir exhaustion. How long have we been fighting? How many have been lost?
With a large, final pulse fueled by fear and anger, my power explodes outward, and my back bows with the force of it. I gasp and clutch my chest, as if to remind myself I’m alive.
The fighting stops so suddenly, the sounds of war halting into sudden silence, that I can do nothing but stare as my power fades and I push to my feet.
“You’re glowing,” Kaito whispers, “like a beacon.”
I can feel the warmth of the glow. I stand in the middle of this battle, worn and weary, my heart aching for it all. The light behind me fades, and Cora, my brave Cora, emerges from within to take my hand. There’s no time to celebrate and thank whatever god may have given me these powers because we must face two sides of this battle.
The war has paused, but it will resume unless we can stop it. We almost lost a queen today, and we won’t lose anyone else.
Those closest to us gasp at Cora’s sudden health, as many of them had witnessed one of their own kill her. The man in Grimus’s hold curses at the sight, fighting to free himself, but the minotaur is relentless.
“No more!” I shout, looking out over their surprised faces. Monsters and humans alike stare at the two sisters and those closest to us who had been healed simply from being close to the blast. “Look around you! Look at the death!” My voice booms across the silent battlefield, drawing every eye in our direction. Cora watches me with bright eyes, a single strand of orange flickering in her hair after so much of my magic went into her. For a moment, I thank the gods and the shadows for letting me save her. I will break later. “Is this worth it? When we are done, there will be nothing left to fight for!”
Cora blinks. She’s covered in gore, her body painted with death from this war. Still, she shines brightly. There’s no mistaking her for anything but a queen.
“You’re right,” she whispers, her eyes wide. “Kai, you’re right.” She turns and releases my hand, stepping forward. “Monsters, lay your weapons down and put away your claws. This war ends now.” She holds up her sword. “No more bloodshed. None of us will win if we carry on this way. All that will be left is our dead.”
For a moment, nothing happens, but as the last of her voice echoes across the battlefield, I watch as the monsters begin to do as she asks. Dade transforms back to his human form, as does Weyland. Kaito drops the blades he used. Rook draws his shadows back inside, leaving the area around him unusually bright. Cora’s monsters follow suit, laying their weapons down even if their gazes are harsh on those around them, daring them to take action against the queen—for some of the monsters are the weapons themselves.
The monsters set their weapons down, leading by example, and the humans around them watch in surprise. For a moment, I think this isn’t going to work, that the humans will choose to be the monsters and attack now that we are vulnerable.
Merryl appears from the crowd, his sword in his hand as he stares at me. I meet his gaze, my chin held high. I don’t back down. I am not afraid of my past.
“I loved you once,” he rasps, his eyes taking me in.
“I know you think you did,” I acknowledge, “but believe me, it was not love.” I look toward my mates, my monsters. “Love never abandons you. Love never judges you. Love is steadfast and strong, even in the face of death. Love is love.” I meet Merryl’s eyes. “And what we had wasn’t love. Not really.”
He studies me, looks between my monsters and me, and in a move that shocks me, he tosses his sword at my feet.
“Perhaps,” he responds.
The humans around him, seeing his acceptance, toss their weapons down, and it travels like a wave through the battlefield, human after human dropping their weapons and stopping this horrible bloodshed. Countless lives have been lost. This war will stain our history with blood, but I hope it will be a reminder of the strength we’re capable of.
Cora turns back to me with a smile on her face, and the scene flickers between this Cora, her battle worn and bloodstained armor reflecting the sun, and a Cora from long ago who shot me a smile despite the fact that she was about to walk through the wall into the Dead Lands. She’d been terrified then, but because of me, she smiled. This time, I won’t let her go alone. I won’t lose her again.
With a gasp, I run toward her and fly into her arms, and we embrace in the middle of the battlefield.
Three lands and two sisters.
Monsters and men as one.
A new future is born.
Chapter
Sixty-One
KAI
