Chapter 51

Elanor

I’m walking among the living, but with each step, Death’s call grows stronger. I am a wraith tasked to bring wretched souls to the darkness where they belong, with me.

Bodies lie around me but I don’t see them anymore. They were dead the moment I laid eyes on them. My guilt is long gone. I don’t expect it will make a comeback now, not after what they’ve done to me, to the humans, to my people, and to the world. Airdan’s puppets deserve my wrath. They deserve their fate. They deserve worse.

My rage still boils, my power begging to be unleashed further, to burn this place to the ground.

Azran’s crimson eyes, like beacons in the night, bring me back from the edge. A group of soldiers stands in front of me.

Wyn is the first to step forward, pulling me into a side hug.

“Damn, Ela. Nice skills.”

His scarred face smiles at me, yet another reminder of what Airdan has done, but I return his smile, relegating the dark thoughts to another part of my soul.

“You too, Wyn,” I say as I eye his blade dripping with blood.

Pulling back, I turn to face the others.

“Cal,” I say, with a nod.

“Good to see you in one piece, Ela,” Cal says.

I give him a smile and lock eyes with several soldiers behind him, their gazes a mix of horror and admiration.

Azran steps forward, extending a hand towards me. I close the distance in a few steps and he tucks his arm around my shoulders, depositing a soft kiss on top of my head.

“Nice display of force out there, little one.”

I tilt my head back to stare into his hypnotizing eyes, a hint of mischief in them.

“More are coming. We need to keep moving,” he adds out loud.

Soldiers have gathered around us now, their widened eyes scanning their High Lord.

“To the central plaza.” Az turns to Cal. “We’re not far.”

Moments later, our column is marching north through destroyed streets.

Turning a corner, an imposing archway comes into view, flanked by smooth, curved walls stretching as far as the eye can see. A bridge arches gracefully over the canal encircling the enshrouded plaza within, its white balustrades and columns topped with elaborate carvings.

“Endya,” Cal intones as he raises his fist in the air. Behind him, soldiers freeze.

The arch looms tall and silent, standing immortal guard over its charge, confirming the enemy hasn’t reached this entrance yet.

When we get to the bridge, shouts echo down the quay and dozens of emerald soldiers emerge onto the street, running along the canal, crushing our fleeting hope.

“Vesta.” Calen steps forward. “Go back and take the side street.”

Airdan’s soldiers storm the avenue to try and cut us off as he dispatches troops.

“Wyn. Cover our units from behind.” The moment the order is uttered, Wyn gathers his fighters. “Circle back if you can.”

“Yes, General.”

“Soldiers, with me.” Calen locks eyes with me and Az. “You should go.”

I don’t think twice before making for the archway. There’s still time for us to cross the bridge before the enemy covers the distance.

I’m yanked back, Az’s arm tightly wrapped around my forearm.

“No fucking way.” The words come out as a growl, tension radiating from his jaw. “Airdan could have entered through any of the other three entrances and be waiting for us there. Going together is reckless.”

Were he not suggesting what I think he is, I would smile at his use of profanity.

“You’re not leaving without me,” I say through gritted teeth.

“I’ll be fine. If something happens, we can’t let Airdan get us both.”

“I’ll go. With my shadows, I can sneak past any enemy and join Keryth faster than you could.”

“No. We don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

I squint at him, knowing damn well why he’s being so stubborn.

“I won’t be reckless, I promise.”

Stone crashes into the canal as flames engulf a building a block away, lighting Az’s face in hues of red and yellow, the fire a pale comparison to his crimson eyes.

“They’re aiming for the bridge,” Calen warns, his voice rising above the madness.

Seconds later, the explosion reaches our ears. Another follows.

The violence of the blast sends me to the ground, coughing from the smoke burning my lungs and throat, its acrid smell filling my nose.

I climb to my knees and someone pulls me up. When the smoke clears, Calen releases his hold on my arm and I’m left to contemplate the destruction. Part of the quay has collapsed, taking the bridge with it, and debris litters the water flowing through the canal.

“Az.”

My stomach drops when I find only stone and rocks. He was right there with me. A pit opens in my stomach as I dig through the rubble with my bare hands, scratching at the rocks, inhaling dust with each gulp of air.

Urgency flares in my heart and my head snaps towards the archway on the other side of the canal.

“Azran,” I scream down the bond.

He’s holding the ledge with one hand while his other still grips Dagrassaeb. His boots sway in empty air, debris-filled water raging beneath him.

Straining to hold on, he swings his arm and throws his weapon over the edge before finding purchase with both hands.

Az pulls himself up enough for his leg to find hold, and finally swings himself onto what’s left of the bridge.

“I made it to the other side.”

I’m left heaving, my heart pounding in my chest.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I’ll scout the plaza and signal you through the bond when I know more.”

A cry tears from my throat and my fist hits the first rock I find. The zap of pain doesn’t tame the flames of rage inside me.

I have no way to get across the canal, no matter how powerful I may be. The distance between us is already growing through the bond. He’s gone, and it’s only a matter of seconds before he’ll be too far to reach me.

“Survive.”

My heart shatters as I whisper the command.

“I’ll see you soon, little one.”

His response comes instantly, granting me a short reprieve from the torment of separation.

The sun is ready to disappear behind the horizon by the time we finish off the last soldier in front of the destroyed bridge.

My gaze darts to the archway Azran disappeared through.

“Anything?” Cal asks as he cleans his sword on his thigh.

I shake my head in defeat. Not a word. He is out there, cut off from us, from me, wandering through the massive central plaza in the unknown.

I should have heard from him by now. I know I should have.

“We’ll regroup with the rest of our forces and make for the eastern bridge.”

“I’m not waiting,” I say, walking past him. He doesn’t argue.

My mind is made up, and he knows there’s no stopping me.

I break into a run.

With Nahtar still in hand and crimson dripping from its blade, I let my rage take over, fueling it with each step and the blood of each soldier with the misfortune to stand in my path.

I’m running along the canal, my pulse pounding in my ears and my knuckles whitening around the hilt of my sword, when a unit of emerald soldiers emerges from a side street.

Unleashing my power, darkness engulfs them. I don’t slow down to watch, letting their screams fill my ears as I push on.

When I reach Endya’s eastern entrance, a battle is already raging on the bridge leading to the massive archway, a perfect copy of the one Airdan’s soldiers destroyed. Several of our units are trying to take the crossing, paying for it with their blood as the arch towers over the dreadful scene.

“Found you,” I whisper to myself.

I jump on the first emerald soldier I see, slicing through him with Nahtar. Blood splatters and he goes down with a cry. I lunge at the next soldier and unleash fire on a group to my right.

“The Unifier!” a soldier screams. “The Unifier is here.”

I don’t turn back to look as I cut off a guard’s arm before digging my blade into her abdomen. They know I’ve come for them, and fear spreads like wildfire, sinking in their bones, closing around their hearts. They’re now dancing with Death, and hell awaits. I bring the only certainty in this world, their demise.

Having cleared a circle around me, I move closer to the archway. I keep dancing with my blade, Savage’s spirit grounding me in the back of my mind.

Another soldier falls at my feet and I push the next one off the bridge.

I break through their defense half an hour later and cross the bridge, leaving nothing but chaos in my wake.

I take off running as Azran’s face overlays my vision, strengthening my resolve.

Massive platforms of various heights greet me, water cascading over their edges into streams circling all around. I pause to reorient myself. Remembering Eren’s words, I make for the closest steps I find, eagerness shaking my heart.

Calling on my shadows, I wrap myself in their darkness as I climb several stairs at a time. On the landing, I emerge onto another level and look for the way up. The platform ends abruptly at a precipitous drop, the waterfall pouring over the edge the only way down, denying further ascent.

“Fuck,” I mutter to myself before turning back.

I make my way down and race across the lower level until I find another staircase.

The platforms loom staggered like colossal steps for giant beings, interconnected in a layout impossible to figure out at a quick glance. Each wrong turn tightens the knot constricting my chest.

It’s almost nightfall by the time I reach the highest level. Panting heavily, I turn around and dread seeps through my bones. From this vantage point, only two entrances are visible, but they’re crawling with soldiers fighting and I can’t make out which side is gaining terrain.

Explosions sound in the distance, but I remain focused on the cluster of domed buildings arranged in a perfect circle on the immense center platform.

Golden-roofed towers peak over the mass of construction in Endya’s heart, separated by narrow streets.

I break into a run, but I’m forced to slow down at the first turn.

“Damn it.”

I can’t search each street and building in this maze. It will take me forever on my own, and time is the one thing I don’t have.

Opting for a different strategy, I search for signs of altercations as I circle the elegant constructions, heading deeper into Endya.

My gaze darts around for landmarks, but all doors carry the same intricate designs and gold knobs, making it impossible to differentiate the buildings.

I scan the bond every few minutes, but I’m only met with deafening silence as I glide soundlessly ahead.

With my senses on high alert, I turn a corner and almost trip on a bloodied corpse wearing emerald armor.

My heartbeat accelerates as memories of the hours spent hunting game in the Dark Forest return. This is no different—I’m looking for clues and letting the terrain guide me.

Craning my neck past the edge of a building, I check for signs of the enemy before peeling myself from the wall and following the trail of bodies.

A massacre awaits me at the foot of a tower. A group of Water Fae lies dead on the ground, their blood soaking the grey stone.

Crouching by the nearest body, my fingers go to the dead Fae’s face, but my fingertips meet only flesh frozen in rigidity.

My head snaps up as a fleeting shadow darts across the moonlit street, and my heart sings in response.

Savage’s spirit stands in front of the tower’s entrance, guarding its heavily decorated door.

I cross the distance in a few steps, carefully avoiding the corpses around me. My wolf disappears when I reach the doorstep, leaving me wondering whether I imagined him.

A flash of red catches my eye as I study the massive wood panel. A bloodied hand is printed on it.

Murmuring a silent prayer to the old gods, I slip inside, my hand tightly wrapped around Nahtar.

I step in a pool of crimson. Several bodies have been cut in two, sliced down their middles. Hope swells before a growl tears through my throat. Why the fuck did Azran go in alone? He said he would come back.

Dismissing the tug of betrayal blooming in my heart, my boots sink into plush rugs now covered in blood splatter as I cross the building’s entrance.

Foreign corridors lit by sputtering torches greet me, and I’m forced to slow down and check behind each door I come across.

Expansive rooms remain pristine still, vivid carpets masking stone floors and ornate furniture untouched. Silver trays with half-finished meals or glasses of wine wait patiently on long tables, and empty divans fill neatly decorated living rooms, confirming not a single living soul remains on the ground floor.

Pushing a set of double doors open, a stairway comes into view at the end of a wide corridor. Everything is silent except for a faint gurgle. Gripping Nahtar a little tighter, I cross the hallway and reach the stairs.

An emerald soldier is sprawled over the steps, choking on his own blood. He’s gone before I can question him.

I repress the curse forming in my throat and take a deep breath as I check the bond, coming up empty.

The probability of me walking into a trap is increasing by the minute, and I have a choice to make.

Turn back and find reinforcements, or keep going.

I squeeze my eyes shut as reason fights with rage, heartbreak, and panic.

A chuckle escapes my throat. The old Ela wouldn’t have hesitated a second, but I’m not her anymore, am I?

I’m flooded with nostalgia when I glance at Nahtar, its blade shaking in my grip. The spirit world is at my fingertips, the barrier separating it from the living world but a thin veil in my mind. I sense a presence by my side.

“Father,” I whisper.

His image appears clearly in my mind, and with him comes clarity.

I understand now. I understand why he sent me away that dreadful night he was killed. I understand his decision and sacrifice.

He didn’t abandon me. He died to save me, to give me a fighting chance in this world, and I’m being presented with the same option.

Leave my mate to his fate, let him sacrifice himself so I can avenge the world, or stay.

Nahtar shines brightly in my hand, and for the first time, I feel its heat.

I can almost hear my father’s voice telling me to leave as tears roll down my burning cheeks and I grind my teeth until my jaw hurts. I’ve known misery all my life, and the world has spared me none of its horrors, but this might be the sickest one yet, or the final one.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “Where you end is where I begin, Father. You’ve always been the bravest on this earth.”

I break into a run, climbing the stairs three at a time, and serenity washes over me. There’s no going back now. I’m not my father. I never was.

I rush through corridors lined with corpses, following the trail Azran left me. I am Death, and today my judgment will be rendered.

I won’t leave my mate. I can save us; I know it in my soul. We can still kill Airdan. Alone, I’m deadly, but together we’re invincible. I believe in Death and her monster of war.

I slow down when I step into an empty hall with a double door at the end. The panels sit cracked open, though no sound comes from the room—the trap laid down for its prey.

Taking a deep breath, my power responds instantly, my vision darkening.

Fear rings down the bond. Only, it’s not my own.

Azran is alive, and he’s on the other side of this door.