72. Tori

We all flew at Hadeon, swords drawn. Steel flashed against lightning as we surrounded him. We were all worn down, bleeding, and half-drowned. It was too easy for him to parry us. Behind him, Abraxas was more blood than skin at this point.

Iwanted to draw my sword and strike him down; the rage in my heart was overwhelming. I took a breath and controlled it. There was something better I could do. I reached down into the well of magic beneath us and sent it to everyone, strengthening them.

Woundsstitched closed faster, and I saw Avlyn surround Hadeon in a massive ball of water. He wasn't contained for long before his lightning cut through, but it was enough time for Abraxas, Kaleos, Raula, and Noki to surround him.

Theyall swung at once, but Hadeon still contained so much power. It was unfathomable to me. We had cut him off from Malech's heart, but still, he managed to overpower everyone. I tried to send more mana to Abraxas, but I could feel his weariness overpower it.

Fourswords struck at Hadeon at once, but he built a shield of lightning that cast them all back.

Hiseyes locked on me, and he charged. "Time for our dance, Princess." I was too locked into the earth to move.

Junstepped in front of me. "SLEEP!" Hadeon fell to his knees but would not obey, resisting the command. His hand shot out, and lightning lanced over my brother"s chest, and he flew back.

"JUN!" BothPallas and I were at his side in an instant. He groaned; his armor was burned away, and his chest was blackened. White light danced over the wound. I pulled mana to him, and the light burned away the dark.

Thesword wielders were on Hadeon again, but he had pulled up a shield of lightning, keeping them all at bay. I sent mana to Abraxas and Avlyn, and their magic swirled over the shell of Hadeon's power.

Ihad an idea. "Pallas, Jun, help me."

Igrabbed each of their hands and pulled as much mana into us as I could. The mana connected us, connected our hearts. Bright white magic swirled with Pallas' soft blue.

"What are we doing, Tori?" she asked.

"Making a lock, master enchanter."

Puremagic shot out of the three of us. It slammed into Hadeon, and he fell to his knees again, clutching his chest. Tendrils of mana rose out of the ground, lashing around his arms and legs. He struggled against them, burning them away with lightning while he kept the swords at bay, but he couldn't keep us out. Jun and I wrapped white light around his heart and squeezed.

Thebattle raged inside and out. Thunder rolled as his magic met swords, and lightning penetrated our cosmic shield. We struck back, and it was all to give Pallas time.

Herblue light snaked over his heart; I felt it burn in one glyph after another. His power fought back, sizzling them away, but for every one he destroyed, three more took its place.

"I need more, Tori." Sweat dripped from her hairline as her teeth clenched. ThatI could do. I let Jun control the shield while I channeled. I dug deeper into the earth, into a pool of mana that felt endless, but it still wasn't enough. I pulled down every ley line that radiated from Koron, gathering every bit of the earth that I could.

Itwas all mine. I saw the entire world through those lines—every rock, stone, and blade of grass. Mana flowed through every tree and every man, woman, and child—but it was stunted. I saw the roots around their hearts. It was just like Abraxas but stronger.

Ifelt Kaleos as he fought nearby; the roots wrapped tight, completely trapping what was inside.

Noki'shuman heart held the most. Around his heart, the threads had woven so tight it appeared more like an impenetrable wall of stone than any sort of knot. I could feel just how fragile his human heart was underneath as well, but magic stirred in it, just like all the rest. It stirred in everyone's heart.

Pallasjolted, her eyes glowed blue, and her skin was covered in a magic shield. Blood trickled from her nose, but she did not stop. Glyph after glyph appeared on Hadeon's heart until I couldn't keep track anymore, and he faltered. He rose but dug his fingers into his chest like he could claw us out.

"How dare you? HOWDAREYOU?!" He ran at us, but Avlyn threw up a wall of water. He crashed into it, lightning turning the water into nothing but steam. He burst out, his hands outstretched, when I felt the last piece of Pallas' lock slide into place.

Thelightning vanished from his hands, and his eyes faded to a dull purple. He ran at us, but we were too deep into the magic and could not pull away.

Steelerupted from his chest. Abraxas' great sword skewered through him. He coughed; blood and spittle flew from his lips, and he tried to grab the blade extending from his chest.

"For my father," Abraxas whispered into his ear before letting him fall to the ground. He wasn't dead, but I paid it no mind.

Ibarely saw any of it; I was still within the mana flow. I saw the curse that the earth had placed upon the people of our world, and I knew that I had to break it.

"Help me." My words were barely a whisper, but they heard it since all our magics were linked together. I wove mana from that great pool beneath me with Jun's white light and guided it with Pallas' precision. I slashed it through every root in every heart except for one.

Kaleosand Noki fell to their knees as white light glowed from their chests.

Iwas everywhere. I was everything. I was this world and I felt the very last of that imprisonment melt away.

"Tori, it's over. Come back to me." Abraxas' voice sounded like it was reaching from the other side of the universe.

Iwas everywhere, and it was too far. I was everything, and it was too much. I felt it coming. A tidal wave of power. Mana, more than anyone could handle, more than any of us could handle. I snapped my hands free of Jun and Pallas, severing our connection as it crashed over me.

"Tori, what did we just—?" Pallas tried to ask, but the last thing I saw was horror crashing over Jun's face as he screamed, "STOP!"

Icouldn't stop. I tried to pull back from that river, but I couldn't escape it. The power flow from the earth was too great; it was no longer a river but a flood beyond proportion. The flow wasn't warm and comforting but burning hot; the magma and heat of the earth tore through me.

Itwasn't like dragonfire. That pain had been immense, but it had been real. This was a pain no fae, human, or dragon was meant to feel. It burned, and it froze. It sliced, and it crushed. It destroyed, and it created. This was the pain of an entire world, long abused, eras beyond imagination condensed into a single moment, and I felt my body fracturing beneath the weight of it. I tried to see, but there was nothing. I tried to hear, but there was only infinite sound. I tried to move, but my body wasn't mine any longer. I reached for my bond, but there was nothing but the earth and the sky and sea. All tried to speak to me in a language I could never understand.

Suddenly, the pain ended as if it had never been. The noonday sky was filled with stars that rushed for me, and that river I danced at the edge of my entire life finally consumed me. I could hear Abraxas shouting through our bond and feel him tugging my heart back to him. This time, it wasn't enough, and the river swept me away.