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Destin wiped blood from his mouth and nursed a wound over his shoulder. Asger rolled a sword in his grip. Near the doors of the cellar, Gwyn was rushing young mages and the elderly into the root cellars. Occasionally, she paused to fire another black arrow at a screeching Immorti.

Adira came from the other side, palms out, but her skin was pale and weary from the battle.

Destin shot his gaze between them, then grinned at me. Arms wide, Destin lifted his eyes to the sky. The clouds darkened, and from the shadows of the arcades and galleys of the palace, hisses and clacking teeth entered the courtyard.

A dozen Immorti screeched and rushed toward Asger. My blood pounded so fiercely in my head, I heard little but the thrum.

Adira cried out for Asger. He cut his blade. Gwyn fired arrows.

Destin laughed. “You cannot save everyone, but this can end.”

In my distraction, he struck me with a blast of his darkness. The blow peeled through my insides, bringing me to my knees.

“Kage!” Adira cried out, but was soon forced to take up her own sword against a trio of manipulated creatures.

Immorti could fall, but so long as Destin held a corrupted death in his control, he could summon more. He would decimate the lot of us to bring back half a glimpse of my sister. Once more he clambered over me, palms over my heart.

Destin’s eyes had gone black. “I’ll make it swift,” he said. “Let go, Kage, and it will be over soon.”

Perhaps I should. Perhaps that was the darkness speaking.

Sharp claws of his magic tore into my flesh, down to my bone, to something unseen—to my soul. It wanted to rip it apart. Twisted, corrupted, he would break me with dark magic. Would I die? Or would I be cursed to wander in cruelty and coldness until Destin met his end and the curse faded with him?

Ribbons of sunlight broke through the gray clouds. I stoppedthrashing. Numbness took my limbs, fingers to elbows, toes to knees. I watched Destin’s face overhead pinch into a grimace, like a bit of the man I once knew battled with the cruel one he’d become.

Thoughts drifted to peace, to home. They were with Adira.

What a life we might’ve had. If this was fate, it was wicked. To bring us so close once, then to tear us apart, only to do it all over again.

Something rocked me, almost rolling me onto my shoulder. Destin’s grip fell off my chest. Cold faded with a new flow of blood in my veins. The more my heart worked the more the dark magic spilled out through my pores.

“No!” Destin’s shriek shook me from my thoughts.

Adira clutched something tightly to her chest, but stumbled backward when Destin slashed his sword at her. She had a single breath to raise hers overhead to guard the strike. He drew another blow, dark, ashy spittle flying from his lips as his corruption worsened.

“You cannot touch her,” he raged.

Adira screamed and rolled away before the edge of Destin’s blade struck the stones. She held Arabeth’s heartstone.

Adira’s palms burned in a soft crimson. By the skies, she was going to shatter the stone. It would take with it my sister’s joy and memories, but it would free her complete soul to the Afterrealm. Weakened, I struggled to my knees.

A little more. I could offer a little more. I slammed my palms over the stones. A final surge of my Soturi flare rolled through the ground, aimed at Destin’s boots. One foot twisted at a sick angle. Destin screamed in pain and fell to one knee. The other leg popped. He fell face down on the stones, gasping, seething.

Adira clutched my sister’s glowing stone in her palms, tears on her cheeks as she looked at Destin. “I remember you. I remember you and Arabeth. She loved you, Destin, but she would not love this side of you.”

“Give it back.” His words were rough, beastly. He tried to drag himself forward on his palms.

“I am giving her back; I’m freeing her.”

“No! She will be completely gone.”

“I know.” Adira closed her eyes, palms burning around the stone until it burst.

A pulse of power, familiar and warm, coated the courtyard. I shielded my eyes against the blast. When I opened them again, my breath ripped from my lungs.

Adira was scooting backward, and Destin was flat on his back, eyes bright beneath a gilded mist hovering over him. Someone was standing in the glow. Not a body, more a shape, gentle and soft.

I limped to Adira’s side, pulling her close, and watched in a bit of awe as what appeared to be a haze of slender fingers emerged from the mist.