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A hushed silence fell among them, their attention turning towards me.

I was awkward and uncomfortable on the dais… who was I to claim the throne? To walk this dais and speak to these people? But my gaze fell on Zion, then Annelise. Alastir, Amiyah, Saanvi then Kenna. Puck, Tess, Nikolai. They all smiled at me from the grass below in reassurance.

I cleared my throat, and the sound echoed off the mountains in the distance. That was… quite the amplification spell Annelise had inked into my skin.

My eyes met the gazes of each of the Shades before me, and I searched what I could make out of their faces beneath the morning mist before I cleared my throat once more to speak.

“You might not know me—” my voice was tense as I cleared my throat once more. “You might now know me, but I know each of you, even if we have never met. I know that Donika has ruled this realm with an iron fist for too long. I know that she has tortured you, murdered your loved ones. Your family. Your friends. She murdered my father.”

Whispers broke out in the crowd as I continued.

“My father Osiris wasn’t a perfect man. He, too, fought to eliminate Stormshades from the realm. But I stand before you, blood of Osiris, blood of Kotova. I am a Stormshade.”

The whispers swelled as I confirmed what everyone had already suspected. That I was the last Stormshade of the Kotova bloodline, the one prophesized to lead them into battle. It appears Alastir wasn’t the only one privy to the prophecy from the Mother.

“Donika may be my half sister, but there is no love lost. She has tortured me. Tried to kill me. Tried to steal my magic to use as her own. She has taken, and taken, and taken from me and I will not allow her to take any more!”

At this, claps rang out in the crowd as well as a few shouts.

“Istmere should be safe forallShades. Nightshade, Stormshade, and Shade alike. We shouldn’t needto hide who we are or choose sides simply to survive. Tomorrow… we will march The Stone Palace and take back what isours!”

Swords clanged together and cheers rang out in the crowd. My face was flushed as I pulled my own blade free from the scabbard at my back and raised it in the air. I could sense my magic pumping through my veins as if it were my blood, my sustaining life force. Nik sent warmth down the bond and I glanced down at him, my eyes filled with amethyst magic.

I let thunder clap loudly overhead, joining the chorus of the resistance. Blue lightning struck the ground behind me, illuminating me in bright light. I released a little more magic, the clouds swirling overhead in a mixture of grey, white, and black.

“Tomorrow, we will bring an end to the tyranny that hassuffocatedthis realm. Tomorrow,we will take back the throne!”

The crowd roared, raising their swords to match mine, silver blades cutting the air before me. My eyes brimmed with tears as I stared out at the crowd. The mist had risen, allowing me to see soldiers lined up as far as the eye could see.

There were Stormshades just like me in this crowd, and an open show of magic was something they had never had the chance to experience in their lifetime. Lightning struck again behind the dais before I reeled the magic in, the sun peering out behind the clouds.

“Tomorrow… we fight for every Shade who has been persecuted, tortured, or murdered. Tomorrow… we fight for a better future.”

The cheers from the crowd were deafening, and the tears that brimmed in my eyes threatened to spill over. In thismoment, I felt more hope than I ever had since arriving in Istmere. These people deserved a better future, and I would fight to give it to them.

“Tomorrow, we dethrone the malicious queen of Istmere once and for all! To Istmere!”

“To Istmere!” The crowd roared.

I thrust Nik’s sword into the air and allowed a bolt of lightning to escape its blade, shooting across the sky. Nik rushed the dais and grabbed me, pulling me against him, his lips on mine.

“To the true queen!”

“To Diana!”

“To Istmere!”

The calls of the resistance filled my ears as Nik kissed me. When he released me, I steadied myself, trying to catch my breath. My hand rest against his chest as I gazed out at the resistance.

I wanted to memorize the feel of their power. The hope that was tangible among the crowd. The tears of happiness that fell from their faces and tracked down their cheeks. I would remember this moment until my end of days, and I did my best to sear it into my memory.

Tomorrow, we would fight for freedom.

And we would win.

When I stepped down from the dais it disappeared behind me, returning to the throne room in Akra. Magic pulsed through my veins, excitement pushing my heart to beat faster. The crowd parted as I walked among them, towards the front of the group.

Zion had done well when he had stepped into Isaac’s shoes. He rallied a force I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams. As the crowd parted for me to pass, they dropped to their knees, bowing their heads before their true queen.