Page 41

Chapter 40

T he ground gave a tremulous shudder, dropping Aya to her knees. Great cracks split open around her, as though Purgatory was tearing itself apart. She dragged her gaze skywards and paled. The shield flickered like a dying flame, fading before her eyes.

Her gaze flew to Akaria. The goddess struggled to her feet, battling as Aya was to remain standing. Those dark, fathomless eyes of Zari snapped toward the sky. To the shield that at any moment was about to fail.

Aya staggered to her, grabbing her shoulders. “The barrier is falling—”

Akaria’s face split with a grin.

Like she’d won.

The goddess turned on her suddenly as the ground stilled. Chilling laughter escaped Akaria.

“You fool, you really trusted me, didn’t you?” Her hand clamped around the hilt of the dagger in Aya’s hand.

Aya didn’t move an inch.

“I only needed you to take the dagger from the stone. Now that it’s free, I don’t need you—"

Movement flashed behind Akaria. A burst of darkness.

Aya smiled.

The goddess froze suddenly, her eyes wide.

And she dropped to the ground.

Sabra stood over her, snorting derisively. “That’s for taking Zari.”

Aya bent down and grabbed the dagger. “That, I believe, is now mine. ” She glanced at Sabra. “Can you get Akaria out?”

“Yeah, Zari told me how.” Sabra’s focus jerked toward the sky. “How the fuck are we—”

The barrier shattered.

All at once, a wave of energy surged into a single point in the sky and collided into a single sphere.

Oh, no, no, no!

She spun to Sabra, grabbing her. “R—”

The blast surged down and slammed into the earth.