Page 40

The path steepened. Stones and boulders dotted the craggy cliffs.

Shale and scree shifted underfoot as they made their way up the incline.

Slate and pebbles covered the ground, and sparse trees lined with bits of moss marked the slope.

Clouds hung low, blanketing the mountain tops in mist, and a narrow waterfall poured into a nearby ravine.

Adelina made a mental note to stop there later when she’d need to fill her flask.

The odd bit of snow piled in shadowy spots, which brightly reflected the sunlight poking through gaps in the clouds. An eagle squawked as it flew overhead.

“Peaceful,” Sara muttered.

Adelina glanced at her—the elderly woman slipped from the saddle.

“Whoa!” Adelina bolted to her side, grabbing her as she fell from the horse. The sudden jolt sent nearby rabbits darting into the shrubbery.

Kneeling, Adelina shifted Sara’s weight into her arms. She attempted to lift her, but her calf muscles screamed in dispute. “Gods damn it.”

Sara, unconscious, was practically dead weight in Adelina’s grip. She hooked her arm under Sara’s, then dragged her along the path.

“It’s not very dignified,” Adelina said, “but I’m not strong enough.”

Of course, she was not given a response.

Each breath was laboured as Adelina hoisted Sara towards the top of the peak. She focused on the scent of pine needles and earthy moss, determined to ignore the burning sensation in her limbs.

By the time she reached the halfway point up the slope, she collapsed, almost toppling onto Sara’s limp body. Adelina’s lungs burned as she gobbled down brisk air, turning her throat raw. She grabbed her flask and gulped the water in a desperate attempt to soothe the fire in her oesophagus.

Panting, Adelina checked Sara’s pulse. Alive, but barely.

Grabbing the woman by the arms, Adelina let out a scream as she hoisted Sara up, her dead weight sagging against her chest. Staying in a lowered position, Adelina dragged her still body, bit by bit up the incline, stones sliding beneath her feet.

Nonetheless, she dug the balls of her feet in, curling her toes inside her boots to keep her grip.

Adelina’s spine barked in protest as she neared the top.

Sweat streamed down her temples, and her hair clung to her face and neck.

As she gripped the unyielding stone, grit drifted into her face as she threw Sara onto the flat peak.

Crashing to her knees, Adelina wheezed. Her slight frame meant she was not built for heavy loads, especially not on such a steep incline.

Scrambling to her feet, she lifted her gaze to the dense clouds. “What now?”

Turning, she focused her attention on Sara, who slumped against the rocky ground. Adelina knelt beside her, then cradled her head, propping it into her lap. She stroked the matted hair out of the unconscious woman’s face.

Sara stirred. “What in…the realm?”

“You fell from the horse, and I carried you up here. Well, dragged, but I don’t suppose you mind.” Adelina’s voice was thin, overcome with emotion as she held the dying woman in her embrace. This was harder than she’d expected. “Look up.”

Sara’s hollow gaze lifted from Adelina’s face to the sky. Her chest rose and fell with each breath .

If Adelina could do one kindness for this woman as she made her journey into the arms of the gods, she’d do it.

Lifting her dominant hand, she swirled it through the icy air. Magic flowed through her body, coating each fibre and nerve ending. “ Areiras nielasnal .”

Just like she’d stopped the storm and harnessed the sun while she was at sea, her magic dispersed the clouds, if only a fraction, and a bolt of brilliant, golden sunlight streamed through. Sara’s face was drenched in the bright light. An eagle circled above.

“You will be with your family soon,” Adelina managed, fighting against the burning in her eyes.

“My family…we lived on a farm…a field of golden wheat.” Sara’s voice was thin, almost lost on the wispy breeze.

A shot of pain jolted through Adelina’s chest. Adelina had lied about taking Sara to a farm, had offered her a form of peace without knowing what it would’ve meant to her.

“A field of gold like the sun.” Adelina stroked Sara’s cheek tenderly. “They’re waiting for you with open arms in the realm of all gods.”

“I see them…” Sara’s lips tilted ever so slightly, before her final breath fluttered from her pale lips. The light faded from her blue eyes.

Adelina closed Sara’s eyes with her fingers, then closed her own, holding Sara close against her body. A tear rolled down her cheek. Silence enveloped them as Adelina’s spell ended and the clouds cast out the light.

A few still beats passed before a low rumble ripped through the air. The wind whipped wildly, flapping Adelina’s hair around her face. Several strides ahead of her, a groan rose from the rocky ground, and a stone pillar punctured the surface.

Laying Sara’s head on the ground, she wandered to the pillar. Hovering in the centre, was a small, black stone. Glancing around, she saw no sign of the god she’d come to meet. Yet here it was—the enchanted obsidian.

“Do you want me to take it?” she asked the empty space surrounding her, unsure whether she should expect a response from Perun.

She stilled, her arms locked at her side, but her gaze on the stone. “I did what you required. A sacrifice. You have presented the stone to me, so I assume you deem me pure of soul.”

The wind stirred, whipping into a form standing a foot away from the pillar on the opposite side. Faceless, but a form, nonetheless.

“Perun?” Adelina squeaked. “Is that you?”

Slowly, the parts of his body took form. Bright white eyes, matching the colour of his long beard and hair. Thick muscles, large hands. A metal helmet carved into the shape of angel wings. A chest plate etched with gold.

“Name yourself,” his voice boomed, jolting her.

“Er…Adelina Orlova,” she muttered. “Sir.”

“You seek the Sword of Light,” Perun, God of thunder, justice, and war, declared.

“Yes,” Adelina barely managed the words—her gaze was fixed—no, absorbed—by the towering god in front of her. He was triple the size of her, rising high into the air.

“Take the stone.” Perun gestured to the swirling black obsidian floating above the pillar .

Adelina flicked a cautious glance at the god, then stretched her hand. The stone was smooth against her skin as she wrapped her fingers around it.

“That’s it?” she asked hesitantly.

“I would not have presented myself if you were not worthy.” His stern gaze fixed on her, unwavering.

“Right.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”

She turned to leave, unsure what else to say to a god, but her gaze dropped to Sara’s still form on the ground, exposed to the elements, with no proper grave.

“She is with us now,” Perun said in a softer tone, perhaps noticing Adelina’s reluctance to leave Sara.

“Tell her I’m grateful. Truly.” Adelina fought to keep her voice strong as the events of the day took a toll on her, pulling her heartstrings in every which way.