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Variant unsheathes his sword and the blade sparks to life.

Flames engulf the metal in a cleansing fire.

He tosses it to me, but a wyvern swipes me with its tail.

The sword twirls as it falls to the ground.

Variant dives after the enchanted weapon as Myerdoth knocks the wyvern out of the sky.

The Knights of Umbra surround Variant. He swings the blade wildly, trying to drive them back.

I use my wings to shield my body as I push through their ranks to cover Variant’s flank, but he stops me with a wall of magic. “I’ve got this. Find Eilish. Make sure she’s okay.”

Myerdoth nods. “Go to the queen. I can cover him.”

My eyes scan the battle for any sign of Eilish, but it’s my heart that finds her.

I sense her anger and confusion as she fights her way towards Abedon.

Like an angel of reckoning, she slices through anything that stands in her way.

Blood covers her armor and streaks of red mar her lovely face.

I glide to the ground beside Eilish and block an incoming blow.

“Elioth is dead. Cambion and Theren are alive, but their magic is nearly drained. Variant is fighting the Knights of Umbra with Myerdoth, but there seems to be no end to Abedon’s forces. ”

“Baron says the souls of those who have fallen can’t cross over into The Veil.

The barrier is weakening and we’re running out of time.

” Eilish uses her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her face, causing more blood to smear along her cheek.

“Baron and Pyre are trying to contain the energy, but the creatures in The Veil are drawn to all of the death.”

“What do suppose we should do?” I ask.

“The only thing we can do: keep fighting.” She braces her feet against the ground and pushes off, leaping into the sky as her wings open. I follow. My shadows spread along the ground, obscuring the orcs’ vision.

Baron’s voice booms in my ear. “Vampires!”

“In daylight?!” I hear Eilish ask.

“They’re not like me or the vampire mercenaries. These are natural daywalkers that feed off fear. Don’t let them touch you or else they’ll drain your life force,” he warns.

***

PYRE

Plains of Reckoning

My head throbs and my eyes burn with a searing pain as I summon sight from The Veil.

Images flicker until the haze around my vision clears.

I tear the mask from my face and raise my hands towards the sky.

Baron appears at my side, using all his power to keep The Veil from bleeding into this world.

But I sense his exhaustion as if it were my own.

“We can’t keep this up forever Pyre,” he groans. I see his legs buckle beneath the force of our efforts.

I glance over my shoulder. Variant falls to the ground with burns scarring his wings.

He coughs and sputters, clinging to his sword as the Knights of Umbria descend on him.

Silvanus joins Variant’s fight, but even he doesn’t have the strength to heal his own wounds.

Cambion and Theren limp from one enemy to the next, covered in the Unseelie’s blood from using forbidden magics. Dragan and Eilish are faring no better.

Our companions are losing the fight.

Vampires surround Eilish. She lifts her chin in defiance.

I feel a stir in the air. My gaze is drawn to the pile of growing bodies beneath Abedon. He smiles, eyes swirling like the sky of The Veil. “Baron! Abedon’s drawing on the ethers. If he focuses enough, he may be able to take from the wellspring itself.”

“What do we do?” Genuine worry colors Baron’s voice.

“Tear it down! Release the dragon!”

I lift my arms toward the sky, squeezing my hands into fists before yanking down the barrier.

A deafening roar fills my soulless chassis with icy tendrils of fear.

Baron dashes towards Eilish and places himself between her and the vampires.

Harpies fly out of the portal, diving towards the dark army with a vengeance.

Abedon looks on. Uncertainty flashes in his gaze.

My bow manifests in my hands and I race towards Variant.

He sees me coming and rolls on the ground as I fire arrows at the Knights of Umbria.

With my distraction, he’s able to climb to his feet and sever the head of the Knight King.

Horrific screeches bring me to my knees and my vision fades to black once more.

A hand grips my throat and tosses me to the ground.

My bow disintegrates, turning to ash in the palm of my hand.

“You think to stand in my way?!” Abedon growls as he pins me to the ground. I bring my knee up and slam it into his spine, but it’s useless. He lifts me up, only to slam me back down, knocking the air from my lungs. “You should have died long ago, with the rest of the humans!”

I kick up, wrapping my leg around his neck and flipping him onto his back.

Abedon shouts angrily as I assault him with magic.

I know he can taste it on his tongue. I know he hungers for power that will never be his.

“Feel that?” I ask mockingly. “It’s what Morrigan fought so hard to get her hands on. ”

“What... what sorcery is that? No element in this world radiates such immense power.” Abedon comes into focus as my vision returns. “Tell me, Pyre, how did a human come across this?”

“True power comes to those who are worthy.” I leap out of the way, evading a ripple of dark magic from Abedon.

“True sacrifices aren’t measured in the number of bodies that have bled to fuel your magic.

You were a disgrace to all arcane masters.

That is why the gods denied your ascension.

It had nothing to do with Silvanus and Morrigan. ”

“And what great sacrifice do you think Silvanus made? Why is he more worthy of divine power than I am?”

“He served and still serves a higher purpose.” I cast a wall of fire between us and I run for my mount. The horse tosses its mane as it gallops over to where Baron and Eilish fight side by side. Eilish nods and grabs ahold of the saddle horn, using it to swing herself up and behind me.

“Can you get me in closer?” she asks. “I tried to fly overhead, but the wyverns are guarding Abedon. Flumph took care of most of the hounds.”

“I just felt his power, Eilish... he is more powerful than we thought.”

She grips my shoulder, squeezing tightly. “I have to do this.”

I feel a catch in my throat but she’s right.

This is her calling. “I’ll do as you ask, but be careful.

I don’t want to have to put your soul to rest in The Veil.

” My hands snap the reins and the mount veers to the left.

Eilish brushes a kiss to my cheek, steadies herself with a hand on my back, and jumps over the wall of flames.

Her wings flap, extinguishing the flames with a gust. Smoke swirls around her like an aura of destruction.

I tear my gaze away. It isn’t my lack of faith in Eilish that fills me with dread, but my fear of the darkness that fuels Abedon’s magic.

I’ve already loved, lost, and lived well beyond my years.

Losing Eilish to such darkness would be my undoing.

Even my bond with Baron—though something I cherish—doesn’t compare to how I feel for Eilish.

This is her destiny. I have no right to take this from her, no matter how I feel. And if I watch her battle against our enemy for the liberation of the realms, I would give my own life to save her. I would give anything to save her. But I can never dishonor Eilish or her wishes by interfering.

I pull the horse to a stop near the Seelie soldiers and Amazon warriors.

“There is an Elemental coming. He will attack everything that moves on this battlefield. You must protect yourselves. Poisons and mortal weapons won’t harm the dragon.

Use the elements and pray it’s enough,” I order.

“Fire, ice, stone—whatever you can conjure.”