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CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

ZéLIE

M AE’E’S CIRCLE OF VINES propels us across the Black Bay. I brace myself for what’s ahead. We sail through the thrashing seas. The crimson circle spins beneath us, catching the carnage in its current.

Flames still rage across the boats’ decks. Debris flies from the exploding ships. Mae’e’s emerald vines rise to whip around us, slapping the rubble away.

The bodies that float before us make me sick. Countless maji fill the bay. They fly through the spiraling waters, eyes empty and throats slit.

Baldyr’s sacrificed my people like cattle. All to summon his Blood Moon. I won’t let him complete his harvest.

I won’t let him win!

The golden lightning I’ve trained to command builds inside me, a storm prepared to release. Dark clouds swirl on the horizon. A violent force ripples through the wind.

Over a thousand men wait beyond the mist, rabid in their praise. King Baldyr stands behind them. Rage torches through me as I prepare to end him once and for all.

“ Faster! ” I call to Mae’e.

The hierophant pushes herself beyond her limits. Her hands shake and she grits her teeth. Every muscle in her body tenses as we shoot forward. Her vines spiral toward the shoreline.

As we go, I think of the way Baldyr held me down. The way he’s poisoned me with his medallion and his majacite crown. I think of the countless maji he’s dragged across the seas. Every single sacrifice he’s made to harvest the power inside me.

I don’t care if his face is the last thing I ever see. I won’t let him hurt any more of my people. I will get vengeance for every life he’s stolen.

“Launch me!”

Mae’e’s vines wrap around my abdomen. With a sharp jolt, they fling me backward before catapulting me through the air. I shoot into the mist, hurtling toward the black beach.

Golden lightning explodes from my hands, cutting through the night in radiant streaks. With the power of the Blood Moon, the lightning answers my command. A warm rush fills me as I ride the crackling bolts across the sky.

Below me, Mae’e lands on the shores. The army of Skulls runs toward her. The hierophant flings out her arms with an ear-shattering cry. Twelve voices shriek at once.

Black vines twist out of the sand en masse, creating a forest of their own. The thick vines unleash their full wrath as they surge. They spiral through the coast, impaling every Skull.

Up ahead, King Baldyr stands defiant. Black marks peek beyond his golden skull. His chestnut hair is pulled back in wild braids. His body carries new scars.

I see the burnt flesh where my lightning hit him last. The sight steadies me as I ready myself for the final blast.

“Blóeseier.”

My body quivers as King Baldyr invokes the blood oath. His power over me passes in waves. My muscles strain as I fight through his hold.

I fight to stay in control.

Golden lightning rages around my skeleton. A bolt of electricity spreads between my fingertips. Thunder quakes through the air as a red rain begins to pour.

Time runs still as I raise my palms. I align them with King Baldyr’s heart.

For Or?sha , I think to the fallen maji.

I set the lightning free—

With a roar, King Baldyr raises one of the medallions. He holds it up to my attack. All at once, my lightning goes haywire. It spreads across the black sands, missing its mark.

Though Skulls are fried below, King Baldyr stands unharmed. The medallion glows in his hand as it takes control of mine.

He whispers the command again, and my eyes bulge. It’s like a hand squeezes around my heart.

I seize as I fall through the air.

“ No! ” Mae’e shouts.

Vines reach out from the sands, wrapping around my gut. They save me from full impact as I crash into the dirt. A sharp crack travels through my ribs. I grab my chest, unable to breathe.

Behind me, Mae’e’s screams turn shrill. Her vines wither as more Skulls swarm. The world closes in as I’m forced to hear her capture.

Ahead of me, boots crunch over gravel. King Baldyr crouches down until his golden skull is visible.

“ Merle. ” He strokes my face. “ Our time is finally here. ”