Page 67

The war was over. We’d defeated Erovos’ army and contained his corruption.

My legs buckled, and I sank to my knees in exhaustion, relief, and awe.

Time realigned as Rowen and the soldiers charged toward me. My soul flame dropped to his knees and gathered me in his embrace. “Are you hurt?” Rowen asked, frantically inspecting my body for injuries. I was in a daze; my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Keira, talk to me!”

Suddenly, the loss I’d pushed aside overcame me like a tidal wave. “He’s gone. Maddock’s gone,” I burst out, crying, somehow expecting to see his face emerging from the crowd.

“I know,” Rowen soothed, holding me tight against his armored chest. “I know.”

“He didn’t desert the army. That’s just what he wanted me to believe.” I laughed through the tears. “What a bastard.”

Rowen let out a choked sound, threading his hands through my hair and guiding my gaze to his. “He was. But he loved you, and there was no better way for him to show you.”

“He . . . he gave me my bond back. ”

My soul flame wiped my tears with his thumbs. “I know. I can feel it.”

I gripped the edges of his silver-black breastplate. “He was always the one the prophecy spoke of. How did I not see it?”

Rowen’s temples hollowed as he flexed his jaw. “You both fit the prophecy, Keira. It could have been either of you. I’m going to miss Maddock, and thank him every fucking day for his sacrifice, but you both went into Indrasyl to fulfill that prophecy.”

Guilt punctured my lungs, and I winced. “Rowen, I’m so sorry I lied to you. It’s unforgivable. I thought . . . I thought I was protecting you.”

My soul flame’s face was covered in mud, blood, and demon ichor, but his green eyes shone through with pained understanding. “I know why you did it, but if anything like that ever happens again, tell me. Please. We will figure it out together.”

“I will,” I promised as he helped me to my feet. I wiped the tears from my eyes, knowing now was not the time to mourn.

A hum vibrated in my veins, and my eyes lifted.

Rowen’s stare followed, his irises reflecting the dark crystals above.

“What happened?” he asked as Dyani, Rayal, and Nepta joined us in the center of the field.

“You asked me to stay back, but when Erovos knocked Mithrion from your hand, I couldn’t stop myself.

I ran to you, but everything happened so fast.”

“You were flickering faster than a hummingbird’s wings,” Rayal said, holding one of Dyani’s bloody hands.

The warrior agreed with a nod, her grime-covered face streaked with dried tears. “One moment, Erovos had you; the next, a blinding light filled the sky. Then he was gone, with these in his place,” she said, her sharp chin jutting up.

I quickly recounted what happened with Erovos and the Elder Spirits, and how I trapped the world eater within the pieces of the Alcreon Stone.

“I can feel the Dark Spirit within the crystals,” Nepta said, her voice steady yet cautious.

The Elven-head appeared unharmed, though her face and ivory dress were covered in battle stains.

“He is enraged and fighting for release, but he is not going anywhere anytime soon. We must tend to our dead and dying.”

My head turned, taking in the blood, death, and raw earth around me. Only our dead filled the valley, and though so many had given their lives, more than half stood standing.

Takoda made his rounds with fresh noxlilies from his pack, prioritizing the severely injured first.

Our allies collected their dead in solemn reverence while others gathered weapons, pieces of armor, clothing, and body parts.

A single tear slid down my cheek as the fallen were carried away.

Their lifeless eyes stared up at the heavens, the windows to their inner galaxies snuffed out forever.

There had been a moment when I thought humanity wouldn’t live to see the dawn, but as the sun pierced through the thick clouds, I knew their deaths weren’t in vain.

The arch curved over the Lirien Valley, offering a peek at the other side of the world, now glittering with moonlight and rolling purple dunes. The desert elves carried their deceased in silence, returning home through the Eye of the Sun.

I still couldn’t believe Rayal was here. Her arrival had been nothing short of a miracle, offering the reinforcements we so desperately needed. I shuddered to think what would have happened if she arrived even a second later. Yet, with her troops, the battle teetered on the brink of defeat.

Even the land, heavens, and Elder Spirits fought back against the world eater. Had we not all come together, aligning like the stars of a prophecy, Erovos’ dark nature would know no bounds. And though the darkness was contained, the journey to our healing had just begun .

Even though I barely had the energy to stand, I checked on those bitten by a Voro-Kai. But as I inspected their injuries, I found no blight within their blood. It was as if my eclipsing blast had cleansed the darkness from their veins.

After I was sure no one would turn into an astral demon, I tended to Rowen’s cuts and gashes. He had several that were a little too deep for my liking.

Light pulsed at my fingertip as I grazed my touch over Rowen’s cheekbone, throat, and knuckles. “Thanks,” he murmured and kissed me on the temple.

Ven and Sabra walked up to us as if they hadn’t snuck into a war zone. My soul flame did a double take and ran his palm down his face. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Best that you don’t,” Ven said, petting Sabra behind the ear. The wolf’s white fur was matted with black ichor, but she proudly smiled as blood dripped from her paws.

I knew what Sabra was capable of when it came to protecting Ven, yet I still quickly scanned them both for injuries, and thankfully, there were none to be found.

“After all I’ve taught you, a stick and string are your weapons of choice?” Rowen asked, gesturing to the boy’s slingshot.

“Hey! This stick and string saved your ass like thirteen times,” Ven remarked, pulling the sling back and pretending to take aim.

“Watch the language,” Rowen said with a grin, clasping the young elve on the shoulder. “Sounds like I owe you one.”

Ven beamed with pride. “You owe me a few.”

“How did you get bits of Ever-burn?” I asked, knowing he’d actually inflicted damage on the demons he hit.

“I snuck into the forge and stole the scraps,” he replied with delight. “Bailon thought it was Leer keeping the place tidy. And Leer never corrected him!” He laughed and shook his head as if we were all idiots .

“You never cease to amaze me,” I said as Rowen and I laughed with him. The brief weightlessness in my chest let me know that despite all the loss and tragedy, we would find a way to smile again.

The war cleanup continued, and I took a moment to rest and rehydrate. I sat cross-legged on the ground when suddenly, an iridescent light shimmered around me, and a small weight plopped in my lap.

Glowing feathers brushed against my skin in waves of silver, blue, and light purple, and a small but mighty chirp vibrated against my chest.

A starwing!

I’d seen the shimmering flash of its tail on the battlefield. It had saved my life twice. Once with the demon who’d grabbed me by the ankle and again with the demon who’d nearly sliced me in two.

I glanced around, searching for other starwings, but none were in sight.

Erovos said they were extinct. This must be the only one left, still bravely defending and protecting its home. I gently stroked the top of its head and noticed familiar scars around its body and wings. These ropey marks were from a net—a net I had freed this creature from over fifteen years ago.

“So we meet again, friend,” I said, fighting back tears. My heart broke for the bird all alone in the world.

The starwing nestled deeper into my lap and closed its eyes. “I still have work to do,” I said, but the bird ignored me and emitted sleepy trills of contentment.

“She knows you need rest,” said a voice as warm as the sun.

“Rayal!” I replied as she joined me on the ground and we hugged, careful not to smush the bird. “I can’t thank you enough for helping us. But how did you escape Aedris?”

The warrior queen had removed most of her armor and wore fitted brown pants and a linen tank.

Specks of blood and tiny scratches covered her face and hands.

“It is I who owes you thanks. You planted the seeds of rebellion, and because of your defiance, I was able to overthrow Aedris with the help of my elves.”

“You are now queen?”

“I am,” she said, her eyes locking with mine in gratitude.

Thaydril appeared behind his cousin. Mud covered his embellished armor, and his black eyeliner smeared around his eyes like warpaint.

“That was brilliant what you did with our step-uncle,” he said, kneeling.

“The second the collar wouldn’t snap, the wards and restrictions placed upon us vanished. You wove your words masterfully.”

Rayal nodded in agreement. “Not only did your words remind the elves of their rightful ruler, they also reminded Hara’dune—the land itself. The rebellion needed a spark to set it ablaze. We needed you.”

“I’m just glad I could return the favor. You saved me in crypts,” I said, watching Rowen sort the details of moving the war camp to the valley.

He didn’t want to leave my side. I’d convinced him it was okay to let go of my hand.

He’d reluctantly kissed my mouth, cheek, and palm before leaving to set up tents for the wounded, but his eyes kept flickering to mine as if he were afraid I would walk to Indrasyl and never return.

My heart lurched as I remembered someone else had made that sacrifice.

My gaze shot back to Rayal and Thaydril. “You came just in time. Even a moment later and I fear you wouldn’t have had an army to aid.”

“I wish we could have gotten here sooner,” she replied with a pinch between her brows. “The rebellion lasted almost three full days. It wasn’t easy getting Aedris off the throne. He is now serving time in the sand pits.”

“Well, isn’t that poetic?”

Rayal acknowledged the bird on my lap. “She sleeps soundly,” she said, joining me to pet my feathered friend.

“How do you know it’s a she?” I asked, stroking its neck.

“See how sleek her crown and nape are, with no extra feathers or plumes? Definitely a female,” she replied.

“She is the last of her kind,” I said as a lump formed in my throat. “Wait. How do you know so much about starwings?”

“There is one in my aviary. Though I didn’t know that’s what they were called, or where they originated from.”

“Is it . . . ?” I started to ask, too afraid of the answer.

Her eyes shone like marigold. “It’s a male. I named him Ekee. It means first star in the sky .”

A relieved sob escaped my lips. “How do you have him?”

“He was captured a few years ago, and someone sold him to my father. I never knew where Ekee belonged, but I knew it wasn’t the desert. I couldn’t release him into an inhospitable landscape, so I kept him safe in my sanctuary.”

“Can you bring him back? We might be able to introduce them,” I said, gesturing to the sleeping creature in my lap. “They are the last of their breed. They deserve to be reunited.”

“Of course,” the queen of Hara’dune replied. “I think it’s time he returned home.”

“Is there a word for last star in the sky ?” I asked, resting my palm on my knee, but the female nudged my hand with her beak, and I immediately returned to stroking her downy feathers with a chuckle.

Rayal thought for a moment. “I believe the closest word would be ‘Keeli’.”

“Did you hear that, Keeli? You’re not alone,” I said as she fluttered her wings in my lap. A mate awaited her. And now that their habitat was healing, the starwings could hopefully thrive once again and fill the sky with their glittering tails.

I hugged Keeli closer. She'd asked me for help all those years ago when I was just a young girl in a torn nightgown. “I’m sorry it took me so long to help you. I was drugged by my parents and forced to forget you,” I said as the bird craned her neck to stare directly at me.

I could see the pain in her eyes as she conveyed how she’d watched her family and home perish.

“I failed you then, but I won’t fail you now. ”

Her small head cocked to the side as if she understood me. Then, she closed her eyes and rested her weary head on my arm.

We met fifteen years ago, our fates intertwined.

I continued to hold the starwing that put me on the path I was destined to walk.

She led me to my future, my soul flame, and the Alcreon Light thrumming through my veins.

That same light spread through the ground.

Indrasyl’s silver roots shot out in every direction and healed the earth that was home to us all.