Page 52

Kiara

Magic itself is not power. Power comes from knowing your own hear t and not fearing what you find.

As said by Cerys, the God of Love, on the day the first heart match was made

I’d left the undead to Jake as I raced across the field to where Isiah and Jude faced off. The Godslayer hummed in its sheath, ready to be used. All I had to do was aim—

A figure darted out from behind the Moon God. Emelia, so slight and dressed in all black, blended into the night. She brandished a weapon of her own, a useless steel dagger with a simple steel hilt. It would do nothing but aggravate Isiah, but she didn’t seem to care…

Behind the thief, at the edge of the woods, Maliah reappeared, Isiah’s attention mercifully elsewhere. Covered in black blood, she lifted her bow and sent an arrow shooting into the sky, her aim set for… Emelia ?

Maliah didn’t miss, meaning it was a warning shot, the sharpened tip slicing clean through Emelia’s pant legs.

Emelia didn’t even pause.

Maliah snarled in reproach, aiming now for our mutual enemy. I thought she’d run off when Lorian was trapped by Isiah’s shadows, but she hadn’t abandoned us yet. Though even with her and Jude’s power combined, it didn’t feel like enough.

Her arrow shot across the field, the precision impeccable, her form flawless. It would’ve killed any mortal, but Isiah’s shadows swatted the arrow like a pesky fly. The next arrow, however, pierced his palm, embedding itself deep in his immortal flesh. Maliah grinned in triumph as he ripped it free and smeared his palms down his robes, painting them in crimson as his skin stitched itself back up.

As Maliah distracted Isiah, Jude’s flames had grown. They spread over his shoulders and rose above his head, forming two scorching wings of light. His eyes were aglow as he glared daggers at the Moon God.

Jude opened his palms—

Isiah lurched to the side as fire barreled his way. Jude’s flames struck the trees behind the Moon God, the branches and leaves erupting in a ball of raging orange and yellow. Jude snarled in frustration, eyeing the tree line.

“Careful,” Isiah seethed. He whirled around just as Emelia reached his back, her dagger raised and ready to plunge into his flesh. When he seized her wrist, she let out a sharp cry, the god’s hold merciless. Her hand went limp and her blade fell to the grass.

Jude’s attention landed on his mother, who was clawing at Isiah’s arms. He paid her no attention, almost like she was some housecat who’d discovered claws.

I made out a rumbling cry, Emelia’s name being called from the woods. Finn . It had to be Finn, stuck where Emelia had left him. My heart ached for him.

Isiah brought a hand to rest around the Fox’s neck, and she let loose a string of curses before black fog encircled her throat, cutting off her air. The god lifted his gaze to Jude, a somber expression pulling at his features.

“Enough with the games,” Isiah said, upper lip curling. “Give me the blade and let’s be done with this. I’ll even let your mother live. Even if she doesn’t deserve such mercy after what she put you through.”

Isiah tightened his grip on Emelia’s neck, and Jude hesitated, a muscle in his jaw feathering. His hands trembled, the gold light he’d emitted diminishing with every ragged exhale. He couldn’t do it…was physically unable to strike, even with the world hanging in the balance.

Emelia had left him on his father’s doorstep as a babe. Yet Jude, a man who claimed he didn’t possess a heart, contained one large enough to forgive.

Both had been robbed, both misled. It was a tragedy that had the rare chance of being given a new life. New breath. Hope.

Isiah’s magic constricted , and Emelia gasped for air. It wouldn’t be much longer. “Give it to me!” he ordered once more, his calm wiped away entirely.

“Let her go and I will,” Jude said, though he lacked conviction. His gaze flickered my way briefly, but in that split second, so many things were relayed.

I had the blade. He did not. And judging by the subtle nod of his head, he knew there was little choice but for me to take action.

This was a decision that would forever haunt Jude Maddox and follow him for the remainder of his days. Even if we won, he’d lose a piece of his soul.

“K-kill h-him,” Emelia sputtered, clawing at Isiah’s arms. A tear slipped from Jude’s eye, and he gently shook his head.

“I forgive you,” he whispered to her, swallowing thickly. Wetness glazed across the gold in his eyes, muting its glorious sheen. “And I’m so, so sorry.”

Emelia forced a smirk to her face, which was quickly turning a ghastly blue. “I l-love you.” She sniffled, tears rolling down and past her strained smile. “Now make me p-proud.”

Isiah, believing me powerless, weak, mortal , didn’t consider me a threat as I neared. But I didn’t need the powers of a shadow, not when I’d trained my entire life as Kiara Frey. I’d been taught by an immortal. Shunned by my village. I had brandished every weapon known to man and mastered them through hard work and sweat.

I was a warrior, and warriors saved their kingdoms—no matter if the cost would break me.

The Godslayer vibrated in my grasp, and when I sent it soaring through the air, it whistled, seeming to hum in delight. As Isiah’s eyes narrowed, realization parting his lips, Emelia elbowed him in the ribs and shifted to the side. Isiah tried to position her body before his, much like a shield, but it was too late.

The dagger struck.

The entire clearing seemed to hold its breath as blood pooled around Isiah’s chest, staining his already macabre robes. He let out a sound between a gasp and a sob, craning his neck to where the dagger’s hilt protruded from his heart.

Seconds were hours, time frozen. Isiah sputtered and coughed, swaying before he plunged to his knees. The Fox slid out of his limp arms and rolled across the earth. She grabbed at her bruising neck and panted, heaving in fresh air.

Silver light radiated from the Moon God’s chest, and an otherworldly humming compelled me to his side.

A single entity of light broke free from his flesh, gradually splitting into three delicate pieces.

Isiah’s lips were moving, but no words escaped, his horror written plainly across his face. He watched helplessly as those orbs slipped away…turning him into a mortal.

There was a buzzing in my pocket, a high-pitched whining. The closer I ventured to Isiah and his magic, the more potent the buzzing in my pocket became.

I grasped the god’s shoulders, whose eyes were trained on Jude, a flicker of emotion darkening his eyes. In his screwed-up way, Isiah had cared for him, and while I’d been the one to deliver the fateful blow, Isiah believed it to be Jude’s betrayal alone.

The first orb slipped free, a blazing circle of divinity, igniting the field full of dead bodies and ash, and casting away the blanket of darkness. The vibrations in my pocket grew fierce, and I seized the object causing such turmoil…

The stone I’d stolen from the temple.

Its black surface shimmered, and the first of the Moon God’s orbs flickered as I lifted the stone before me.

It had summoned Isiah, but I hadn’t finished the job and trapped him.

The first orb flickered before crashing into the gem, the force of its impact sending me back a step. Isiah sagged, falling onto his back.

Hovering above his body, I braced for the collision of the second orb, holding my ground when the stone caged it. My hands shook, and it took every ounce of energy to keep steady, to maintain my grip on the gem that now contained two pieces of a god.

The third and final piece escaped.

Dazzling light danced from Isiah’s chest and to the gem, sending me reeling when the stone trapped its essence. I fell to my back, grasping all three pieces, the black facets of the stone now glimmering like the night sky.

“You’ve just d-doomed them all,” Isiah choked out, blood slipping over his bottom lip. “You—”

Fire shot into his chest, cutting off his callous words. Jude strode close, his magic scorching Isiah from the inside out. The Moon God had been transformed into a mortal, the same as Raina. Meaning he could now be killed.

“You’re the only one to blame,” Jude snarled, his jaw clenched as his eyes glazed with wetness. His fire spread to Isiah’s torso, winding around him and traveling to his legs. It scorched his handsome face, devouring his slate-gray eyes until they saw no more. Jude didn’t relent, and neither did his magic.

On his back, writhing in agony, Isiah was silent. And soon, he didn’t breathe.

Jude’s chest heaved as he glared upon the burned body, staring while the remaining flesh and bone smoldered to cinders. He watched until only gray dust stained the grass, his eyes dimming, the fierce gold in them softening. The tears he’d repressed slipped free, dropping to the pile of ash where they sizzled, steam rising into the air. Jude swiped at his eyes, his shoulders slumping as the tension left him.

It was over.

Isiah was defeated.

My chest squeezed as the breeze swept the pieces of him away, but my pain belonged only to Jude and everything he had lost.

“Kiara.”

I must’ve shut my eyes, because when I opened them, Jude was crouched at my side, his hand on my shoulder. So stunned, I hadn’t even heard him approach. His touch was too hot, but I hungered for the slight burn. It kept me grounded.

I couldn’t believe we’d done it.

“Look at me,” Jude pressed, enfolding me in his arms. He rested his chin atop my hair, his breathing uneven as he gripped me for dear life. I spun, clinging to him with equal ferocity.

He was the only thing that felt real, and if I let go, I feared I’d wake and it would all be a dream.

That I’d be a failure. That I had died back there inside the temple and lost him all over again.

Something shifted in the air. Perhaps it was simply the winds changing course, or maybe it was something far greater than I could possibly perceive.

Even snuggled against his shirt, light shone against my closed lids, stealing away the night, growing stronger with the passing seconds.

I drew back.

Soothing pink - and - yellow beams slipped over the tops of the trees, brushing the woods in a sheen of dawn. Jude let out a surprised gasp, his grip on my waist tight. It was pure and soft, almost hesitant, as if it were fighting to not flicker out entirely.

I knew what it was missing—Jude.

Emelia brought Finn from the trees to bear witness, and even as he limped, grimacing from the pain of losing his foot, his eyes were cast to the sky. Finn leaned down to whisper in Emelia’s ear, and she drew away to grin at him, her smile full of newfound hope.

Dawn. I never thought I’d see it with my own eyes.

I almost laughed out loud when Jake released a joyous whoop and then proceeded to grab Liam’s hand. Jake tugged him into a kiss, one hand slipping into Liam’s curls. They were oblivious to us all, and while I didn’t linger on Liam and my friend for long, I noticed the enormous grins spreading across both of their faces when they came up for air.

I knew it was inevitable. They hadn’t exactly been discreet.

“You did it,” Maliah said, her eyes flicking to the patch of scorched earth where Isiah’s life ended.

Lorian—who’d been freed from his cage of shadows upon Isiah’s death—now joined us. He tilted his unsmiling face to where the weak light fluttered into the sky, remaining close to Maliah, a silent protector at her back.

Surrounded by friends, family, and gods, I twisted to Jude. He cupped both my cheeks, a single tear dripping from his shimmering, mismatched eyes. He tugged me even closer until we were heart to heart.

“Good thing you have exceptional aim, recruit.”

I let out an exhausted exhale and flicked his nose. Elation bubbled through me.

“Now is not the time for jokes,” I reprimanded, surprised the roles had been reversed. He merely grinned like the luckiest bastard in the realm. And maybe he was. We all were.

“You realize the sun is trying to rise as we speak,” I whispered. Tears ran down my cheeks and slipped between my lips, salt exploding on my tongue. There was sorrow and hope and possibility happening all around us, and we only had eyes for each other.

Jude kissed my nose, his hands drifting to my face, his thumbs caressing my dirtied cheeks. “I’d rather look at you.”

“Going sappy on me, Commander?” I asked, feeling how swiftly his heart beat against mine. They made their own music, celebrating the future we’d been dreaming of.

“For you, Kiara? Always.”

I didn’t dare take my focus off him. I simply desired to stare at the boy who’d robbed me of a heart. I’d happily relinquish it over and over again.

“You did good, child.”

Jude shifted, freeing me from his arms as Arlo approached. The God of the Earth and Soil glided to our side, soft blue light emanating from his form. Color had returned to his cheeks. Isiah’s demise had given him new life , had given all the gods new life.

When his attention shifted to my pocket, I went still, understanding causing my head to spin.

The stone.

“You have a choice, Kiara,” Arlo said solemnly. “You are worthy of this gift, but only you can make the decision. Accept the power of the night, or…”

Or remain on earth, still tied to Arlo’s life, immortal but powerless.

I turned to Jude, Jake, Liam, Emelia, and Finn. I held all of their eyes.

A whole unexplored world beckoned, and I had always desired to travel it, to brandish my blade for good. To be the protector of those who couldn’t defend themselves.

If I were to be a god and properly wield my power, I’d be dedicated to the skies, forced to roam only when the night reigned.

Raina had made the mistake of shirking her duties for her lover—spending her days and nights on earth—but I knew such a thing could not be done again.

The world deserved better.

And I did , too.

I regarded Jude, whose crinkled eyes told me he knew my answer before I spoke it and that he understood. A gentle smile tugged at his mouth.

“You were meant to be here, Kiara,” he whispered, leaning to brush his lips against the shell of my ear. I shivered. “You were born to be this realm’s savior.” His voice cracked slightly. “There’s so much more for you out there, and if you chose the life of a god, you’d be giving away pieces of yourself.”

“Decide, child,” Arlo reminded, his voice firm. Always so firm.

“Then, no. I do not want to accept the gift,” I said firmly.

Lifting onto my tiptoes, I kissed Jude tenderly, enjoying how his mouth melded to mine.

Two pieces forming a whole. My entire body burned, now, almost too hot—

A sudden burst of ice raced down my frame and to my fingertips, which were threading through his hair.

I drew back, slowly, so very slowly, and brought my hands to my face.

My scars. They were back.

I stared up at Jude, mouth parted, heart thudding. “How?” I asked, marveling at the blue-black veins that I once reviled. They were lighter, shining with iridescent hues of gold and silver each time I twisted my wrist.

Jude smiled, so warm and endearing I melted. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ears, leaning down to whisper so only I could hear.

“It never belonged to me, Kiara. I’m merely returning what you allowed me to borrow.”

“But what if I hurt—”

“Being touched by darkness doesn’t make you dark. You wielded the powers you were given to help others, and I will not be the cause of you giving up yet another piece of yourself.”

I couldn’t love this man more. He saw beyond the lies I told to hide myself away, and he worshiped the beautifully imperfect soul that would forever be tied to his.

“I love you, Jude Maddox. From now until my final dawn.”

Jude pressed another kiss to my temple, lingering. His lips whispered against my brow as he said, “And I will spend every one of my nights loving you in return.”

I smelled flowers in the air, a fragrance I wasn’t familiar with. It was sweet and soothing, and it made a home in my lungs. The breeze that carried it whirled around the two of us, tickling my exposed skin, and while I shut my eyes and leaned into Jude, it grew more potent.

My arms pressed deeper, trying to tie him to me forever. But cool air replaced his heat, and when I opened my eyes, the boy who’d become a god was no longer in my hold.

I stumbled back, searching the field. Jude was…gone.

“He has to greet the new day,” Arlo said, his steadying hand reaching for my shoulder. “It was what he was born to do, after all.”

I wiped at my tears, which were once again flowing. I didn’t care who witnessed them. For once, Arlo didn’t chastise me, and when he wrapped his arms around me, I returned the embrace.

“Do not worry, child. Every day ends with the night.”

Arlo stepped back, clearing his throat as though he’d never hugged before. Perhaps he hadn’t.

I would see him when the day was done. I knew this in my bones. In my core. My soul. Hesitantly, I asked the question that had been on my mind from the moment I declined the gift of divinity. “What will happen to the stone?”

“We will need to seek a worthy vessel to carry such power,” he said. “Until that someone is located, I will watch over the stone and the orbs it contains. I will make sure night and day remain in balance, but no ruler will reign until a soul is found. Though I suggest we find them as soon as we possibly can.”

I nodded. “Then I will offer my services to find this vessel.” We locked eyes, my mentor’s softening until they became unrecognizable.

“And I shall accept.”

“Hey!” Jake rushed into our fold. “You better not leave me after all this.” Liam was hot on his heels. He grinned widely before dipping his chin my way.

Arlo released a frustrated noise from deep in his throat. “I accept all the help you can give, Kiara Frey. Bringer of Light. Warrior of Asidia.” He looked at the sky, to where the light grew stronger now, the fluttering glow becoming clearer, brighter. The sphere that was both the sun and a boy blessed by fate was finally rising.

I shut my eyes and relished the tingling warmth spreading across my body. I imagined my grandmother smiling from wherever her soul rested.

A hand slipped into mine and my eyes opened. Another hand gripped my free one. Jake and Liam sandwiched me between them, and my heart panged.

“I knew you’d be an adventure,” Jake whispered in my ear.

I nudged his shoulder. “Shut up, Jake, and watch the damned sunrise with me.”

Light may be casting the world in gold, but I couldn’t wait until the blanket of darkness cloaked me.

I had a god to find.