Page 49

I woke fully rested for the first time in months. Nik was curled around my side, the dawn sky softly illuminating the bedroom as we lay tangled in the sheets. We woke and dressed wordlessly, stealing kisses and touches here and there.

There was nothing to be said.

Today we would march on Akra, and in two days’ time Donika would be dead.

Or we would be.

I strapped Stormslayer to my thigh, stashing my throwing knives in my boots as well. I had always planned to take a sword too, but Nik wordlessly held his out to me.

“You want me to take yours?” I asked, my brow quirked at him.

He nodded, his gaze meeting mine. “So a piece of me will be with you when you face her. ”

I gripped the front of his jacket and pulled him towards me, capturing his mouth with mine. I would never get enough of the taste of his lips. The touch of his skin against mine.

He helped me secure it to my back, adjusting the strap to fit me. He disappeared to grab another blade from the weapons room down the hall to strap onto himself. We secured our packs and ascended the staircase towards the upper cottage for the last time, meeting the others out front.

Zion, Annelise, Alastir, and Amiyah were already out here waiting for us.

Zion gazed at the cottage wistfully, as if it were the last time he would set eyes on the home.

I knew how much it meant to him, and what it represented.

It was his haven after the War of Siraleth.

It was the home he raised Donika in. The home he fell in love with Annelise in.

These walls had seen so many of the moments that had built his life.

It wouldn’t be the last time he saw it if I had anything to do with it.

Saanvi and Kenna joined us and each pulled me into a hug, wishing me speed and luck in the battle to come. They hugged each other fiercely, and tears stung the back of my eyes. Kenna had almost lost Saanvi once already, and there was no guarantee we would all make it out of this battle alive.

I wanted my family to finally feel safe. I didn’t want them to worry about whether they would come home again, whether they would ever see a loved one again. Whether they would be captured and tortured simply for the magic they were born with.

Tomorrow, I would fight for each one of them .

Tess and Puck joined us at last, Tess gripping me tightly.

Puck gave me a gruff hug and mussed my hair with his gloved hand, laughing when it clung to me with static electricity.

I gazed around at each of them, thanking the Mother for bringing them into my life.

For allowing me to feel so supported and loved in these past months.

That no matter what happened now, I would never be alone again.

The corner of my mouth turned up in a half smile at Zion who nodded, starting off towards the plains of Siraleth. We would meet the army of the resistance right before the two columns that reached up into the clouds—the entryway to Prins.

There was no haste to the pace which we set, as if we were walking towards something we didn’t truly want to, but rather needed to. I was anxious to get this over with, but I wasn’t anxious for what would come first.

Blood would be spilled on both sides tomorrow.

It was Puck who broke the silence as we walked. “It’s too bad we can’t march against Donika on horses, it would be so much more badass.”

Nik laughed, shaking his head. His golden hair fell into his eyes. “Have you ever seen a horse in The Shadow?”

Tess tilted her head as if she were truly thinking about it.

Nik playfully punched Puck in the arm. “There are horses north of The Shadow and there are horses south of The Shadow. You try taking a horse down those steps.”

“I never thought of it that way,” Puck mused, his hand on his chin as he gazed off, deep in thought.

I couldn’t help but laugh .

I was reminded of how things had been mere months ago, when winter had just begun and we had met Nik and Puck for the first time. The stakes were much less then, and everything was so… simple. Puck had always been the comedic relief of the group, and I hoped that never changed.

“I think if we really needed to, we could get a horse into The Shadow,” he finally announced.

“But how many?” Nik countered. “If we were all to ride horses into battle… it just doesn’t make sense, Puck. Think about it.”

“Ok… then we get horses north of The Shadow. Simple.”

“Sure… we will just buy a battalion of horses as if we come across that every day.” Nik slung his arm around his shoulder. “I think you’re going to need to let this one go.”

“I’m only trying to see how we can make this more… epic,” Puck replied.

“I think this will be epic enough without the horses, boys,” Tess replied, rolling her eyes.

She was right about that. If the battle at Prins had shown us anything, this was going to be the fight of our lives.

Mist still clung heavily to the early morning air, and the scent of battle was tangible. It smelled of… hope. And fear. All mixed into one.

As we approached Prins, I could see the twin spires in the distance, and what lay beyond had me stopping dead in my tracks.

There were hundreds of Shades filling the planes of Siraleth.

No, not hundreds. Thousands .

I had never seen this many Shades in one place at the same time. My breath escaped me as if the air was physically pressed out of my lungs, my hand flying to my throat.

The resistance.

For all this talk of the resistance, we had scattered the numbers across the realm in hopes that we could keep pockets of us hidden. I had met many members of the resistance before, and fought alongside others, but I had never seen the force of them together before my eyes.

It was formidable.

Shades upon Shades filled the plains, leather gear adorning their bodies, blades strapped across their chests and at their waists.

I recognized a few faces from the safe houses we had visited in Prins, and others from the battle.

But the majority of the force I had never seen before, and I had no words for the amount of gratitude I felt seeing them in this moment.

Isaac and Zion at the head of the resistance had gathered a force that would rival Donika’s. A force that would fight for the rights of every Shade in the realm. I bit my lip and tilted my head back, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Isaac should be here for this. He should have gotten to see this force with his own eyes. This was his work, after all.

Tess came up beside me, looping her arm through mine and grasping my hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Every Shade before us had been wronged by Donika, or knew someone who had.

Had either been tortured by her or had hidden for over a decade in hopes of escaping her notice.

Among these numbers were Stormshades who could never reveal their magic in their own home.

There were Nightshades who had allied with the Stormshades in the War of Siraleth.

There were Shades who were forced to pick sides or be murdered along with the others.

A sea of brown and black leather stood before me in the morning mist of Siraleth and I couldn’t help but feel completely overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude.

Zion came up behind me, placing a hand on my other shoulder opposite Tess.

“You should say something.” His voice was soft in my ear.

“Me?” My voice cracked as I turned towards him, eyes wide. “They don’t—they don’t even know me. I’m only a figurehead, something they could imagine when they thought of a better realm. A better life.”

Zion shook his head. “You are much, much more than that. You are their leader. Their queen . They will look to you to rally them into battle.”

“But they know you,” I argued, “I’ve never even met most of them.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Zion replied. “What matters is that you are here, and you have fought for their freedom as valiantly as they have. That you belong here, and that your blood is the rightful blood on the throne. Donika might be a Kotova, but she is not of the blood of Osiris. She is a usurper. You will usher in a new era in Istmere, one we have not seen in a long, long time.”

My gaze flitted to Tess who gave me an encouraging smile, releasing my arm and giving it one last squeeze .

“How do I—” but my words were cut off as Nik snapped his fingers and a stone dais appeared before us in the grass.

“Is that… ” I turned to him, brow raised.

“The dais from The Stone Palace?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders. “Shapeshifter magic. I had to take from somewhere, and it’s the only platform I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. I figured Donika wouldn’t miss it.”

I shook my head at him, a soft smile on my lips.

A hand grasped my shoulder and turned me. I was face-to-face with Annelise, her hand extended towards me.

“A skin spell, for amplification,” she said, nodding at my forearm.

I nodded wordlessly.

She took my arm, rolling the sleeve up to my elbow before closing her hand around my wrist, a spell on her lips. When she opened her eyes and stepped away, a black rune marked my forearm. It quickly turned a charcoal color, then faded to grey. She nodded towards the dais and stepped back.

I steeled myself, inhaling deeply before slowly ascending the steps of the dais. I had never walked these steps before, but my blood had been spattered at their feet. Nik’s hands raised and his shadows slithered out into the crowd.

A hushed silence fell among them, their attention turning towards me.

I was awkward and uncomfortable on the dais… who was I to claim the throne? To walk this dais and speak to these people? But my gaze fell on Zion, then Annelise. Alastir, Amiyah, Saanvi then Kenna. Puck, Tess, Nikolai. They all smiled at me from the grass below in reassurance .

I cleared my throat, and the sound echoed off the mountains in the distance. That was… quite the amplification spell Annelise had inked into my skin.

My eyes met the gazes of each of the Shades before me, and I searched what I could make out of their faces beneath the morning mist before I cleared my throat once more to speak.

“You might not know me—” my voice was tense as I cleared my throat once more.

“You might now know me, but I know each of you, even if we have never met. I know that Donika has ruled this realm with an iron fist for too long. I know that she has tortured you, murdered your loved ones. Your family. Your friends. She murdered my father.”

Whispers broke out in the crowd as I continued.

“My father Osiris wasn’t a perfect man. He, too, fought to eliminate Stormshades from the realm. But I stand before you, blood of Osiris, blood of Kotova . I am a Stormshade .”

The whispers swelled as I confirmed what everyone had already suspected. That I was the last Stormshade of the Kotova bloodline, the one prophesized to lead them into battle. It appears Alastir wasn’t the only one privy to the prophecy from the Mother.

“Donika may be my half sister, but there is no love lost. She has tortured me. Tried to kill me. Tried to steal my magic to use as her own. She has taken, and taken, and taken from me and I will not allow her to take any more!”

At this, claps rang out in the crowd as well as a few shouts.

“Istmere should be safe for all Shades. Nightshade, Stormshade, and Shade alike. We shouldn’t need to hide who we are or choose sides simply to survive. Tomorrow… we will march The Stone Palace and take back what is ours! ”

Swords clanged together and cheers rang out in the crowd.

My face was flushed as I pulled my own blade free from the scabbard at my back and raised it in the air.

I could sense my magic pumping through my veins as if it were my blood, my sustaining life force.

Nik sent warmth down the bond and I glanced down at him, my eyes filled with amethyst magic.

I let thunder clap loudly overhead, joining the chorus of the resistance. Blue lightning struck the ground behind me, illuminating me in bright light. I released a little more magic, the clouds swirling overhead in a mixture of grey, white, and black.

“Tomorrow, we will bring an end to the tyranny that has suffocated this realm. Tomorrow, we will take back the throne! ”

The crowd roared, raising their swords to match mine, silver blades cutting the air before me. My eyes brimmed with tears as I stared out at the crowd. The mist had risen, allowing me to see soldiers lined up as far as the eye could see.

There were Stormshades just like me in this crowd, and an open show of magic was something they had never had the chance to experience in their lifetime. Lightning struck again behind the dais before I reeled the magic in, the sun peering out behind the clouds.

“Tomorrow… we fight for every Shade who has been persecuted, tortured, or murdered. Tomorrow… we fight for a better future.”

The cheers from the crowd were deafening, and the tears that brimmed in my eyes threatened to spill over. In this moment, I felt more hope than I ever had since arriving in Istmere. These people deserved a better future, and I would fight to give it to them.

“Tomorrow, we dethrone the malicious queen of Istmere once and for all! To Istmere!”

“To Istmere!” The crowd roared.

I thrust Nik’s sword into the air and allowed a bolt of lightning to escape its blade, shooting across the sky. Nik rushed the dais and grabbed me, pulling me against him, his lips on mine.

“To the true queen!”

“To Diana!”

“To Istmere!”

The calls of the resistance filled my ears as Nik kissed me. When he released me, I steadied myself, trying to catch my breath. My hand rest against his chest as I gazed out at the resistance.

I wanted to memorize the feel of their power. The hope that was tangible among the crowd. The tears of happiness that fell from their faces and tracked down their cheeks. I would remember this moment until my end of days, and I did my best to sear it into my memory.

Tomorrow, we would fight for freedom.

And we would win.