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T ess let out a humorless laugh. “Of course… that makes the most sense. The room where you were prophesized to kill her. She wouldn’t want it any other way. She would want that to be the room in which she killed you.”

Annelise nodded, her lips pressed together in a thin line.

They were right.

It was almost… poetic. But I knew Donika hadn’t chosen it for that reason. She wanted to take me out of this world in the exact place I was brought into it. Such an event would generate a massive amount of power. Power she could harness.

It was always about power with Donika.

No amount of power would ever be enough for her. She would first steal my magic, and then the magic my death generated.

Alastir raised a brow at Annelise. “The Mother prophesized her death, not Diana’s. ”

Annelise nodded. “We have to trust that the Mother showed you the truth.”

Alastir cleared his throat. “She has never shown me a falsehood, though she may not be the most forthcoming. She never shows me what I want , only what I need . In this, I am certain. The Mother has shown me that Diana will restore peace to Istmere.”

“But at what cost?” Annelise asked.

Alastir swallowed hard. “The Mother did not show me the outcome. I do not know if Diana’s life is the sacrifice that is required.”

His words had me reeling back. “What do you mean?”

“My visions are not clear,” he explained. “I do not know how the outcome will be reached, only that it will be . You will restore peace… but will it be because you kill Donika this day? I simply do not know.”

Annelise opened her mouth to speak, but I moved back towards the opened stone chamber, interrupting her. “It’s too late to go back now. Whatever happens, happens. We face Donika today and restore peace to Istmere one way or another. Whatever the outcome may be.”

Puck and Tess joined me as we waited for the others.

Annelise’s expression was sad as she joined us, sealing the door shut once more.

We had no way of knowing what was about to happen, only what the Mother had shown Alastir.

There was no point in dwelling on it now.

Our forces were out on the battlefield at this moment , risking their lives fighting Donika’s army and her demonic monsters to save this realm.

Today, we would end her rule of tyranny .

The mood was somber as we made our way to Osiris’s old chambers, hoping we would strike luck at the third location. If Donika wasn’t there… I wasn’t sure where we would search for her next.

But there was a piece of me, deep down in my gut, that knew she would be there… waiting for us.

We descended the same set of stairs one at a time, rocks falling to the landing and disintegrating the structure even further. A few more passes and that particular passageway would be entirely unusable.

We passed through a long hallway and rounded a corner to the right before coming to a stop. There was no antechamber here, only a small piece of wood wedged into the stone. My hand found the wound on my stomach and I pressed against it, reaching down the bond to feel Nik.

I could feel him faintly, hear the distant sounds of metal clashing. Shades screaming.

There was a fire somewhere in his periphery, the rain that spit down around them was not enough to extinguish it.

He was fighting .

I swallowed hard, closing my eyes to steel myself.

Everything I had endured since finding out I was a Stormshade was about to culminate. Beyond this door… I would engage in the fight of my life. With my sister, no less. I would drive my blade through her flesh and end her reign. End the dark magic that trickled through her veins.

I took a deep breath, then another.

When I opened my eyes, Tess was before me, watching me.

I gave her a reassuring smile, but it never reached my eyes.

She nodded in understanding. Despite knowing what needed to be done, despite the anger and vengeance pumping through my own blood, I didn’t relish it.

Tess had been by my side through everything, and she would be by my side through this, too.

My gaze fell on Annelise and I could feel the love pouring out of her.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen behind this door, because we still hadn’t found a cure for Donika’s immortality.

A piece of Donika lived inside Annelise, and even if I killed her today, she wouldn’t be entirely dead.

Not while that piece of her still lived.

But it would buy us time.

All I needed was more time .

Time to figure out how to break the spell and release Annelise from the part of Donika’s soul that clung to her. A tear slid down Annelise’s cheek, and she moved her delicate hand to hastily wipe it away.

When she smiled at me, I could see her eyes burning with a memory from the last time she had been in this room.

I steeled myself one last time, swallowing back the fear that crawled up the back of my throat. When I opened my eyes once more, my gaze fell on Annelise with magic burning in my gaze.

I nodded.

Annelise moved forward, releasing the wooden wedge and swinging the door wide open.