by G. Bailey
I scream as the sword cuts into my shoulder and I fall to my knees, using my other dagger to try and push her off me without hurting her.
“MADISON!” I scream her name over and over, but she doesn’t see me. The sword digs further into my arm, and as I search her expression, part of me wants to give up. I want to stop the pain and let her kill me; maybe then no one would win this game. The higher gods would never get me or anything they want.
But dying won’t solve anything. As I stare into my best friend’s glowing eyes, I realise I can’t let her kill me. I have to fight. And I will not die by the same sword that killed my mother. I would be letting her down if I didn’t fight.
“Fight her!” I hear Killian scream at me, as if echoing my own thoughts.
“I’m so feckin’ sorry, Mads. This is going to hurt,” I warn her, though she doesn’t respond to me. I close my eyes, imagining the moment Jade died. The memory of the anger. I remember the visions of my mother who loved me so much, and how any future we had was stolen away by these higher gods. I remember the sight of Neritous dying by my hand, the countless lies told to me to manipulate me, the life that’s been taken from me.
Now they want to take my best friend...and that is not happening.
“I’m Karma Maria Kismet. Daughter of a higher god and a karma goddess...and I will not go down without a fight!” I scream, letting the rage take me over. A familiar power begins to surge through me, and I allow it to take me over the way I did in the prison. Green lightning blasts up my arms, crashing into the sword and slamming into Mads’s chest. She screams as she flies off me, and I struggle to my feet.
The lightning is now flickering around my whole body, and it feels amazing. I feel like I could do anything. Every step seems slower as I look away from Mads and towards the higher gods, watching me like an animal in a cage from their places in the stands. I lift both my hands into the air, and my feet begin to float off the ground. With a smile on my lips, I throw both the daggers at the same time. They flicker with green lightning as they each slam into the hearts of Eenta and Gestune. The women gasp, clutching at each other as green lightning flickers all around their bodies. Just as the tips of their fingers touch, they scream and burst into an explosion of green lightning and dust. Gone, just like that.
I turn my eyes to Xur next; his eyes are wide and he looks stunned, as if he never prepared for this possibility. He thought he could wear me down, manipulating me into playing his game. But he underestimated my determination to protect the people I love, and now I’m going to make him pay for it.
I reach a hand out towards the gold sword on the floor next to Mads, who seems to have passed out. I can’t focus on her right now.
I need revenge. I need more power. I need this.
The sword flies into my hand before lighting up with green lightning. Xur looks from me to the sword, a new expression appearing on his face: fear. Good. I want him to feel afraid.
He debates for a moment before making the decision to try to run away, conjuring a portal in front of him. He lunges for it, but Storm is next to him in two seconds flat, grabbing his neck and throwing him onto the dirt at my feet as I approach. Xur tries to crawl away as I step closer and stand on his cloak, stopping him escaping.
“It sucks to feel weak. Doesn’t it?” I ask him as he grabs my ankle, and I place the tip of the sword in the middle of his chest, right above his dead, unfeeling heart. I’m going to make that heart feel something.
“Let me go. I won’t—”
“You know what they say, right?” I whisper, tightening my grip on the sword pressed into his chest.
“S-stop!” he screams, but I’m past hearing his pleas. Or caring about them.
“Karma’s a bitch.”
I don’t think I will ever forget the look on his face when I shove the sword straight through his heart. I never want to forget. This is for Mads, for my family, for my mother, my aunts I never got to know, for my grandparents.
This is for everything he has done, and all the people he has wronged along the way.
He bursts into dust as my lightning travels from my sword all throughout his body. The surge of energy continues until I’m just holding a sword on my own. I go to look at my family, knowing we just won, but before any of us can speak, a dome of red light suddenly appears around the platform. I can see through it, and watch in confusion as my family runs into the dome wall, slamming their hands against it. Storm flings a bolt of lightning into the dome at the same time the justice twins push gold power into the wall, but none of their abilities do anything.
“Oldest daughter, I am glad we finally get to meet.”
I turn slowly, choking back the fear lodged in my throat as I see a man in a cloak, holding Mads’ body in his arms. A red portal flickers behind him, crackling with a lightning so much like my own. Except this lightning is red, and it belongs to an all-too-familiar man.
“Neritous Cyncus?” I ask in shock as my body shakes in denial. “What… what are you doing here? You’re alive?” The questions pour out of me as I stare at the man I thought I killed.
“If you want to know the truth, if you want to save your friend, come with me. You have thirty seconds to make your choice, and then the portal will close forever. There will not be another chance.” Neritous walks through the portal, never looking back once as he and Madison disappear in an instant. I count the seconds down in my mind. One, two, three, four... but on number five, I know what I have to do. Mads needs me, and I need to know the truth. I look back at everyone I love once more before turning away and running headfirst into the portal.
I’m Karma Maria Kismet, and I’m finally going to find out the truth.
Epilogue
Storm
“Where is that goblin?” I roar after searching Karma and Madison’s apartment and finding nothing. The twins follow me as do Karma’s family who are all in shock. If I can find Kit, he can get me to Karma before she does something insane. Neritous cannot be trusted, and I know Karma would have only followed him to save Madison. I’m not sure if anyone can save Madison now. A human can’t be turned into a goddess without a hefty price that the world will have to pay.
Karma’s father will use Madison to control her and make her take more of the power. If she takes too much, it will destroy her soul just like it has done his. I rush down the corridor, pushing her parents’ door open and looking inside.
“Kit, wait!” I shout as Kit jumps into a black portal. I run as fast as I can across the room, and just as I reach my hand out, the portal disappears, and I crash into the floor. “NO!” Thunder and lightning flash against the skies as I stand up, facing Karma’s family and the twins. I tighten my hands into fists, anger rattling through my body.
I didn’t get a chance to tell her how much I love her. No matter if she wants to keep the annoying twins around.
I didn’t get a chance to tell her I fucking love her more than anything.
“We will find her. No matter what,” Seth says, trying to calm me.
“Yes, we will. When I get Karma back, I’m going to kill anyone that tries to take her from us again. Karma Kismet is ours.”
Note From The Author.
Hello my lovely readers. I hope you love Karma’s story and don’t worry, book two and three are out super soon.
A big thank you to my family who have always been there for me and everyone that supported me with this book. Even if it was simply liking my teasers/covers or popping me a message to say how much you loved the books so far. Every message, post, and review gives me so much happiness.
A special thank you my editor, Helayna, and Mads, my personal assistant! They are my life savers and I couldn’t do this without them.
A big thank you to Bailey’s Pack and all its wonderful members. Your love for my books gives me life.
If you have the time, a small review would be very much appreciated. I read every one, and always have done.
Happy Future Reading!! Love G. xoxo
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G. Bailey is a USA Today and international bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures.
G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children, three cheeky dogs and one cat who rules them all.
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