by K. A. Linde
He removed the coin from her pocket and handed it to Malysa. “This is all that was on her.”
“You think I’m stupid enough to bring the diamond here with me?” Cyrene indignantly taunted right back.
“You were stupid enough to come here,” Malysa said. “Your arrogance never surprises me.”
“That’s something, coming from you.”
Malysa just indulgently smiled at her. “Well, now that you’re here, we can commence the finale. I knew that you’d come here of your own accord.” She patted Fenix’s shoulder. “Thanks to my good friend Fenix here, you came just like I’d known you would.”
Cyrene’s eyes moved to Fenix. He pleaded with her in that moment. He hadn’t wanted to do it. He hadn’t meant to. It was a trap. She had always known it would be. That was why she hadn’t had any intention of doing anything but rescuing him.
Which…if she got close enough now, then maybe she still could.
“You think I came of my own accord?” Cyrene asked, stepping forward as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “I don’t think you can really count it as me coming to you if you had to trick me into doing it.”
“Semantics,” Malysa argued.
She dug her hand into her pocket and rolled her eyes. “I’m not here for you, Malysa. I’m not here to join your stupid guard. You have these soldiers brainwashed into thinking that you’re doing them a favor, but they know that you’re evil. Everyone can sense it on you. No one worships someone that they fear.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she bit out. “Love is a fickle emotion. You humans give and take it so easily. But fear, fear is eternal worship. It’s forever.”
Cyrene laughed. “Hardly.”
“You never stood a chance,” Malysa gloated. “No one else really did. Not after I killed off most of the magical bloodlines.”
“All these years, and you’re still upset that your sister found love and had children, and you didn’t.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
“Actually, I think I do. Vera showed me exactly what happened.” Cyrene lowered her voice, hoping to reason with her. “What those men tried to do was awful, horrible. But it doesn’t justify all of this.”
But Malysa just let out a laugh and then another. And then her madness shone through. “You think that I do this because a bunch of little boys tried to take my body? They deserved the end I gave them. But Benetta knows that is not why I do this. I do this because she dared to bring magic into this realm. She dared to defile our claim as goddesses. We were meant to rule. It is not my fault if little Benny was duped by a human boy with dimples.”
“And now, you want to kill everyone with Doma magic and, what? Infect them all with blood magic, so they’re subject to you?”
“I want to set up a new society in my image. Start over as it should have been,” Malysa said, lost in her own insane ideals. “The righteous and powerful will rule all. You just aren’t powerful enough to stop me.”
“I think that I am,” she countered, taking that last step toward Malysa. Making it appear that she was just disagreeing with her while she got as close as she dared.
Malysa shook her head. “A full-blooded Doma? Hardly. And now, you have brought all the magical people of this world together for me. I didn’t even have to lift a finger. I can wipe them all out in one fell swoop, and you can watch.”
“That will never happen. You’ll lose,” Cyrene assured her.
“Oh, my little Domina,” Malysa said, using her title like an insult. “No, I won’t.”
Cyrene took that moment and lunged for Fenix. All she had to do was grab him, and they could be gone. Her fingers brushed his sleeve, but then a shield appeared out of nowhere. Cyrene bounced off of it, her path to Fenix gone. Obliterated. She used her magic to break it down, but it was too late. Malysa had seen that she was just getting her to talk so that she could get to Fenix.
Malysa shook her head. The humor gone. Replaced by the evil goddess bent on destruction. “Just for that.”
Then she used her magic to push Fenix. He gasped and windmilling his arms before he plummeted into the Voldere pit.
“No!” she shrieked.
Without a second thought, she dove into the pit after him. The Voldere was fast, and it was already upon Fenix when she got to him. She brandished a sword of flames and brought it down onto the leathery claw that sank into Fenix’s gut.
The flames broke through the wrist, severing it from his body. The Voldere screamed and whirled on her.
“Enough!” Malysa cried from far above.
But Cyrene was now engaged with the creature.
And it had realized she was much more interesting than Fenix.
It came for her, using that razor-sharp intelligence and even deadlier talons to push her back into a corner. She fought with all the magic at her disposal. But it didn’t seem to matter. Air didn’t knock it over. Water didn’t seem to have any effect. And it could fly to avoid her earth magic. Only flames worked but not to burn. The thickness of its skin seemed immune to the flames, just like dragon scales. But she could still kill it. And she knew from the last fight that decapitation worked.
You are a different type of treat, the thing spoke into her mind.
She shuddered at the slimy black taint that seemed to come from that touch. It was like talking to Sarielle but twisted and damaged.
“I am no treat. I am the Domina. And your kind should never have existed.”
He cocked a dangerous smile. Neither should yours.
Then he flew toward her. He kicked at her, twisting something in her knee. So she had to duck and roll under him, bringing her flames toward his talons, but he dodged the attack. The tip of his claws ran along her back. She could feel it burn through her as if she were on fire. But she didn’t stop.
Instead, she plummeted into her energy well. And, just as the thing dove for her again, she blasted it in the face with her spirit magic.
This time, the Voldere went flying, slamming into the far wall with a crunch.
She limped forward with all the bravado she could manage. But, in the span of a few seconds, the Voldere had recovered and began to walk toward her.
She faltered for one second.
Made it see the weakness in her leg very clearly.
I would like to kill this one slowly, it said to her.
“The feeling is mutual,” she barked, enhancing her limp.
The Voldere kicked off, doing exactly what she had hoped it would do, throwing its body weight into her injured side. But she had signaled that for a reason. She spun on that leg, sprinted twice, and then jumped, using her air magic to propel her off the ground. She twisted in midair and brought the flaming sword up to its neck. It dug in deep but not all the way through.
The Voldere crashed backward into the sand and bones. Cyrene was thrown back a step or two. Her flames extinguishing. Her injured back took most of the impact. She groaned as she slowly came to her feet.
She looked up at Malysa as she hobbled toward the Voldere, whose head hung halfway off. She reignited her sword, letting the flames bathe her in light, and severed the beast’s head.
Malysa held her gaze for a moment. “You will regret that.”
Cyrene ignored her and sprinted for Fenix. Blood gurgled out of his mouth. And his eyes were half-open, staring up at her.
“I’m…sorry,” he gasped out.
“You don’t have to apologize. I came for Rhea. She begged me to get you out of here. I’m going to get you out. I swear it.”
“Don’t…worry. Just…get…to her. She…needs…you.”
“I won’t leave you,” Cyrene whispered.
“Tell her…I love her.”
“No, you’ll tell her,” she gasped. “You will.”
Tears ran down her cheeks. She had no knowledge of healing. Had no idea how it would even work. Her body healed on its own so quickly. She’d need someone else for something this advanced. The c
law was still in his stomach. Her hands hovered over it. She had no idea if she should take it out or not.
“He will be dead within minutes,” Malysa taunted. “As will you.”
Cyrene felt Malysa’s influence within her body. Felt her reach for that place where her blood magic resided. That dark, empty place she had gone to after Maelia died. The place that she had filled with light and let the diamond strengthen.
But…Malysa didn’t know that.
She gasped as loud as she could manage. “Oh Creator, no!”
She shook as if she were trying to stop the blood magic from taking over. She fell to her knee, letting her hand dig back into that pocket where Merrick had found the first coin.
“You will die for killing my favorite beast. And I will bring your head to the first battle as I wipe out your friends one by one just for fun,” Malysa spat. “You were never immune to me. I’ve always controlled you completely. So long as you have blood magic in your veins, you are mine.”
Cyrene flipped her wrist, withdrawing the second coin from the in-between space that she had left it in. The same place she had kept the diamond hidden to protect her from Malysa. Both safe and sound and out of Malysa’s reach.
She grabbed Fenix’s hand and opened the portal.
She hastily dragged him through and smirked at Malysa as she screamed at them to stop her. “I am my own. And always will be.”
Then she closed to the portal and stood in Aonia.
“Sarielle,” she screamed, igniting her Doma Fire. “Healing! Quick!”
The dragon appeared then. You made it out.
“Yes, but Fenix.” She gestured to the man, pulled the claw out of his gut, and tried to fill him with light magic. Fill him with everything she had. Gave and gave and gave.
Soul sister, Sarielle said. His time is over.
Cyrene leaned back on her heels and stared down at his bloodied body. Those vacant eyes. The blueing lips.
She reached forward and closed his lids.
Mission accomplished.
Then she screamed until her voice was hoarse.
51
The Return
Cyrene flew into Byern just as the sun began to crest the horizon. She saw the troops beginning to get into formation for the next day. The next slog of a war. But she felt nothing. She was tired of playing by everyone else’s rules. This might be how wars were won, but this was not how she could beat Malysa. Not if she wanted anyone else to survive with her.
Sarielle landed in a clearing. Figures were already running toward them from the edge of the camp.
Cyrene slid down Sarielle’s back and eased Fenix’s body down with her air magic. She set him down on the ground. Then, she touched Sarielle’s mind with her own. This was going to be hard. She had known it would be either way when she agreed to this mission for Rhea. But…she had never once believed it would end this way.
“What were you thinking?” Avoca demanded as she stormed toward her across the plain.
Cyrene looked at her with clear eyes and said nothing.
“You went to face her alone? You could have been killed!”
“Where’s Rhea?” Cyrene asked.
Avoca shook her head. “You won’t even speak for your actions?”
“Right now, I have no interest in justifying myself to you or anyone,” Cyrene said with a sigh. “But I do need to speak with Rhea.”
Avoca seemed to realize for the first time that there was a body on the ground. She gasped and pulled up short. “Oh Creator.”
Then Rhea appeared. “You made it back! You did it!”
“Rhea…I’m…I’m so sorry,” she said, her throat thick with emotion.
Rhea pulled up short next to Avoca. She had found the body much sooner. “No,” she keened, the word turning into a long, mourning wail. “No. No. No.”
Cyrene stepped toward Rhea as more onlookers gathered. “It was a trap. He’d been forced to write the note. She was waiting for me all along. I tried to portal him out, but she stopped me and threw him into a pit for her new creature. I fought and killed it. But by the time I got us back through the portal, he…he was gone.”
Rhea jerked her head side to side. “You were supposed to rescue him! You were supposed to protect him! You promised, Cyrene. You promised!”
“I know. I did everything that I could.”
“It wasn’t enough,” Rhea shouted. Tears fell from her eyes, tracking down her cheeks as she exploded with rage and grief. “You didn’t do enough! You said you’d bring him to me. It was the only thing I’d ever asked for.”
“It’s my fault,” Cyrene agreed without an ounce of guile. “I should have done more. I never should have sent him. But, before he was gone, he told me that I had to get back to you because you needed me. And…that he loves you.”
Rhea swallowed and pushed past Cyrene. She fell to her knees over Fenix and sobbed. Great, big, racking sobs that made her chest heave. She dropped her hands onto his chest and let tears fall onto his shredded clothing.
Cyrene watched on with desperation. She knew there was nothing that she could do. That there was nothing any of them could do.
They were in a war. People died every day. But there had been hope here. And hope could crush and kill just as easily.
A hand touched her arm. “You’re back,” Dean said with relief. “And injured.”
She winced as he brushed the wound down her back.
“We need to get you to the healing tents to see Rita and Vera.”
“It’ll heal on its own.”
Avoca took a look at it. She hissed low. “Healing tents at once.”
“I’m fine,” she argued. Then she tried to take a step, and all the adrenaline left her body. She bit out a cry as she landed on her leg. And suddenly, she realized that she could still feel the fire in her back. “I…fought the Voldere. They might have poisoned talons.”
“Cyrene,” Dean breathed on a sigh. Then without a word, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the healing tents.
“Well, you’re not going to die,” Lady Cauthorn said, nodding her head at the healer woman who was exiting the tent. “But you’re going to have one nasty scar down the center of your back. I’m thinking no backless dresses from now on.”
Cyrene managed a small smile. “Or only backless dresses to remind people of how much of a badass I am.”
Lady Cauthorn shook her head. “You always did have spunk.”
She handed Cyrene a new shirt, and she pulled it on over her head. The healer woman had also reset her knee. Coupled with her natural healing, she actually felt better than she had in a while, a shiny and brand-new.
Dean poked his head in. “Is she done?”
“Yes, boy, come on in,” Lady Cauthorn said. She winked at him. “Go easy on her.”
“Thank you, Rita.”
Dean waited for Lady Cauthorn to leave, but Cyrene cut in first.
“Are you going to yell at me, too?”
He slowly breathed out. “No. I understand why you went.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Do you? Because I’m starting to think it might have all been a fever dream.”
“It was a selfless act. You did it for your friend.”
“Yeah.”
“Even though I kind of want to shake you for not taking me along and making me find out from Rhea.”
She sighed. “I just…figured you would have stopped me.”
“I would have,” he said, brushing a strand of her hair out of her face. “Anyone would have stopped you, except Rhea, in that situation.”
“And now, Rhea is going to hate me forever.”
“She won’t. She doesn’t really blame you.”
Cyrene shrugged, pulling on her fighting leathers over the soft shirt.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“To lead my army.”
He pushed her back down onto the cot. “You almost died. How about you give it a rest for a day?”
“I c
an’t. Malysa made it seem like her final attack was coming soon. And I’m tired of playing by the rules. I saw and fought the Voldere, her new creatures. I know what they’re capable of. I know how to stop them. But, if she unleashes them on our troops, we’re doomed. And I don’t even know how many there are.”
“Okay,” he said, letting her stand. “Then let’s do this together.” He tilted her face up to his and placed a kiss on her lips. “And never do that again.”
She smiled and kissed him back.
They strode out of the healing tents as a unit and straight to the war council, which seemed to be in uproar.
Cyrene silenced them all with a raise of her hand. “I know that you are all mad at me for going up against Malysa. It was just supposed to be a rescue mission, but now, I know what we’re going up against next.” She filled everyone in on what had happened with the Voldere. When everyone began to speak again as one, she held up her hand. “We can no longer play by her rules.”
“And how to you presume we do that?” Gwynora asked.
“Yeah, we’re doing all that we can,” Quidera said.
“No, we’re not,” Cyrene said. “We can do more. But what we need are more people. We need more soldiers. We need one big push to crush their line and take down their blood magic lines. We need to storm the castle and take control.”
“But how are we going to get more soldiers?” Brigette asked.
“Yeah, we can’t exactly make new soldiers,” the Commander said.
“What if we could?” Cyrene countered.
Everyone looked around in confusion.
“Malysa gave me an idea about how to get more soldiers. I’m willing to try to change the tide of this war if you all are.”
Cyrene looked from one person to the next. Waited for someone to object. But all she saw was deference to their leader and trust in her.
“What I need is eight other magical users. They’d have to burrow down into their reserves and pull up everything they had. Every last drop. Then, tomorrow, at high noon, they’d have to be willing to link with me and Sarielle. So, we would have a round ten.”