Tempest (The Chronicles of Winterset Book 2)
Page 26
“And I miss you, my sweet princess.” His eyes wavered as he stared down at me. “Do what you have to do to end it. I will always love you, Ana. Always.”
“You must keep fighting. If there’s a way to save you, I will find it. Please, Calix. Fight so I can save you.”
“No, I don’t want to be saved,” he said, his voice slowly morphing to a low growl, making my heart plummet. His eyes flashed back to black, and he laughed like a maniac, his grip tightening on my neck cutting off my air again. “I told you. Calix and the Mortae have always been one. We are the same.”
I struggled and kicked, my vision darkening.
“It’s time, my love. The blood moon demands it. We will finish what we started. My Ash Queen.”
“No,” I rasped, feeling the pull of compulsion hit me, weighing down my thoughts. I fought against it, my teeth chewing my cheek so hard I tasted blood. Calix’s eyes flashed back to brown, and his face twisted down into sorrow. He was himself again, but I didn’t know for how long.
“It is as it must be, Ana. Fight. Fight hard. Don’t give up. No matter what. Altera. I can feel him near, his blood running through your veins. I know he’s waiting for you. Incaendium. Wildfire, my love. Burn it all. Be the fire tempest. The storm that takes out the darkness. Bring the thunder. I believe in you.”
Calix released my neck, his hand thrusting forward, and he placed it over my heart. He took the hand of mine he held and placed it over his heart.
“Ute ambulemus in ignem. Manu in manu. Socius flamma. Regina Ash mea. Incaendium. Forgive me, my love. This might hurt a little.”
The pain built up in my chest where his hand was, and I screamed, the pain more intense than anything I’d ever felt before. I threw my head back in agony, my throat hoarse from my cries. Calix closed his eyes. A wisp of black smoke surrounded him. The storm raged overhead. The wind whipped around us, making the flames dance higher.
The black tendrils thickened. The air was so dense it was impenetrable by the naked eye. Shadow. I tried breaking our connection, but I was getting too weak. His commands in my head telling me to stay were overpowering me. He knew about Altera. He knew I had to become Wildfire. He was fighting so hard, giving me a chance to save us all. I had to endure the pain, no matter what. Calix was severing our ties. Breaking us a part. Giving me to Tarek.
My mind stayed on Tarek. On altera. His blood now a part of me.
“Be free, Ana. You’ll save us all. I’ll always be with you. In here,” he said, pressing his hand over my heart more. “I love you, my tempest, my wildfire.”
“And I love you,” I whispered as scalding tears ran down my cheeks.
Flames erupted from my fingertips, my eyes, my mouth. Every part of my body was engulfed in it. The pain was surreal.
Wildfire. Incaendium.
The end. The beginning.
My heart thumped slowly in my chest. I was dying. I could hear the agonized screams of Soran, of Kellin, as I burned with Calix. The clash of swords rang out over the crackle of fire as my people struggled to get to me.
But they didn’t know. They didn’t know this had to happen, that this was Calix, my Calix, giving me a chance to save them. And me. And hopefully us. His brown eyes focused on me. The pain in them was a reflection of my own as I stared at him. Seeing him burn, watching him try to stifle his pain in order to be strong for me, broke something deep inside of me. My heart breaking was so much more agonizing than the torture of the flames because I knew the fire was severing our connection. And if I couldn’t figure out how to save him and restore him to me, then this might potentially be an eternal goodbye rather than the temporary one I was hoping for.
“I-I can’t hold out, Ana. I-I love you. Always. Save me… even if it means my death, no matter the costs. It’s up to you and him now. I-I release you. You are a tempest, my love. Bring the fire. The ash is born beneath the red.” His eyes wavered before flashing back to coal black. A sneer replaced the sad look on his face. He let out an angry growl as his hand went back to my throat and lifted me into the air.
“No!” he screamed, squeezing my neck, my vision blackening again. “NO. YOU. ARE. MINE.” With his other hand, he withdrew a blade from his armor.
I kicked and tried to get my flame to work, but there was nothing. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t breathe. The Mortae would kill me before letting me go. I could feel him trying to compel me, but it wasn’t working.
I was free. Calix had freed me.
The Mortae released me suddenly as a sword protruded from his abdomen. He faltered and stumbled, staring down at the wound in confusion. He was stunned. It wouldn’t kill him, but it was too late. The damage between us was done.
I was free from the Mortae. The fire within me grew hotter. Tarek’s face flooded my thoughts. I fell to the ground in a heap, barely breathing. I didn’t stay there long because a set of strong arms lifted me up, and I looked into the face of Tarek.
“Sorry I’m late,” he murmured. “I-I need your permission, Ana.”
“You have it,” I choked out. “Open the portal.”
He didn’t hesitate. He tore open a portal, and we disappeared into the night, frantic shouts of my name echoing behind us.
If Zaros wanted a war, we were going to give him one.
To be Continued in Fracture
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About the Author
Affectionately dubbed Queen of Cliffy, Suspense, Heartbreak, and Torture by her readers, USA Today bestselling author K.G. Reuss is known mostly for making readers ugly cry with her writing. A cemetery creeper and ghost enthusiast, K.G. spends most of her time toeing the line between imagination and forced adulthood.
After a stint in college in Iowa, K.G. moved back to her home in Michigan to work in emergency medicine. She's currently raising three small ghouls and is married to a vampire overlord (not really but maybe he could be someday).
K.G. is the author of The Everlasting Chronicles series, Emissary of the Devil series, The Chronicles of Winterset series, The Middle Road (with co-author CM Lally) Black Falls High series and Seven Minutes in Heaven with a ridiculous amount of other series set to be released.
Also by K.G. Reuss
Emissary of the Devil: Testimony of the Damned
Emissary of the Devil: Testimony of the Blessed
Emissary of the Devil: Gospel of the Fallen
The Everlasting Chronicles: Dead Silence
The Everlasting Chronicles: Shadow Song
The Everlasting Chronicles: Grave Secrets
The Everlasting Chronicles: Soul Bound
The Chronicles of Winterset: Oracle
The Chronicles of Winterset: Tempest
Black Falls High: In Ruins
Black Falls High: In Silence
Black Falls High: In Chaos
Hard Pass
Kings of Bolten: Dirty Little Secrets
Barely Breathing
The Middle Road
Seven Minutes in Heaven