Author's note: All I can say is, I'm sorry for this.
Time passed slowly, painfully, despite the way I tried to will it to move faster.
For the first time since we'd walked away, Stryker was pushed to the back of the mind in the wake of the endless ticking of a clock counting down. I switched between eyeing the sun in the sky to keep track of time and wandering around the ship like a ghost. Talia remained fixed at Ifrit's side in the boat, her magic a warm, golden light over scarred skin. Somehow she'd managed to keep Ifrit in a sort of stasis to keep the poison from wreaking more havoc while we waited for Jace to return.
Unsurprisingly, Talia was quick to shoo me away so she could focus on the complicated nature of her gift. Not for the first time, I wished my skills lay in a more creative outlet instead of destruction. All of us knew that our successes so far would not have been possible without Talia's support and I squeezed her shoulder in silent support before I did as she ordered. I knew how hard she took it when one of us was hurt.
For my part, I focused on preparing the ship to move quickly once more in case we were set upon by Trask's men. I laid down as many tripwires as I could risk with my magic to serve as an early warning system, but I knew it would only give us a little more time to run. There was no way I could fight without risking Ifrit and Talia. It was little more than a stopgap to keep me busy while we waited for Jace to return.
Anxiety was a twisting mass in my gut that seemed to flex and shiver as one hour edged into two. I tried to estimate how much time it would take to make it from the coastline to our camp on foot, but everything pointed to the fact that I was terrified to acknowledge:
He should have been back by now.
Jace understood-perhaps more than any of us-how much was at stake with his mission. Every minute that passed was another wave of agony for Ifrit and lowered chances for her recovery. I knew without any doubt that Jace would have pushed himself to his limits to reach camp and return as quickly as humanly possible.
So where was he?
I was pacing across the deck for the eight hundredth time when Talia finally spoke, "He should be back by now."
For some reason, hearing her admit that made my panic double until I was near vibrating with the urge to do something. I slowed my step and looked at her carefully neutral face. It was easy sometimes to forget that Talia had seen more blood and pain in her lifetime than any creature should have to suffer for. That sort of dark knowledge had shadows lingering behind her eyes when we acknowledged the fact that the weakest member of our unit was at risk and how quickly things were beginning to fall apart.
"I know," I murmured.
She glanced down at Ifrit's too-pale body, "We can't wait much longer. You're going to have to go."
"What if Trask finds the ship? I can't leave you undefended." The thought of losing another member of our strange family made the air around me shiver with discomfort. We were breaking apart no matter what I did to stop it.
"It won't matter if Ifrit dies or Jace is captured," Talia said. She looked down at the Illyrian warrior on the deck, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. "You're the only one who could manage it. I can keep Ifrit stable for another hour or so barring some sort of complication."
I considered her for a long moment before I nodded slowly. "If I'm not back in an hour, return to Winter. Stryker may be loyal to Prythian, but he could be convinced to help you both if you offer your skills to their cause." Mother help us if he wouldn't. Words and apologies rose in my throat to pass along to my failed mate, but I forced them away in favor of sounding resolute. "I can find my own way back with Jace if I need to."
Neither of us acknowledged the fact that if I didn't return it was because I was dead.
Abruptly, Talia stood and threw her arms around me in a fierce hug that I returned just as tightly. It was easy to forget how small she was compared to me when her fierce temper and clever mind seeming to make her larger than life. Now, with her face hidden against the thick leather of my armor, I felt that facade begin to fracture. I swept my hand in a soothing move down her back and squeezed her once more before I stepped back. We both pretended to not see the stubborn tear that dripped down her cheek.
Smiling gently, I nodded at Ifrit. "I'll be back, Talia, I promise-and I'm bringing Jace with me."
"You'd better," she said with a passing resemblance to her usual temperament, "I've still got to kick his ass for making me wait."
I smiled reassuringly and nodded again. I didn't bother to gather more weapons from what was left from our stores, just held onto the familiar grain of my glaive and returned my knives to their sheathes. She took a step back as I reached for the bright light in the core of my soul and winnowed away in a rush sea wind and the sharp crackle of thunder.
Getting to camp was easier than I anticipated. I was familiar with the rotation of guard patrols on the outer edges of the army's base and it didn't take much effort to avoid their usual routes. Instead of jogging along as Jace had done, I winnowed along a path that would return me to camp as quickly as possible.
It wasn't until I reached the outskirts of the camp that I chose to move on foot. While winnowing into camp was possible, such movements were carefully monitored by the army mages and I didn't want to let Trask know I'd arrived until I was ready to face him. Beyond reaching my legion, I still wasn't sure how I'd be able to find Jace amidst all the soldiers usually moving around.
It turned out, that worry was useless.
As soon as the world returned to focus and form the familiar greys and browns of the dusty plains, I was met with row after row of soldiers standing with their weapons raised and ready. Archers moved to nock arrows into their bows and I could feel them aiming like a brand. There was no chance of finding cover amidst the puny scrub brush or even running back toward the far off treeline. Two hundred yards of barren ground was all that kept me from being surrounded by their forces. Instinctively, I eased my glaive into a defensive position and threw up my shields in preparation for an attack.
So much for the element of surprise and stealth-it looked like I would dealing with this the old fashioned way.
From this distance, it was difficult to make out the sigils of the collected warriors, but I could pick out the familiar broad shoulders of Crissen and Trask standing confidently in the center of their forces. Instinctively I searched for the crimson and silver of my own legion's uniforms and couldn't decide if it was good or bad that they were missing. Good that Trask hadn't managed to twist their loyalty against them, but I couldn't ignore the worry pooling through my gut that their disappearance signalled something much darker.
No one moved for a long moment. I could see the foot soldiers shifting nervously and felt a wicked sort of smile twist my lips. Trask's attempts to break me down in the Arena had only ensured my legacy and reputation as a vicious fighter among my peers. It was a double edged sword that I intended to use to my benefit.
Despite my exhaustion, the raw need to protect my family and unit was enough to center my nerves and send my magic coiling around me like an eager friend. After so long hiding my abilities and waiting for a chance to strike back, it was a relief to finally pick up a weapon and do something about it. If Jace had made it this far, the battle brewing would give him the distraction he needed to get Ifrit the antidote safely.
Summoning every ounce of irreverent confidence I possessed, I smiled at Trask and projected my voice across the field. "General," I called cheerfully, "I didn't expect such a large reception for my return. What seems to be the occasion?"
"Aria," Trask replied with the same amount of vicious excitement, "I admit, I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to return after being branded a traitor."
I stiffened minutely, wondering if, like Frey, this attack had been arranged with Amarantha's blessing before I even left Hybern. Suddenly, I began to doubt that she'd ever truly wanted us to reach Under the Mountain or if she was only giving Trask the time he needed to topple my allies and power structure. Fury and bitter regret fought to consume me, but I forced my expression to remain placid.
"I am as loyal to Hybern as I've ever been," I said instead. "I've proven my merit time and time again in the Arena and on the battlefield." My eyes scanned over the line of nervous soldiers waiting for the command to move. "Tell me, how many of your men are you willing to lose to my blade?"
Their warriors shifted anxiously, tightening their hold on their weapons. Crissen turned away from watching me to snap an order I couldn't quite make out from this distance. A group of soldiers lingering near the back of their lines moved forward in a tight unit to stand at Crissen and Trask's side. I eyed them curiously before returning my attention to my enemy.
Trask made a broad gesture to the fae surrounding him. "They are soldiers of Hybern-eager to live or die to protect their kingdom. They are more than enough to bring you to your knees."
"I'm not surprised to find you hiding behind other fae's sacrifices, Trask. Why not face me like a real male and save them the effort?"
Crissen surged forward eagerly, but Trask cut him off with a sharp gesture. His lips curled into a sneer. "You don't deserve the honor of soiling my blade," he said.
The confidence that remained prevalent in his tone put me on edge and I scanned the crowd again, looking for the source of his belief that he could destroy me so easily. The foot soldiers and archers gathered were a challenge, but without Trask taking the field, I was relatively confident in my ability to rout them. There had to be something I was missing.
The answer, when it came, was little comfort.
The small unit Crissen had summoned shifted once more to reveal the sagging body of a heavily bleeding soldier. It was a marker for how badly they'd beaten him that it took several seconds before I recognized the dark hair and mottled olive skin of Jace.
Instinctively, I lurched forward with my arm outstretched like I could reach him from this distance with sheer will power. My breath felt raw in my chest as I surveyed the damage done in just a few hours and the wind that curled around me surged like an invisible force to yank at the ties of their armor and rip helmets free from their skull. All around us the temperature dropped to a painful chill that felt ripped straight from the tundras of winter. My mind went quiet and still as though I were stepping into the Arena once more.
"What do you want?" I asked flatly. There was no point in pretending that Jace's presence hadn't landed like a blow to the chest-Trask had saved him for just this moment. "This fight is between us, not my soldiers."
Trask sneered at Jace's battered body. "This human doesn't deserve the title of soldier. He's nothing more than a slave misled by your lies and promises. Every drop of blood spilled here today rests on your head, Aria Bastardborn and Traitor to Hybern." He paused to tilt the injured human's furious eyes up to his own and made a sympathetic noise. "Still, I am not without mercy...I'll return your pet to you should he prove his worth."
My heart gave a painful lurch and I felt a spark of hope bloom despite the tension in my limbs. If I could get Jace clear of the soldiers, I might have a chance of winnowing back to the coast and making a run to Prythian. With my winds to aid us, I could get us to the coast quickly enough to find an antidote among our enemies. I was prepared to beg on my knees if it meant Stryker would use his contacts to save them.
Again, my mind cast outward, searching endlessly for the fraying end to the link just out of my reach. I never noticed how often I let myself lean on Stryker's steady confidence and quick humor. Now there was nothing but an aching silence and a seemingly endless series of pitfalls in my path.
I straightened my spine and clutched my glaive a little tighter. "Name your challenge and I'll meet it on his behalf."
Trask laughed. "Very well, then. I'll be merciful and allow you to work together to save him-" He leveled a cruel smile at me. "-Now tell me how grateful you are."
If it meant saving Jace, I would walk over broken glass and coals barefoot so it wasn't difficult to swallow my pride and grit out, "Thank you."
"Good girl," Trask crooned and gestured to the soldiers holding Jace in place. The human stood on wobbly legs, but his eyes were sharp and clear as he prepared himself for whatever was coming. In that moment, he was as much a warrior as any ancient fae and I let his strength center me. Jace was quick and clever and used to being underestimated by others. I had to believe he could survive this.
When they didn't attempt to stop him, Jace took another step towards me. The general opened his arms in an expansive gesture that seemed to encompass the space between us. "We'll make this simple," he called, "If your human can make it to your side, you can keep him."
Beside him, Crissen reached for a massive longbow from one of his pages. My stomach plummeted, but Jace kept his eyes fixed on me. He stood calm and ready like the archers preparing for his death around him didn't exist. For a moment, the memory of the bloodied, stubborn teenager I'd found in the pits of the Arena seemed to blend with the man that stood tall and proud before his enemies. Even now, he remained unbent, unbroken.
"If not...well, his death is no great loss." Trask turned to whisper something to Jace and then Jace was running.
His feet pounded against the hard earth in a quick rhythm, balancing adrenaline against the pain of his injuries. Even with all his training, I knew he'd never be able to beat the speed and agility of the fae born. He kept his eyes fixed on me like a lodestone, arms pumping at his sides.
Slowly, Crissen drew back on his bow with one dark arrow held in place. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Too far, my mind whispered with horror, eyeing the distance between the archers and my friend. It's too far. My shields wouldn't be able to stretch beyond the midway point on the field and I couldn't hope that my winds could block all of their attacks. Without hesitating, I raced forward, trying to close the gap while I reached for my magic.
I had to reach him first.
I was screaming into the void when I ripped the air currents around in order to winnow the distance between Jace and my pounding feet. Begging whatever gods that would listen to help me save him from the inevitable.
One moment I was racing across the pale grasses of the meadow, the next the world slammed into focus with the cheers of my enemies and the full thuds of arrows slamming into the earth. I threw up a shield behind Jace's staggering sprint and felt his body collide into mine, nearly throwing me off my feet.
"I've got you!" I said jaggedly, watching the line of soldiers behind him for another attack. With a grunt, I sent a wave of air hurtling across the distance and watched with satisfaction as a line of soldiers were knocked off their feet. "I've got you Jace! I'll get us back to the ship and —"
A wordless sound of protest ripped free from my chest when the hands that had been running over his back in an relieved embrace connected with three arrow shafts protruding from between his shoulder blades. My brain stuttered to a halt, beginning to realize that I was the only thing keeping Jace upright.
"Jace?" I whispered.
He coughed painfully and I felt blood splatter against my cheek and shoulder. "Ari… I'm sorry. I tried to get back. I —" His voice was rough with pain and nearly silent against the roar of blood in my ears.
"Shh, don't talk, Jace. You're going to be fine," I choked out, trying to lower him to the ground as gently as possible when his knees began to collapse. "Talia will have you fixed in no time."
There was no way to lay him flat without injuring him further so I kept him half upright with my arms to brace him. In the distance, I could hear Trask and Crissen roaring their pleasure at the sight of my devastation but I ignored them. Nothing mattered expect finding some way to keep air in Jace's lungs and seeing him whole again.
Jace's eyes were wide and fixed on something just above me that I couldn't see. Tears trailed over his cheeks and he choked out a ragged sob. "I don't want to go, Ari," he pleaded, hands gripping my shirt like claws, "Please don't make me go."
"You're not going anywhere, Jace. You're staying here with us. With me and Talia and Ifrit. We'll keep you safe."
"Ifrit," he panted, eyes flickering around sightlessly and I felt the pain in my chest expand to full panic when I recognized the signs of shock setting in. "I have to tell her…"
"You'll tell her, Jace, I swear," I soothed, cradling him against me. "You two are going to be the best couple I've ever seen." I was babbling now, unable to find the answers that would reset this moment and keep Jace breathing long enough to make it back. "You'll have the sweetest little half breed babies the world has ever seen and we'll teach them to fight and watch them grow old and…"
His chest sank in a long breath and I looked down at him in alarm, "Jace?"
Hazel eyes stared blankly up at a sky darkening with the beginnings of rain, face still twisted in a mask of pain and desperation.
"Jace!" I was shouting now, shaking his shoulders roughly as though I could wake him up from the awful reality that was life without him. "Jace, please, you have to tell her. You have to be alright. I promised them I'd bring you back. I promised."
His body slid limply from my grasp and I stared in mute horror, trying and failing to restrain the grief that felt never ending. One arm flopped limply to the ground as though he was still reaching for the safety I hadn't been able to give him. Around us, the first drops of rain fell to the earth, disguising the jeers from Trask and Crissen's men. A few landed on his cheek, mimicking the tears that were streaming from mine as I carefully lowered him to the ground.
Gently, I took his outstretched arm and crossed it over his bloodstained chest. His hand remained clenched in a fist and, when I tried to lay it flat, I frowned. A small brown packet lay nestled in his fist, protected against the attack that had taken him from me.
Ifrit's medicine.
I tried not to think of what he must have done to keep it safe. Tried not to think about all the ways I'd failed him even as he'd sacrificed everything Slowly, I looked away from Jace's still form to where Crissen stood watching me from several hundred yards away. He smiled mockingly, tossing away the longbow he'd used to shoot Jace down.
A new wind began to howl through the field, blowing back my hair in a frigid blast and drying the tears on my cheeks. I pulled free my cloak and laid it gingerly over Jace's too-still face and stood.
For the first time, it took no effort to hide away my emotions to prepare for the battle ahead. They fit easily inside the yawning chasm left behind by my friend. The first human I had ever saved. The one I'd promised to give a better future, to give him peace. Jace, who I'd loved as fiercely as any brother.
How could I give him peace when I only dealt in death?
No, I thought slowly, I could not give Jace happiness — but I would give him vengeance.
It was painfully easy to reach one hand up towards the air currents that brought the storm above us to churning life. The dark clouds spread, eating away at the sunlight until it encompassed it fully. Trees shuddered and bent as the wind greedily raked through their branches. Thunder rumbled its dull warning above and I watched the first flashes of lightning streak through the fat clouds.
I wove the currents like a conductor, creating the perfect weapon to destroy every trace of this camp and the creatures that inhabited it. The warm, wet air from the coast came eagerly away from it's normal paths to join with the cooler winds traveling from the mountains of my homeland.
Trask frowned, eyes at the sky above me and I watched him begin to shout orders that had the infantry rushing to close the distance to where I stood protectively over Jace. I didn't bother to try to stop them when the first line of soldiers rushed toward me.
No one would leave this field alive.
I was not created to protect or serve. I was born to strip lungs of their breath and replace it with despair; to bring the world to its knees and hear my name spoken only in fearful whispers. For too long, I'd been content to be a warrior for others when I was made to be a nightmare in the form of a fae.
For a moment all I could think of was the afternoons spent in faraway fields with my mother's gentle voice in my ear. "Storms are simple creatures, love. Eager to come to your call," she'd say, "All it takes is a little warm winds and water and you'll have a weapon ready to be unleashed."
The air around me felt charged with my memories and grief, rain streaking like tears across my face and smearing the blood there like war paint. It dripped onto my lips tasting like heartache and war. The power built in heady waves that fed from the magic I gave easily until it roared like a freight train around me, drowning out the sounds of Trask and Crissen shouting their orders to the churning mass of fae.
"You can't manage this level of power," Crissen shrieked, trying and failing to sound confident in the face of the storm taking shape above me. "You'll burn out!"
Rain pounded into the ground around us in stinging waves, making it difficult to see more than a few yards ahead of us. The wind surged in its place until debris and objects torn free from the campsite slammed into the ground and into the ranks of soldiers. I was forced to sink the blade of my glaive down to brace myself against its might. Instead of fighting the currents, I stirred them with familiar movements that mixed the cold and warm air into a shrieking mass of impending destruction. Within minutes, my clothes were soaked to my skin and my head was aching with the effort of feeding the monstrous storm.
Hybern's army camp had remained safely off the coastline for years after the Great War. Their walls and embankments made invasions costly and nearly impossible enough that no Prythian army had ever attempted to take it. It was a marvel of military might and the long-standing leaders of each legion and their generals.
But all that preparation meant nothing compared to the howling winds and stinging rain of the hurricane I'd sung into being.
Only Jace's body remained untouched by the chaos, safe beneath the shield I kept firmly in place.
Somewhere behind me, I felt the shift in the air that signaled the storm had made landfall and I felt a slow, wicked smile curve across my lips. An arrow thunked into the ground beside me and I turned to face Crissen as he lumbered closer, fighting against the wind. His eyes were narrowed with effort and I wasn't surprised to see Trask lingering nearby. No doubt waiting to see who would survive the confrontation.
None of that mattered now. All I cared about was seeing them dead.
With a gesture, I cut through the air currents around me until I could stand without struggling and watch their approach. The hurricane winds sent the remaining soldiers scrambling for cover behind some of the permanent buildings, but none of them seemed to know how to fight back against nature's fury.
I smiled at their fear even as I leaned heavily against my glaive, feeling the drain on my resources. Even if I died now, the storm would continue my revenge for me.
The sound of a voice, familiar enough to make something in me jump in eager anticipation, called out to me through the thunder and rain. I turned, searching for the source, but only saw Crissen and Trask moving closer. They stepped into the relative calm of the eye of the storm and straightened, reaching for their own weapons.
"All this for a human slave?" Trask sneered. "You must have made a great deal of effort to keep us from discovering your true gifts, Storm Singer. Wasted it all away with your Arena washouts and the miserable creatures you collected."
I looked down at Jace, his face still twisted in the fear and pain that brought his death, and let my grief feed into the storm until it drowned out all other sound. The ground beneath us was already showing signs of the flooding I knew would come off the coast and I spared a thought that my calculations to keep the worst of it away from Ifrit and Talia were correct.
"He is worth all of this and more," I said. "Where are the rest of my legion?"
Crissen laughed, hefting his battle ax like he was contemplating which part of my body he would sink it into. "Did you really think we would let those treasonous bastards reintegrate into the rest of the infantry? None of them were ever truly loyal to our cause-so we put them down like the dogs they were."
Lightning slammed into the earth all around us, deafening and blinding enough that I didn't seen Crissen move until he was right in front of me. Only the axe slicing through the air gave me the warning I needed to throw myself backwards out of range. The spacing was awkward for my glaive-too close, too tight to maneuver the longer weapon. He used that to his advantage and twisted the haft of the axe to clip into my shoulder in a jarring blow.
Instead of retreating again, I surged forward and slammed the heel of my hand into his sternum. His lungs emptied in a painful rush. My elbow smashed into his nose with a satisfying crunch, but I wasn't quite fast enough to miss the blast of boiling hot energy that sent me flying into the muddy earth a few feet away.
Aria! The voice called again, loud enough that I flinched and instinctively searched for who was calling me but only saw more enemies. Wh-s happ- The words sounded faint and cut off oddly, but I didn't have time to investigate further.
Trask's attack gave Crissen the space he needed to regain his breath and his footing while I scrambled back to my feet. My glaive was lying a few yards away and I didn't bother to try to reclaim it. The knife in my boot and belt would have to do.
When he stepped forward again, I met him in a controlled rush. Crissen's size and strength meant I couldn't risk him landing a solid blow and Trask's interference made it difficult to manipulate him into a vulnerable position. I had to keep Crissen's body between me and Trask so he couldn't see well enough to attack again, but I failed two more times before I landed a glancing slice across his forearm. It was clear that there wasn't enough time to linger and deliver the punishment he deserved.
Crissen roared a challenge that I ignored in favor of sweeping low and letting the larger of my knives to cutting into his Achilles' tendon. His leg buckled and I shifted my grip to drag the knife up his thigh into his artery. He made a choked off cry and tried to grab me, but I danced out of reach. Blood mixed with the mud in dark pools around us, the warmth jarring against the icy rain.
The big warrior lunged for me again, but it was child's play to dodge his weak attack. My foot came down hard on the handle of the axe and I watched it sail out of his reach. I brought my heel down again to the satisfying crunch of bone. Dragging up the flagging remains of my magic, I built up a shield of solid air around us to keep Trask at bay and let me focus on my prey.
The effort cost me. Grey spots danced at the edges of my vision and I could feel how sluggish my limbs felt with each step. To conserve energy, I let the shields around my mind fall apart and sucked in a relieved breath. Almost immediately, my brain was flooded with a confusing mixture of worry and panic that felt foreign to the numb grief that had accompanied me since Jace fell.
I sucked in a surprised breath, distracted from Crissen by the feedback from my fraying mate bond. Part of me wanted to curl into the warmth that lingered just out of my reach, but it was tired and quiet compared to the storm around me.
Stryker...I whispered down the bond and felt an immediately surge of knee-weakening relief.
Where are you? He demanded, his voice sounding somehow raw and frantic even through the mental link. What's happened?
He must have moved closer to the coast somehow since we'd left. It was the only explanation for why our weakened bond was functioning well enough to communicate now. I wondered if that meant he regretted his choice or if he'd attempted to come back for me. Instead of answering, I left my mind open, unguarded. I didn't have the words to explain everything that had been destroyed today.
Crissen crawled forward, one hand pressed firmly against his bleeding leg to try to slow the flow long enough for him to heal. I ignored him in favor of gesturing with a hand and letting a weak wind bring my glaive to me instead of retrieving it myself. Before he could do more than move a few feet, I brought the blade down in a vicious arc that sliced into the meat of his shoulder.
He screamed and I watched with satisfaction as his arm went limp and spasmed helplessly at his side. I shifted my blade beneath his chin to force him to stare up at me, tutting at the way he continued to gasp in pain. "Quiet now," I purred. "Isn't this what you wanted? To see me broken?"
To his credit, he managed a passable snarl. "You're as good as dead now-you aren't powerful enough to control this storm."
"You're right," I shrugged and then shifted my grip on the handle of my weapon. "But I'll get to watch you die first."
Before he could do more than blink up at me, I dragged the edge of my blade across the fragile skin of his throat. Blood pooled at my feet and he choked, instinctively struggling for air through his ruined neck. I watched impassively as his pounding heartbeat visibly slowed and finally went still. He slumped forward to fall face down in the mud.
Good, I thought viciously, he belonged there.
At the edge of my shields, Trask prowled closer. I could feel the crackle of his magic in the air mimicking the electricity from the storm. My own power felt raw and brittle in my chest, but I ignored the warning signs in favor of eyeing the last of my enemies.
My mother's warning seemed to echo in the howling winds and rain around me. "Storms will always come when you call, but you must always be prepared to pay the price for such power."
Aria, Stryker said, distracting me from the past. He sounded closer now, but I knew instinctively it would be hours before he was close enough to help. You need to break the connection, love. I can feel it draining you. Let it go.
I leaned my head back to stare at the dark sky above me and let the rain ease the fever running beneath my skin. The testing blast of magic against my shield distant and disconnected so I ignored it in favor of focusing on my creation.
If I closed my eyes, I could practically paint the sky and storm around me in twisting lines of air currents and power, mixing and blending down to each individual particle. Like neurons sparking through some massive brain, it moved and shifted above me on a path that I only barely controlled. Already it was tearing through the outskirts of camp and I could feel the blank spaces that indicated where debris and bodies were thrown through the air.
My magic threaded in and out of the massive storm in bright flashes of near-translucent blues and greys. If I concentrated, I could see the spooling power moving away from me into the heart of the hurricane in spider web-thin lines. It tangled around me, somewhere between pulling me into the winds or crushing me to the earth.
Aria! His voice sounded stronger now and I wondered if that meant he'd begun to cross the channel. The link was open enough that I knew he could sense my plans even before I acknowledged him. I wondered if he could taste the despair flooding me. Don't you dare-
Whatever he would have said was drowned out by the white hot power ripping through my shields like paper and throwing me back into the muddy earth. Trask pressed his advantage, sending another bolt into the flimsy shield I hastily constructed. The attack sent me tumbling into Jace's side and I felt furious tears at the reminder of all I'd lost. The temptation to just lay down and stay there with him. To give up and let the storm take what it needed to finish this for me.
Then my eyes landed on the packet of antidote that Jace had given everything for and knew what my choice had to be.
I rolled on my hands and knees and doggedly got to my feet. Hands. Knees. Feet. I chanted each step to myself, beyond caring for grace or the power that steadily drained away.
Trask loomed like the predator he was, pacing and waiting for the opportunity to send me back into the earth. We both knew I wouldn't get up a third time.
My fingers brushed across the familiar smooth grain of my glaive and I clutched it gratefully. It steadied me as I stood on trembling legs and faced Trask once more. The general looked wild-eyed and furious in a way that made me smile, slow and mocking.
"Now," I crooned over the screaming winds, "let me teach you what it means to lose everything."
He spat furiously, his power fluctuating around him like a hissing cat. "There's no way you'll walk away from this. You can barely stand, let alone fight."
"I don't plan to walk away from this, but neither will you."
This time when he moved forward, I was ready. The hilt of the glaive took the brunt of the hit and I felt the wood creak beneath my palm, splintering with the blow. I spun away the worst of it and sent a slashing burst of wind at his leg. The movement made the world feel like it was spinning around me, going pale and grey at the edges. I shook my head blearily to try to focus against the price of my revenge.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear Stryker screaming, pleading with me to stop, but I knew the moment to turn back was long past.
I'm sorry, I murmured.
Without hesitating, I reached up into the mass of wind and lightning above, searching for the bright flashes of violent heat and light. Trask was screaming something at me as the shields that blocked us from the worst of the storm collapsed, but I ignored him. Another attack knocked the glaive from my shaking hands and I heard the snap of it splitting in two from the force. Magic struck like a blow against my chest, sizzling my skin, but I just gritted my teeth and waited.
There was so little magic left for my to use that I felt every drop like a raw brand against my skin, seeping deep into my bones until it was all I could focus on. I wanted to curl into the cool rain and sleep and sleep, but I forced myself to push through it. If this was to be my last battle, I intended to ensure I left none of my enemies standing.
Electricity sizzled across the clouds above us and I waited until I could smell the ozone and impending violence before I reached up and pulled.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Trask took a triumphant step towards me, hands outstretched with orange fire and-
The world went white and blinding.
When I could open my eyes again, it was to the churning grey and green of the storm clouds. Mud and water slicked into my skin and hair, cementing me to the earth. The pain in my body was distant now, muted like it was miles away. My mind seemed to float somewhere beyond my reach. Listing along with the winds that soothed the sweat from my brow. It felt like a siren's song. A call to close my eyes and fly away to some unknown space beyond my understanding.
The pull on my magic was softer now. Teasing instead of tormenting-like it knew there was nothing left of the bright light that kept me alive.
I gathered my fragmented thoughts and turned inwards, searching for the last piece of light in my soul and huddling close to the scent of jasmine and night winds. The instant sensation of love and happiness from him felt odd against the stinging panic from the realization that I was dying.
Hold on for me, love, Stryker crooned. The rush of affection feeding steadily through the fading bond soothed some of the ragged edges of grief. This time I knew it wasn't distance keeping the mating bond from working and I held on a little tighter to it. I'm coming, I swear. I'll find you and keep you safe. You just have to hold on a little longer.
I'm sorry, I whispered again. My chest began to ache with the effort of filling my lungs.
His voice went raw and pleading. Please, Aria. Just hold on-everything will be okay. Just stay awake a little longer and I'll be there with you.
Slowly, my eyes drifted closed, unable to focus on the dizzying movement around me. With the last of my strength, I clutched at our bond like a lifeline.
I wanted...to keep my promise to you, I breathed. I'm sorry.
Then there was nothing but an endless night sky.
Excuse me while I go grieve for a character I created and killed. :((