CHAPTER 45

The Resurrection Amulet

As Tanin’s fingers closed around the Resurrection Amulet, she felt a grim sense of satisfaction.

Ever since she found out about Mareah’s death, she’d wanted the Amulet for herself. That was why she’d sent Reed and Dimarion after it in the first place.

She’d wanted to ask Mareah why. Why their oaths had meant so little to her. Why Tanin had meant so little to her that she was able to turn her back and walk away.

But now that she saw what it could really do, well, when she rebuilt the Guard, controlling Kelanna would be easier with an unstoppable army at her command. With an unstoppable army, not even Sefia could prevent her from getting the Book back.

Archer’s red eyes flicked to her as she stood before him, gripping the Amulet. “Please,” he said, in a voice that wasn’t quite his own.

And for less than a second, Tanin hesitated.

She could let him go.

She could accept defeat with grace.

She could give Sefia the happy ending Lon and Mareah had always wanted for her.

But why should Sefia get what Tanin had never had?

Archer’s shadow soldiers were climbing over the tower walls now, their faces hungry . . . and some of them familiar—the First, Stonegold, Erastis, the Locksmith.

She began to pull.

As the metal hooks ripped one by one from his skin, there was a hot searing pain as a gunshot tore through her chest. Whirling, she saw the silver-haired boy by the stairs sling a smoking rifle over his shoulder. Around his neck was a mottled scar. On his lips was the shadow of a smile.

Flicking her wrist, she sent a blast of magic at him. His head struck stone, his rifle falling from his hand, and he crumpled like a rag doll.

Archer was collapsing, the red glow fading from his eyes. The dead on the ramparts were dissipating like trails of smoke from hundreds of candles that had been suddenly snuffed out.

Tanin gasped. She tasted blood in the back of her throat.

She was bleeding.

No.

She was dying. The bloodletter had killed her. The Resurrection Amulet slipped from her fingers, landing with a crack on the stone.

She fell to her knees, and the last thing she saw before her world went dark forever was Sefia, teleporting in, catching Archer just before he hit the ground.