Chapter Twenty-Four

My screams echoed in my ears as I pulled myself into a sitting position.

I reached into my waist pouch, pulled out a small vial and drank it quickly, barely registering the sour taste that coated my tongue.

I was still shaking, my vision blurred with tears, my throat raw from screaming.

Around me, everything had momentarily stopped, as though my screams had frozen everyone. There were bodies on the ground from both sides. Ashe was standing over me now, sniffing me worriedly. I sat cast in her shadow, pulling smoky air into my lungs, watching as Cindra struggled to get up.

With still shaking hands, I pulled out a tin of pungent-smelling paste and smeared it across the wound on my chest. The paste, plus the potion I drank, would stop me from bleeding out. I could regain some strength and continue to fight.

But I didn’t want to.

Because Callan was gone.

He was gone.

My Callan was gone.

“Move in!” Kana’s voice, somewhere to my right.

Movement erupted all around me as the fight re-engaged.

If I didn’t move I would soon be a casualty, and despite the darkness that was sweeping through every part of me, I couldn’t let that happen.

If I fell, Ashe fell.

If I didn’t stop the Discordants, everyone in Bastillen would be slaughtered and the Discordant Dark would grow strong enough to break free of Drisdari Forest. The dam was cracking. Anger raced through me. Anger and frustration because it was unfair that any of this was happening and I was once again caught in the middle of a war I didn’t start.

I got up and unsheathed the Claymore.

Around me, the sound of weapons clashing picked up. Magic erupted as the constructs bore down on those trying to head into the town.

The Havenrow warriors were trying to stop the Discordants from getting into Bastillen while the frontline fighters were using their projectile weapons to stop those who got past them.

A boomerang knocked a woman down and the Vicasiv slithered over her. It weighed hundreds of pounds. She was gonna be dead or close to it. I felt Temporal magic rise and saw several people slow down as they were hit with it. They looked like they were trying to run underwater.

“No!” I ran as I saw Kana running into the town, but when I heard someone wheeze my name I skidded to a stop and turned to see Cindra staggering to her feet. Her face was bruised from Callan’s fist, and my rage surged. Knowing she hadn’t done any of this of her own will didn’t change the fact that her attempt to kill me had led to Callan being Erased.

I faced her and readied the sword. Ashe snarled viciously.

“What’s happening?” Cindra looked around, bewildered. Her body shook.

“Cindra?” Had Kana not taken her back under control?

“Pennrae? Why am I here? What’s going on?”

So she hadn’t been taken under the Discordant Dark’s influence again. “You were possessed by an entity who used you and other Apprentice Warriors. Go hide, or jump in and fight your fellow warriors. I can’t stay with you.”

I jumped on Ashe’s back and she sprinted forward.

“Wait, Pennrae!” I felt bad for Cindra, but I couldn’t take the time to catch her up. Hopefully she’d be okay for the time being.

My chest was still burning, but the salve and potion had helped a lot. I wasn’t gonna bleed out before I brought this fight to an end.

Somehow, I would bring it to an end.

Dusk had fallen. I’d barely noticed when late afternoon had slid into twilight. The moon followed behind us as Ashe ran, and I felt my magic simmering under my skin. Both Shaper and Divine.

My Divine magic had deflected the Discordant Dark’s attack in the cave. It hadn’t stopped the chakram, but it hadn’t been active at the moment I’d been hit. In the cave, it had felt as though it was about to burst through every single pore right before Kana struck. Even though I didn’t have the Divine sword, I still had Divine magic within me. But how could I use it? That brief moment with Naranthe had not been enough to understand how I could consciously use Divine magic in an offensive way.

I had lost sight of Kana. The numbers at the frontline were dwindling and many of the Discordants had made it past them. My heart felt like it was crawling up my throat.

Everyone who wasn’t fighting was in the bunker. They were under protection and Kana and the others didn’t know where it was. We had that on our side. But the fact that they were within the town made me feel like we were losing the fight.

“Penn! Catch!” Igiro shouted. Seconds later something was flying at me.

My reflexes kicked in and I caught a leather pouch. It was full of slotted throwing knives. Igiro remained near the front, using his Suniksu to rain fire on our enemies.

I reached into the pouch and pulled out two knives, squeezing my legs against Ashe’s side so she would slow down. I sighted one of the Discordants and let the knife fly. It sunk into his back and he collapsed.

Ashe blasted two more with her Divine fire while I dropped another with a knife. The second tier of fighters were engaged with the Discordants who’d made it this far. Someone targeted us with a rain of arrows and though Ashe avoided most of them, one sunk into her right shoulder. She howled and stumbled as crimson blood soaked her fur.

“Fuck!” She stopped and I slid off her back. I broke most of the shaft off but didn’t pull it out. If it had hit a major artery, she would bleed out quickly. I heard a sound and saw Dae-Hyun running toward us, the Vicasiv slithering behind him.

“I can protect her and ward off anyone who comes this way.” His eyes were too wide. As though he’d seen things that would forever haunt him. At least it didn’t look as though he’d incurred any injuries.

I wanted to tend to Ashe but couldn’t afford the time. With the Vicasiv as backup she could still do damage with her fire and tails.

“Thanks,” I said to Dae-Hyun. “Stay safe,” I said to Ashe, who made a sound of agreement before turning around to face down anyone else who came this way.

I continued on foot.

Where was Sage? I’d passed the house they’d taken cover behind. I hoped I wouldn’t be coming across their body somewhere.

I wasn’t at a hundred percent strength, but the potion and salve were keeping me together pretty well.

I’d stay on my feet long enough to make sure the Discordants didn’t get what they came for. They were crawling throughout the town, busting down doors and breaking windows as they entered houses searching for people. I felt searing satisfaction that there wasn’t anyone for them to find.

Before long, I had Kana in my sights again.

She’d paused in the middle of what looked like a town square, complete with a fountain in the middle and ringed with buildings that looked like shops.

When Kana heard my footsteps she turned around, her shoulders heaving, her face pissed to the high heavens, which brought me further satisfaction. The sound of things falling over and breaking indicated that her people were inside the buildings ransacking everything as they looked for hiding places. My allies were running in after them, weapons ready.

“Where are they!” Kana’s unearthly voice made me feel like blood was pouring down my skull. The pinpricks of light in her eyes moved as though they were shooting stars streaking across the night sky.

“Out of your reach,” I said with some satisfaction. My mind was racing with how I could stop Kana, how I could free her from the Discordant Dark’s influence without killing her.

I knew for certain that I was stepping into the moment Gideon had time-walked to, but I had no idea how to alter what he’d seen.

Kana released a jarring yell and came at me with her haladie. I met her with my sword and we squared off. I ducked the swipe of her blade and body-slammed her, sending her flying over the edge of the fountain and into the water. She stood up dripping water and jumped out of the fountain.

Our weapons clashed.

She pushed, I pushed.

She shoved, then kicked me in the chest, causing an explosion of pain in the wound. I gritted my teeth as I stumbled back and managed not to lose my footing.

We came at each other again. My arms thrummed with the impact of our blades meeting. Kana’s face twisted in a snarl as our eyes locked.

Staring into those fathomless black eyes made a terrible feeling shake through me. The Discordant Dark’s aura wafted at me, making me feel as though I was suffocating.

I abruptly pulled back and she lost her footing. I swept her feet out from under her and she fell onto her back but rolled out of the way before I could deal another blow. She flipped to her feet and slashed out with the sword, opening a thin wound across my cheek.

Her attack hadn’t been deflected. I had no idea how I’d done it before, but it was clear I couldn’t count on my Divine magic providing automatic protection. It was entirely possible that Kana could gut me, especially if she pulled the trick she’d done with Cindra.

She tried for a kick and I dodged it, then dealt her a blow to the side of her head with my elbow. She made a wild swing, and if I hadn’t moved out of the way I would have been disemboweled.

Something slammed into my shoulder. Then the back of my thigh.

Pain spread through me as I dropped to the knee of my uninjured leg. Another hit came to my side and I cried out.

Arrows. I’d been hit by three arrows.

A shadow fell over me and I looked up to see a group of Discordants had ringed us. They looked battle-weary but not close to giving up. These three arrows plus the chakram wound were sapping my strength. They were gonna overpower me.

“I will end you now,” Kana seethed. She stepped back and spread her arms. The Discordant aura grew stronger, making me recoil, making me want to get up and run away. When I looked at the Apprentice Warriors, I quickly realized what she was doing. Confusion replaced vacant expressions as Kana took the Discordant magic from them like she’d done Cindra.

People fell around me like a row of dominos, and the fragments of the Discordant Dark’s power streaked through the air and into Kana, who became encompassed in a black glow.

She’d made herself stronger.

I cursed.

Was she going to be too strong for me to stop? I didn’t have my Divine sword, Ashe wasn’t close, and both of us were wounded. I was running on reserves.

Kana fixed her eyes on me. Her magic continued to ripple around her; a writhing black shadow that haloed her body. The feel of it was staggering. The magic poured over the blade of the haladie, turning it into black fire.

“I wonder if you can deflect me now.” Her voice was even worse, further warped by Discordant magic.

I gritted my teeth and couldn’t even find a retort to fire back.

I was tired. So tired. Of bringing pain to the people close to me because of the trouble I found myself in. Of having to keep holding my head up and be the warrior I had trained to become. Of sacrificing everyone my heart held dear for the greater good.

Where had it all gotten me? I was fighting a losing battle. No matter how much I’d been telling myself I’d find a way to save everyone, I didn’t think I’d be able to.

And while I once again tried to save the day, I had lost the only man I’d allowed myself to love.

I’d fought so hard, tried so hard to be the champion I needed to be, and this was where I’d ended up. I was angry. Heartbroken. Hopeless.

I was choking on the memories of my family, my first life, which was the only timeline I truly belonged in.

I felt hotter than all the stars in the sky.

Magic simmered under my skin. And then burst from it. I sucked in air and almost fell back as I was suddenly cocooned in Divine magic. It flowed around me in undulating waves, brushing over and under my skin.

Kana laughed like she was having the time of her life. “Such a force you are, little warrior. My Celestial has actually honed a weapon against me! But it will be to no avail. You are but a fragile heart in a finite form. I am time unending. I am destruction that cannot be undone. You are no match for me.”

I couldn’t even manage to be chilled by her words as I focused on the Divine magic erupting from me. What was happening? What could I do with the magic coming from me?

I wasn’t calm, couldn’t think clearly, and was in so much pain. But when the Divine magic had deflected her blow in the cave I had similarly been under duress, seeing my demise coming for me.

My magic was reacting because it was trying to save my life. There had to be something I could do.

All this time I thought I needed calm and clarity to figure out my abilities with Divine magic. But what if I didn’t need to be calm?

What if I let the dam break?

I looked up. Kana took a step back and readied the sword. Those swirling black eyes looked triumphant.

“I will not remain bound away,” she said. “I will break free and do what I must to ease the suffering of this planet. You do not even know how you suffer, and that is the most piteous thing.”

I had nothing left to lose. No more options, no more plans, strategies, or tricks. If I fell, Bastillen would be lost. I was the only one who had the power to stop Discordant magic. I had to try, down to my last breath. I had already lost everything.

Callan. Callan. Callan.

A sob clawed up my throat, choking me. I breathed past it, pulling in a deep, deep breath. Then I threw my head back and screamed, letting go of everything that was inside me.

I let the dam break.

Magic exploded out of me.