Page 140 of Heavenly Bodies

She sighed. ‘Fine,’ she said. ‘But please be careful.’

Fire rippled off Enzo’s sword as he winked. ‘Always.’

Elara tried not to panic as she watched him creep into the palace grounds. She fixed her stare on him until the back of his head vanished from sight.

She didn’t know how much time passed as she paced back and forth, a sense of dread growing inside her when Enzo still didn’t show. She peered through the palace gates, struck again by the silence. She knew that Ariete had to be somewhere within the palace.

Just as she was about to throw caution to the wind and charge into the palace herself, Enzo reappeared, running towards her.

‘Throne room,’ he panted. ‘He’s in the throne room.’

‘Did he see you?’

Enzo shook his head. ‘You ready?’ he asked.

Elara nodded, reaching for her daggers as she slipped through the gates towards him. The scent of godslilies overwhelmed her as they walked past the flowerbeds that lay on either side of the main doors.

‘I’ll take the duskglass,’ Enzo said.

Elara hesitated, as Celine’s warning rang through her. Then she pulled out the knives, handing him the blade as dark as night. Her hand flexed around Sofia’s dagger.

And they walked towards their fate.

The throne room doors loomed before them, just as they had the first day Elara was brought to Helios.

‘One more time,’ Elara said. ‘I’ll use my shadows to blind Ariete. We’ll disorient him with my illusions. When hestumbles, you take the opportunity with the duskglass. Remember, you have to pierce his heart.’

Enzo nodded, jaw clenching and unclenching as Elara took a deep breath, and pushed the doors open.

Two figures waited by the distant thrones, though one appeared to be kneeling, and the crackling red light rippling off the other confirmed to Elara that Ariete waited.

She gathered the well of magick within her, her shadows already rushing from her fingers as they started to cover the room. A few more steps, and she would strike. She heard Enzo behind her but dared not turn to check. All focus was on the god who had taken everything from her. As she approached, she saw who the figure was beside him.

Idris.

Kneeling, bound, a gag in his mouth, beaten bloody.

Elara’s eyes widened, but she gritted her teeth, willing herself with every fibre of her being not to feel an inch of fear as she raised her dagger.

‘Hello, darling,’ Ariete grinned, and she allowed herself only a second to master her shock as she studied his face. Half of it was marred with scars that spread in gold lines like a fork of lightning. They surrounded one of his eyes, which had changed from crimson to a bright orange, as though an ember of Enzo’s flame still lay in there.

‘I’ll give you one chance to surrender before we kill you,’ Elara said. ‘Though it looks like you already aren’t far from death.’

Ariete laughed, and held out his hand. ‘Give me the Starkiller.’

Elara scoffed, her shadows rearing behind her as she prepared to plunge the throne room into darkness.

But then Enzo brushed past her, walking up to the dais.

‘Enzo, what are you doing?’ she demanded, her shadows sputtering out.

And to Elara’s utter horror, Enzo placed the duskglass right into Ariete’s waiting palm.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Black began to gather around the edges of Elara’s mind as Enzo turned, beside Ariete, a cruel smile on his face.

‘Enzo, what is this?’ she asked, her voice betraying a slight tremor. Idris shouted behind his gag, his eyes filled with fury.

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