Page 131 of Graevale

“No!” Alex cried again, convulsing as if she’d been stabbed herself. The tears she’d held back after William’s death were now streaming down her cheeks at the sight of the ancient Tia Auran swaying on her knees.

As if she’d heard her cry, Lady Mystique turned pained but still peaceful eyes Alex’s way, finding her instantly despite the crowded square. The moment their gazes locked, the old woman smiled softly, before her eyes closed and she crumpled in a heap at Aven’s feet.

In that moment following Lady Mystique’s final breath, Alex was certain time stopped—at least for some.

For three whole seconds, every Claimed human and Meyarin froze mid-fight. Only Alex and Niyx, along with the Shadow Walkers, Dayriders, and free humans, were exempt from the pause in action. Once it passed, Aven’s Claimed army continued fighting with even more of a vengeance than before.

But Alex wasn’t focused on the battle. She was watching Aven, whose eyes had followed the Tia Auran’s gaze in her final moments as she’d looked straight at Alex.

With a face more ravaged than anything she had ever seen, he stumbled backwards at the sight of her—he actuallystumbled, his eyes never leaving hers. But then his mouth opened, forming a single word.

Alex was still too far away to hear him, but she didn’t need to, because she knew exactly what word he spoke.

Aeylia.

Like the flick of a switch, his features morphed from shocked disbelief to unbridled rage. He threw his head back like an animal and roared to the heavens, the sound so ferocious that those battling in the square paused mid-swing to look up at him. Only when his eyes returned to Alex did the armies renew their combat.

Seeing the look on his face, watching him mouth her Meyarin name, hearing his scream… Alex knew that with Lady Mystique’s death, whatever had hidden ‘Aeylia’ from the minds of the Meyarins was now gone.

Aven’s memories had returned. He now knew the truth—that Alex was Aeylia. And that she was the catalyst for everything he had done… and everything that had happened to him.

With eyes like flames of liquid fire, Aven took one step and then two before tearing down the stairs, roaring again as he flew towards Alex, his Claimed army clearing a path at his mental command.

Alex froze for only a microsecond before she heard the memory of Niyx’s voice float across her mind: ‘You will not, under any circumstances, engage him in battle.’

Spinning on her heel, Alex ran. Or, she attempted to. But his army was now blocking her, trapping her in place even as she stabbed and hacked at them, trying desperately to get through. When she saw it was no use, that they weren’t moving, she whirled back around—right in time for Aven to leap towards her with his terrifying black sword raised high above his head, swooping straight down at her.

The speed of his attack was so startling that Alex only just managed to raise A’enara in time to block him. The power behind his swing had her stumbling backwards and falling hard onto the bloodied cobblestones.

He didn’t let up, he didn’t pull back; he kept pressing down against her, his dark blade crossed with her light one as blue flames swirled from A’enara and sinister black flames engulfed his.

Still in her fallen position, Alex struggled to hold up against his strength as both blades edged closer and closer to her neck. Arms shaking as she panted from the effort, it was all she could do to keep him from beheading her.

“HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?” he screamed, leaning into her face, heedless of both flaming blades. “Ikilledyou! Thousands of years ago! You aremortal! You arehuman! HOW ARE YOU HERE?”

Alex had never felt such terror in her life. Sweat dripped down her temples, mixing with the blood and the tears that were still wet on her face from witnessing Lady Mystique’s death. She was paralysed by Aven’s fury, paralysed by his strength, paralysed by the absolute certainty that she was about to die.

“I KILLED YOU!” Aven shouted again. He, too, was panting, but not from the effort of matching his strength against hers. His was an effort of controlling his emotions.

Until, suddenly, it was like a screen shuttered over his expression, the rage and fury dissolving into an unnatural stillness. A perfect, icy calm.

Alex had thought she was terrified before. But looking into Aven’s beautiful, horrible eyes, she knew she’d been wrong. Because now she was staring into the face of death itself.

And death wanted her blood.

Aven no longer needed her explanations. He just needed her gone. And so, when he pulled his sword back and then flashed it forward again lightning-quick, she knew she didn’t stand a chance.

But as his dark blade speared towards her with a strength she knew she wouldn’t be able to block, a war cry rang out as Niyx leapt over her and slammed into Aven, forcing him back and deflecting the flaming sword in a shower of sparks.

Staggering to keep his footing, Aven’s icy calm faltered for a split second as betrayal washed over his features.

“You.” Aven’s raised sword gave a barely-there wobble as he faced his oldest friend. His throat bobbed before he managed to lock down his expression, and in a harsh but detached tone he said, “You were never Claimed, were you?”

Niyx offered three words in response, his voice low, lethal. “Not by you.”

Understanding hit Aven like a slap in the face and his raging eyes looked to Alex as, with another roar of fury, he lunged towards her again. But Niyx was there, blocking him, meeting him stroke for stroke.

Alex had never seen anything more frighteningly beautiful in her life than the sight of the two powerful Meyarins fighting each other in a blur of motion, surrounded by a bloody war of unending violence.

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