Page 150 of The Stolen Kingdom

Their bodies plummeted, but the wind softened their fall, rushing beneath them in a final, gentle push. They hit the ground hard, but not painfully, rolling through the dust and rubble.

Valda groaned, pushing herself up, only to freeze as she saw Maris clutching something tightly against her chest.

Cerberus.

The cat wiggled free, shook out her black fur, and let out an annoyed huff before trotting a few steps forward, tail flicking. Maris let out a breathless laugh, pressing her forehead against Valda’s shoulder for just a moment before she, too, sat up.

Valda pushed to her feet, gripping Maris’s hand as she hauled her up with her. Her chest heaved, her heart stillhammering.

“Are you all right?” Valda asked, her bloodied hand cupping Maris’s face.

Still taken aback by what happened, Maris nodded, desperately touching Valda’s torso, looking for wounds. “I am fine. Areyouall—”

The air was dragged from Valda’s lungs. As her eyes widened and her hands shot to her neck, she watched Maris gasp for air as well, her hands tightening on Valda’s dirty clothes. Knowing that reacting frantically would suffocate her faster, Valda grabbed Maris’s arms, keeping her steady as the other woman shook her head and tried her hardest to inhale.

Unable to talk, Valda closed her eyes tightly, the sphere around her growing wider as she tried to stop it from closing in on her head.

Then a loud yowl sounded.

Arwin cursed just as the spheres around Valda and Maris disappeared. The two women coughed and gulped for air as Cerberus’ angry screeches filled the room. Falling to her knees, and gathering her trident, Maris flung it towards Arwin while he was distracted with Cerberus. The cat was attacking his neck, drawing a steady stream of blood that stained his clothing.

The trident clattered against the wall behind him as he threw Cerberus off him. With an opening, Valda rushed in, smashing her shoulder into his rib cage, hooking her hands behind his knees. She scooped him up with ease, braced herself, and yelled as she slammed him to the ground, breaking it on impact.

With the wind knocked out of him, Valda kicked Arwin’s sword away from reach, then pivoted to bash her boot under his jaw. His head hit the ground aggressively. Just as she was to slam her boot on his head, a gust of wind hit her gut, followed by a blunt impact on her cheek.

Valda raised her arms, blocking another punch before connecting her fist to his flank. She pounded repeatedly, knocking the wind out of him again. As he stumbled on his feet, Valda took a step back to focus what was left of her power on her fists. The wind picked up, forming a small tornado before her. It lashed about, cutting deep into the ground and columns before reaching Arwin. The biting wind cut through her clothes and stung her skin as Valda intensified her attack, narrowing her eyes on Arwin.

He held his ground, his arms blocking his face. On his forehead, the mark of Eris brightened again. Its dark light glowed steadily and stronger as the wind stopped between them. With a yell, the wind around him fluttered back to life in a devastating hurricane, throwing it back at Valda.

“Fucking give up!” Arwin yelled, his voice overpowering the storm. “I hold the power of Ouranos and Eris! I will not die!”

Valda gritted her teeth as a bright light sourced from her forehead, dousing down her eyes and face, then her neck and chest. The intensity was too much, she could barely see what she was doing as pain broke from within her. Her clothing tattered, exposing her skin.

“You do not deserve their blessings!” she yelled as a gust broke through her holster. The Heaven Sword’s scabbard fell, clattering to the ground before being blown somewhere into the throne room. Another gust slammed against her face, cutting a thick line from her cheek, up her eyebrow, to her forehead. Her stance faltered as she closed her white eyes.

“I will not allow you to go on!”

Her legs quivered, the muscles of her thighs strained as she held her ground and created a cyclone within the throne room. Yet, her body was giving out, unable to contain the immortal strength of the god within her. The light on her forehead dimmed, and her open palms quivered. She wasn’t holding on for much longer. Her body wasn’t made for this, but if she had to die to take him out, then she would do so.

Her scream echoed in the chamber alongside Arwin’s. The wind picked up one last time, before his yell was cut by the sound of slamming steel and a wet thud.

The storm died out as she watched Maris’s ferocious form spinning the trident before slamming the end into the back of his head.

Maris ignored the pain of the wind cutting her skin. She saw an opening and she took it. Andgodsdid it feel good to smash Arwin’s face with her trident, to hear the crunch of a broken neck and the twist of it as he fell to the ground. For a long second, she looked down at Arwin, unmoving and not breathing. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose, and his eyes were open in a glassy stare.

As the last wind died, she regarded Valda, who fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Her chest tightened as she rushed to Valda’s side, shifting her to lay on her back. She pressed her hand to her chest and let out a sigh of relief as she felt her breathing heavily.

“Valda,” Maris called at the sight of the massive cut to her face. She brushed the dark strands away from her brow and cupped her cheek as softly as she could. She took in the large gash to her face and swallowed hard.

When Valda opened her eyes and regarded her, Maris smiled. “Thanks the gods,” she said before pressing her lips to Valda’s.

The other woman’s trembling lips felt like an oasis of Sealian water. She kissed her deeply, fervently before pulling away, holding back her tears.

“Valda,” Maris whispered, pressing her face to her lover’s, chanting her name almost in a soft gratitude prayer. “I am so glad the Oracle lied.” Valda tilted her head in confusion before Maris shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You are here. You are fine.” Maris’s attention shot up as she saw a mass of black fur.

Valda lifted her head, her eyes drifting further to the back of the room. Cerberus limped towards them. Her meows were loud and desperate. The other woman’s smile widened at the realization that her pet was alive.

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