Page 146 of A Forgery of Fate

It was inhumanly fast, how Elang knocked Shani to the side, then spun to parry the barbs. They were faster than arrows, tipped with fiery white magic. One shot sniped past his blade, poised to strike him in the chest. I didn’t think twice. I released the Scroll of Oblivion.

The barb ricocheted off the parchment, which was still tumbling free of its bindings. Elang sent me an astounded look.

I shrugged. “You told me the Scroll can’t be destroyed.”

“So I did, Saigas.” His mouth split into a grin. “But I don’t think anyone’s tested it that way before.”

I pushed him back to attention. “On your left!”

A new volley of barbs fired our way. I raised the Scroll again, while Elang lunged to engage Shani. With a snarl, she came charging at Elang. She feinted a blow at his face before vaulting high. In midair, she morphed back into a phoenix. Down she swooped, but Elang was no longer her target. Her claws came slashing atmythroat, the rush of air from her wings scalding my cheeks.

I rocked back on my heels. The Scroll went careening, and I barely hung on, sending it back into my red string—just before Shani crashed into me.

“Tru!” Elang shouted.

I couldn’t move. My blood had turned to ice, my thoughts numbed. Was this what it was like to have my soul devoured by a demon?

Your soul would be too disgusting for me to devour,Shani retorted. She wrangled me still.Now watch. This is how it all ends.

On the deck, Elang barreled past Haidi’s barbs, not even bothering to shield himself.

The merqueen changed tactics. She clubbed at him with her tail, with her tentacle arms and her spiked hair. Her blows were hard and ruthless.

She clipped him in the shoulder, tearing a hole in Elang’s black robe. He wore the color often enough, usually as a belt or an inner robe or even as armor paddings. The only other time I’d seen him clad entirely in black was when I’d met him as the Demon Prince.So you wouldn’t see the blood,he’d told me.

Oh gods.

Now I saw clearly. He fought differently than he had against Shani. He was favoring one side, blocking and dodging more than hitting. Haidi was ferocious, yes, and no mortal would stand a chance against her. But Elang was half dragon, and he had a dragon’s strength. That he didn’t use it against her meant he couldn’t…because…

Haidi flew at him with her tail raised. A feint. Her hair came swinging instead, slamming down from above. Her spikes hooked into his chest precisely where, mere days ago, I’d wrenched her harpoon out with my bare hands. It ripped through his flesh with a whipping sound I knew I’d never forget.

I was the one who crumbled.ELANG,I tried to yell, but Shani tightened her grip around my throat.

Elang crushed his jaws and fell on one knee, growling against the pain.

“Well done, My Queen. Well done.” Nazayun clapped, his pleasure amplified by thunder. “Now kill him.”

“No!” This time my voice boiled out of my throat. I twisted free of the demon, claiming my body as my own. Caisan’s knife was still in my hand. I threw.

The blade went soaring. High and true, it arced squarely for the place where the Dragon King’s empty eye socket had once been. I’d never know whether it was fated to hit him, though, for Shani snagged the knife out of midair.

Faster than I could get to my feet, she pinned me back down. She trapped my arms and dug her talons into the small of my back.

“Let me go, Elang—”

“Shut up,” she barked. She dangled Nomi’s firecracker over my head, and I stopped, my breath cut short by the acrid fumes of sulfur. “It’s time to finish this.”

“Don’t,” I cried. “Shani, listen to me. You could have killed me many times over by now, but you didn’t. You left the sangi for me. You held back fighting E—”

“I said shut up.” Shani struck the back of my head, sending me face-first into the ground.

I bit my tongue as I fell, and the metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. Still I didn’t give up. I turned to our thoughts.If you have any honor left in you at all, help Elang. Please.

Against my ear, the demon pulled the firecracker string. The explosive sizzled.My vow wasneverto help Elang’anmi.

Taking the cracker with her, she evaporated into a cloud of mist.It was to kill the Dragon King.

Just as Haidi was about to deliver her final blow, Nomi’sfirecracker fell from the sky. My sister was right, it was no ordinary New Year’s popper.Boom!In a white and blazing blast, the merqueen was thrown from the deck, shreds of red paper fluttering past her.

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