Page 164 of Silvercloak

And then their lips met, and a shiver rolled through her, and he said a single word so softly she almost missed it.

“Hope.”

Here they were again.

She allowed herself to linger in the moment for longer than she had the first time.

Something naïve and hopeless soared in her chest. Levan wasalive.On this fork in the road, she didn’t kill him. His skin was still warm, and his gaze was not yet scrubbed free of emotion. Tears streamed down her face unbidden, and she couldn’t bring herself to wipe them away.

The deep, stony exhaustion in her body told her that she had to get it right this time. She would not be able to unmake time again. This was her final chance to salvage the ruins of this night.

“I don’t have a wand,” Saffron whispered, remembering her lines.

Levan handed her his.

She clambered unsteadily to her feet and pressed the closet door open.

Tas was still dead, as was Alirrol.

In the great reshuffling of time and wands, Lyrian’s had vanished, and he bellowed his confusion, crouching behind Castian.

Segal fired his ineffectual curses at the Silvercloaks crouched behind the bed.

Aspar and Auria tried to strike their opponents witheffigiasspells. The bloody starburst on Aspar’s chest spread violently over her silver cloak, her gas mask filling with scarlet as she bled from her mouth.

Castian gusted the bed frame into the open sky above, sending it smashing into the nearest wyrmwood.

“Sen praegelos,” Saffron whispered, stars dancing around her eyes.

Time stood unconvincingly still.

It faltered and wavered, jerking back and forward, resisting her command.

Stomach dropping, she realized she couldn’t hold it.

She tossed the kingpin’s wand back at his feet, in a desperate attempt to avoid his—and Levan’s—suspicion.

Time shook itself free, a hellhound escaping a leash.

The owl flew freely overhead.

Chaos resumed.

Castian turned fully to stone, mouth agape.

Lyrian spotted his wand, grabbing it in a heartbeat.

Aspar fired her final spell, a furious roar of grief. “Sen ammorten.”

“Sen ammorten,” yelled Lyrian at the same moment.

It struck Aspar in the head.

Aspar’s killing curse struck Lyrian’s heart.

They were both dead in an instant.

Silence rang out all around.

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